How Much Saffron Per Day? The Dose From 14 Trials

Take the amount on your product's label, because every saffron extract has its own dose. Clinical trials used 14 mg to 176.5 mg a day, and the number depends on which extract was tested. Most mood trials used 28 to 30 mg a day, a snacking trial used 176.5 mg, and a few went to 60 or 100 mg. For Saffron360, the label dose is one 88.5 mg capsule a day, with food.

Below: the dose from each trial we checked, why the milligram numbers can't be compared, how often to take it, and what safety reviews say about higher amounts.

What dose did saffron trials use?

The doses below come from the published abstracts and methods of each trial. Each one belongs to the extract it tested.

Eight of the 14 trials used 28 or 30 mg a day, and 2 more had a 28 or 30 mg arm. Three trials compared 2 doses directly. In Kell, 28 mg a day improved mood scores and 22 mg didn't. In the 2021 affron sleep trial, 14 mg and 28 mg gave similar sleep improvements.

Why can't saffron doses be compared?

A milligram figure counts the whole extract, not the active compounds inside it, and every manufacturer makes its extract differently. That's why affron was studied at 28 mg a day and Satiereal at 176.5 mg. Neither number is a target for a different product. Our guide to affron, Satiereal and generic extract explains how each one is standardized.

Saffron360's 88.5 mg sits inside the range of daily doses in the table, from 14 mg to 176.5 mg. Saffron360 is a different extract from the branded ones in these trials, so a trial dose of one extract doesn't translate directly to Saffron360.

How much Saffron360 should you take?

One capsule a day, with food. That one capsule is the full 88.5 mg serving, so there's nothing to split and no reason to take a second. A bottle holds 60 capsules, a 60-day supply.

Should you take saffron once or twice a day?

Follow your label. In the trials, both worked: sleep trials mostly gave one evening dose, while mood trials mostly split the same daily amount into 2 doses, morning and evening where the time was stated. A split dose of one extract doesn't mean a once-daily product should be split. Our guide to when to take saffron sets out when each trial dosed.

How much saffron is too much?

The US Department of Defense's Operation Supplement Safety program puts it this way: "In general, small doses (less than 100 mg) of saffron extract, taken short-term, appear to be well tolerated." OPSS says side effects were reported "especially when saffron was taken in large doses (5 grams or more)." That's 5,000 mg, far above any capsule dose in the table.

The common side effects named in a 2021 umbrella review of 19 meta-analysis papers were nausea, dry mouth, poor appetite and headache, with no serious adverse reactions reported (Lu, 2021). Talk to your doctor before you take saffron if you're pregnant or nursing, or if you take blood thinners, blood pressure medication, diabetes medication or antidepressants. Our saffron side effects guide and saffron and medications guide cover each one.

How much saffron spice equals a supplement?

Saffron spice has no reliable conversion to a supplement dose. Trials used extracts at a fixed milligram dose, and a pinch of threads in a pot of rice varies with every recipe. Cooking with saffron is a pleasure in its own right, but the research on mood and sleep is research on extract capsules.

How long should you take saffron at this dose?

The trials in the table ran from 28 days to 12 weeks of daily use, and each measured results after weeks, not days. Our guide to how long saffron takes to work covers the timeline week by week.

How do you know the dose is real saffron?

Look for a lab report on your lot with an identity test that names its method. A dose only means something if the capsule holds real saffron, and saffron is a frequent target for substitution.

Saffron360's lab reports are published by lot. Look up the lot number printed on your bottle to read its report: FTIR identity confirming Crocus sativus, plus heavy metals and microbiology, all passing, from an independent, ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory. See how other brands compare in our 2027 saffron supplement buyer's guide, or read about Saffron360.

Frequently asked questions

How much saffron should I take per day?

Take the amount on your product's label, because each extract has its own dose. Trials used 14 mg to 176.5 mg a day. Most mood trials used 28 to 30 mg. Saffron360's dose is one 88.5 mg capsule a day, with food.

Is 30 mg of saffron enough?

For the extracts tested at 30 mg, that was the trial dose. It doesn't carry over to other extracts, because each one is made and standardized differently. Use the dose on your own product's label.

Is 88.5 mg of saffron too much?

88.5 mg sits inside the range trials have tested, and a 2016 trial gave 100 mg a day for 12 weeks. OPSS describes small doses of saffron extract, less than 100 mg and taken short-term, as appearing to be well tolerated. Talk to your doctor first if you're pregnant, nursing or take medication.

Why is Saffron360 88.5 mg when many trials used 30 mg?

Milligrams don't convert between extracts, so 88.5 mg can't be read as 3 times a 30 mg dose of a different extract. Each product's dose is set for its own extract, and 88.5 mg falls inside the 14 mg to 176.5 mg range of the trials.

What is the affron dose?

28 mg a day in most affron trials, often as 14 mg twice daily. One sleep trial gave 14 or 28 mg once, an hour before bed.

What is the Satiereal dose?

176.5 mg a day, taken as one capsule twice daily, in its one published trial of 60 mildly overweight women.

Should I split my saffron dose?

Only if your label says to. Many mood trials split the daily amount between morning and evening, but Saffron360 is a single daily capsule, so there's nothing to split.

Can I take 2 Saffron360 capsules a day?

The label dose is one capsule a day. Talk to your healthcare provider before you take more than the label dose of any supplement.

How much saffron is toxic?

OPSS says side effects were reported especially at large doses of 5 grams or more. That's more than 50 times a single 88.5 mg Saffron360 capsule.

What time of day should I take saffron?

The time you'll keep. No trial has compared morning with evening dosing. Saffron360 is taken with food, so pick the meal you never skip.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any supplement, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, managing a medical condition, or taking medication.