Saffron

Saffron, is used for more than culinary purposes. This therapeutic spice has shown to be beneficial as both an adjunctive therapy with stimulant medication and as an independent treatment option for ADHD. The bioactive constituents of saffron may increase reuptake inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine and may function as both N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonists and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-a agonists. In a six-week randomized double-blind study children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years were randomized to methylphenidate (20 to 30 mg/d) or saffron capsules (20 to 30 mg/d). Participants who received saffron capsules showed equivalent improvement on both parent and teacher symptom rating scales.17 Both treatments were well tolerated. Large long-term placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings and to investigate the efficacy of saffron in individuals with comorbid mood and anxiety disorders.