Can saffron support a healthy mood balance?

Quick overview:

• Saffron is an herb that has been used medicinally for centuries 
• affron® is a well-researched, standardised Spanish saffron extract 
• Several studies have shown that affron® can help relieve symptoms of mild anxiety, stress and fatigue. It also helps to support healthy mood balance in both adults and adolescents ^{(4) (7)}  

What is saffron?

Saffron is the common name for Crocus sativus. It is a small plant known for its purple flowers which have long filaments in the centre that are an intense red colour. Saffron grows throughout Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.⁽¹⁾  

History of saffron

Saffron is one of the world’s oldest spices, with frescos painted on the walls of an ancient Greek palace as early as 1600 and 1700 BCE showing that it was an important culinary and medicinal herb.⁽¹⁾ 

In cooking saffron is valued for its flavour, colour and aroma. In addition to its use as a spice, saffron has a long history of use as a medicinal plant and has been traditionally used to treat eye diseases, heal wounds, fractures and joint pain.⁽²⁾  

What is affron®? 

affron® is a premium Spanish saffron extract, which is one of the most well-known, trusted, and high-quality saffron extracts available in the Australian and international markets. 

affron® has been standardized to ensure that every batch contains >3.5% Lepticrosalides® - a combination of the active ingredients in saffron responsible for its beneficial properties.⁽³⁾

What makes affron® unique?  

There is a number of things that make affron® unique, including that it is: 

• Clinically trialled to support healthy mood balance, relieve symptoms of mild anxiety and stress, and support refreshing sleep ^(4)(6)(7) 
• Clinically trialled in adolescents where it was seen to help reduce the occurrence of symptoms of mild anxiety ⁽⁷⁾ 
• Standardised to contain at least 3.5% Lepticrosalides® 
• Made using a patented extraction process that respects the environment and uses no chemicals 
• Halal and kosher certified  

Benefits of affron  

affron® has been the subject of nine randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human studies – which are often referred to as the ‘gold standard’ of clinical trials. 

Studies have shown that affron® can help support healthy mood balance and relieve symptoms of mild anxiety and stress in adults.^(4,5) 

Other studies have found that affron® can help support refreshing sleep by improving the amount and quality of sleep that people had. ⁽⁶⁾

Following studies that demonstrated the effectiveness of affron® in supporting healthy mood balance in adults, researchers considered the possible effectiveness in adolescents. An Australian study found that affron® was helpful in supporting healthy mood balance and reducing the occurrence of symptoms of mild anxiety in adolescents.⁽⁷⁾

Who makes affron® and its sustainability story  

affron® is made in Spain by a company called Pharmactive BioTech Products. Pharmactive grow the saffron used to make affron® in their fields in the Castilla-La-Mancha region of Spain, where saffron has been grown and nurtured for centuries.  

They support local and sustainable agriculture by collaborating with selected local saffron farmers who use traditional methods that have been part of their cultural heritage for centuries. The art of saffron harvesting requires manual picking of the stigmas of the flowers during a brief window of time each day. The fresh stigmas are then dried on-site, before being taken to the Pharmactive extraction plant where they undergo a patented, low-temperature production process that creates highly concentrated affron® with less industrial processing, less energy use and zero chemicals. 

What Fusion product is affron in?  

You can find affron® in Fusion Mood Support where it is used to support healthy mood balance in adults and teens. It is combined with reishi, traditionally used in Chinese medicine to reduce physical, mental fatigue, as well as calm the mind and spirit. Plus zinc, vitamins B5 & B6 to support energy levels and healthy mental function. 

Always read the label and follow the directions for use.  

References

1. Mzabri I, et al. Cosmetics. 2019; 6(4):63. 
2. Bagur MJ, et al. Molecules. 2017 Dec 23;23(1):30 
3. Pharmactive Biotech Products. affron®. Available at: https://pharmactive.eu/ingredient/affron_r-improves-your-mood/ - accessed 21-Apr-23. 
4. Kell G, et al. Complement Ther Med. 2017; 33: 58-64. - improves mood in healthy adults 
5. Lopresti AL, et al. J Psychopharmacol. 2019 Nov;33(11):1415-1427 - Efficacy of a standardised saffron extract (affron®) as an add-on to antidepressant medication for the treatment of persistent depressive symptoms in adults 
6. Lopresti AL, et al. J Clin Sleep Med. 2020 Jun 15;16(6):937-947- Effects of saffron on sleep quality in healthy adults with self-reported poor sleep 
7. Lopresti AL, et al. J Affect Disord. 2018 May;232:349-357 – The treatment of youth anxiety and depressive symptoms