PlainPill

Saffron vs SAM-E for mood

Short answer: For mood, users rate them about the same: 92% report improvement with Saffron (165 reports) and 92% with SAM-E (114 reports).

Saffron has 88 meta-analyses and 119 randomized trials on PubMed; SAM-E has 3 and 1.

Based on 421 reports about Saffron and 284 about SAM-E. Not medical advice.

Saffron
Supplement
SAM-E
Supplement
Users say it helped62%helped223 reports · high confidence63%helped131 reports · high confidence
Verdict
Mostly positive
Mostly positive
ResearchAResearch: StrongBResearch: Moderate
Meta-analyses / RCTs88 / 1193 / 1
Mainly used for
Mood
% reporting improvement
92% (165)92% (114)
Anxiety
% reporting improvement
81% (84)67% (21)
Focus
% reporting improvement
79% (38)100% (13)
Energy
% reporting improvement
81% (21)87% (23)
Sleep
% reporting improvement
72% (18)33% (3)
Common side effectsheadache, appetite suppression, insomnia, vivid dreamsinsomnia, jitteriness, stomach issues, anxiety
Typical dose reported30 mg200-400 mg / daily
Saffron
Latest review conclusion

Saffron demonstrates promise in improving ADHD symptoms, with an acceptable safety profile. Future well-designed multicentral studies are suggested.

J Atten Disord, 2024 ↗
What a user said
“I just sneak some into whatever soup we are having. I honestly think it has made a huge difference.”
Full Saffron profile →
SAM-E
Latest review conclusion

Our results showed that robotic surgery contributed positively to some perioperative outcomes but longer operative times remained a shortcoming. Better quality evidence is needed to guide surgical decision making regarding the precise clinical targets of this innovation in the next generation of its use.

Surg Endosc, 2016 ↗
What a user said
“I also take SAM-e in the morning (200mg or 400mg per day depending on how I'm feeling) for my general depression/anxiety.”
Full SAM-E profile →

Related comparisons

Percentages come from first-hand user reports and are not clinical outcomes. Talk to a doctor before starting, stopping or combining anything. How we rate