Saffron as Add-On Therapy to Sertraline for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Does saffron help anxiety when added to sertraline?
Yes. Adding saffron to sertraline produces approximately 42% greater reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to sertraline alone. A double-blind randomized controlled trial of 40 patients with mild-to-moderate generalized anxiety disorder found that the combination therapy led to significantly lower anxiety scores after 6 weeks.
Saffron works by blocking serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine reuptake, complementing sertraline’s mechanism and providing additional anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.