What the Heck is up with Saffron and ADHD?
A completely unscientific investigation
Disclaimer: None of this is medical advice. I’m a rando on the Internet. Ask a professional for actual advice before taking - or stopping - any medications or supplements!
A couple of months ago I was listening to The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast1 and the guest, Lucinda Miller, mentioned a study that I could not believe was real - that saffron (like, the spice used in paella, which FWIW I always thought was kind of blech tasting) was recently found in a study to be as effective as methylphenidate (often sold under brand name Ritalin) in treating some ADHD symptoms (namely hyperactivity)).
I thought there was absolutely no way that could possibly be true, but, I think the study that was being referenced was this one: Effectivity of Saffron Extract (Saffr’Activ) on Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Clinical Effectivity Study.2
Sure enough, that’s a pretty interesting study! Here’s another article summarizing more clinical evidence that concludes it can be effective with an ‘acceptable safety profile.’
I don’t respond well to stimulants like methylphenidate. They calm down my mind and are huge to help with focus, but I can’t tolerate the feeling of my heart pounding and the headache I always get at the end of the day when it wears off sucks. I take buproprion (brand name Wellbutrin) as an off-label treatment for ADHD, and while it helps me feel somewhat better (or at least indifferent) with the mess that is my daily life, it doesn’t help me focus and avoid distractions the way stimulants do.
My daughter is really prone to headaches and migraines, so we’ve avoided stimulant medication to hopefully spare her the likelihood of an end-of-day headache like I get on stimulant medication. I do think she would really benefit from medication though, we’re just trying to avoid it for now.
So, I bought myself some saffron extract supplements. I first started with these but am now taking these (which have that weird quality of tasting kind of bad but are still somehow enjoyable?!) Here’s my experience taking it on and off for the last 2 months.3
The Good
I didn’t start to notice any real effects for a few days of taking it daily but by day 3-4, I noticed:
less resistance to task initiation
more ability to sit still and work for slightly longer (like, 15-20 mins longer) with fewer “tricks” (pomodoro technique, etc.)
More moments of “wow, life is actually OK” (I’m generally a huge downer and a committed pessimist so those moments are usually really rare) especially in the midst of kid chaos
The Itchy
I don’t know if it truly is the saffron, but after taking it for a few days in a row I feel itchy. Not like unbearably so, just like a dry-skin-is-making-me-itchy kind of feeling, usually on my hands and arms. I do have dry skin, so no clue if this is a real side effect of the saffron, but I don’t notice as much itchiness when not taking it. Maybe the saffron isn’t making me itchy, I’m just somehow more aware of how dry my skin is? Anyway, I just throw some moisturizer on and that seems to help. But apparently report of itchiness, hives, and other skin reactions when consuming saffron are not unheard of.4. I found at least one report of a severe anaphylactic response to saffron from consuming the spice in a dish (not as a supplement).5
The Bad
I didn’t experience any real negative side effects, but I just want to note that nothing I found indicated saffron should be taken as a supplement daily for long periods of time (most articles suggest taking it for up to 26 weeks, but not longer than that).
Saffron can be toxic at high doses, and it may lower blood pressure to a potentially unsafe degree in people who have low blood pressure or are on blood pressure medication. I naturally have low blood pressure and generally have the vital signs of a near-dead person, so, this is not something I’m intense about taking daily and don’t plan to take it for long periods of time - mainly just on the weeks I know a lot of stressful stuff is happening. It is also not safe for women who are pregnant as it has been linked to stimulating uterine contractions.
I’m sure genuine science people have more information on the risks of regularly taking saffron, and I also just want to note the supplement industry is largely unregulated in the United States, so buying a bottle of “Happy” gummy worms is not really any sort of controlled medical treatment.
As per usual, “more study needed”
I’m going to keep taking the “Happy” gummies here and there and I’ll report back any major developments. I do hope there continue to be more studies on this, but I wonder if funding will be available for research; saffron is expensive for a spice, but it may not be something a pharmaceutical company has a lot of incentive to study due to its widespread availability and possible lack of projected profitability. Generally I would just love for there to be as many treatment options for ADHD as possible, because ADHDers are all very different and our medication needs differ.
I believe it was this episode: https://www.adhdwomenswellbeing.co.uk/adhd-podcast/ep186-lucinda-miller. Lots of super interesting stuff in that episode - discussion of L-Theanine, GABA, cherries - it’s a good one.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/19/4046
I have no rhyme or reason for when I take it, it’s mainly just when I remember to take it. I’m not doing science here! I’m just trying to get through the days, y’all.
https://www.heyallergy.com/blog/saffron-allergy-understanding-symptoms-causes-and-treatments
https://www.thermofisher.com/phadia/us/en/resources/allergen-encyclopedia/f331.html