Science Supports Saffron & Ashwagandha for Stress-Related Mental Health

This new systematic review examined the evidence for using the herbs saffron and ashwagandha for stress-related issues from depression and anxiety to stress and insomnia. The results support the use of these two great herbs.

The systematic review included 19 controlled studies that examined the use of saffron and 14 that looked at ashwagandha for several “stress-related mental health outcomes.”

Both plants demonstrated a “robust” effect for anxiety. In people with depression with anxious distress, saffron was as effective as the SSRI citalopram (Celexa). And in people with “low mood,” saffron reduced their anxiety. In one ashwagandha study, the herb reduced anxiety by 75.6% versus 4.3% on placebo.

When it came to depression, saffron was as effective as the antidepressant imipramine. It also had antidepressant effects in depression that accompanies menopause or medical conditions. Saffron has also repeatedly demonstrated the ability to help subclinical depression or low mood as well as low mood that comes with poor sleep. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce depression by 52.1% when a placebo could manage only 13.6%.

Saffron has also demonstrated the ability to sooth stress and depression that comes with social relationships, to lower cortisol and reduce stress scores. Stress was where ashwagandha shone the most. For stress, it beats placebo 44% to 5.5%. Several studies show that ashwagandha reduces stress and cortisol.

Saffron improves sleep, including in people with low mood, subclinical depression and daytime sleepiness. Ashwagandha significantly improves how fast you fall asleep, total sleep time and sleep efficiency in people with insomnia.

This systematic review shows that the science backs the claims for saffron and ashwagandha as exciting herbs for mental health and, specifically, for depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia.

J. Vis Exp. October 2026;236:e73092.

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