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]