Does saffron affect eye health?

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Last Updated: April 23, 2025

    Preliminary research suggests that saffron may benefit eye health due to its antioxidant content, particularly in improving retinal function and visual acuity in people with age-related or diabetic macular degeneration. Additionally, saffron supplementation may help reduce eye pressure when used alongside standard therapy for glaucoma, but further research is needed to confirm these effects.

    Preliminary research has found that saffron may benefit eye health, likely thanks to its content of antioxidant carotenoids — primarily crocin and crocetin. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.

    In people with age-related or diabetic macular degeneration, saffron supplementation may improve retinal function, leading to improved visual acuity (the ability to identify increasingly smaller letters from a distance). When used in addition to standard therapy in people with glaucoma, saffron was found to further reduce pressure within the eye.[1]