There is a growing interest in the use of saffron in treating ADHD in both children and adults. Saffron is one of the most precious spices in the world. The threadlike red stigmas—and the yellow hue they impart—are quite literally the stuff of legend. It can take 75,000 saffron blossoms to produce a single pound of saffron spice, making saffron one of the most expensive spices in the culinary world.
Saffron (Crocus sativus) is a plant. The dried thread-like parts of the flower (stigmas) are traditionally used to make saffron spice, food coloring, and medicine. Medicinally, people commonly use saffron for depression, anxiety, Alzheimer’s disease, menstrual cramps, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and many other conditions.
Saffron contains compounds such as crocin and safranal, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds have been shown to improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in some studies. This may be beneficial for children with ADHD who often experience mood and anxiety-related symptoms.
Currently, the standard treatment is pharmacotherapy, with the most commonly prescribed drug being methylphenidate (Ritalin). While Ritalin has increased the quality of life in many, it does come with negative side effects such as sleeping disturbances, loss of appetite, and heart arrhythmias. In addition, 30% of children do not respond to the medication, or adverse reactions cause poor compliance. Many people are looking into safer natural alternative ADHD treatment with less unpleasant side effects.
Research has found significantly lower levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in those with ADHD, which can be the cause of symptoms in many individuals. Medications such as stimulants (Ritalin and Adderall) work by artificially boosting the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain’s synaptic junctions by recycling the same amount of brain chemical molecules over and over again.
In this preliminary study, saffron shows great promise in treating ADHD in children & teenagers. The study was double-blinded and compared saffron head to head against methylphenidate, which is considered the most effective treatment for children & teens with ADHD. Amazingly, the saffron did as well as methylphenidate and with a tendency towards fewer side effects.
Like methylphenidate, saffron is thought to block the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine. But it also has other effects on the brain, including blocking NMDA and GABA receptors, decreasing the activity of acetylcholine esterase and inhibiting the activity of monoamine oxidase in the brain.
Saffron also has an antidepressant action that works on changing different brain chemical levels and receptors in the brain. Saffron also increases GABA in the brain, which promotes relaxation, relieves muscle tension, and has anti-anxiety effects.
