---
title: Does smelling saffron help improve premenstrual syndrome, period pain, or irregular periods?
description: Smelling saffron for 20 minutes reduced a stress hormone and anxiety in a small study. The researchers suggest this might help, but the study did not directly
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/psychological-and-neuroendocrinological-effects-of-odor-of-saffron-crocus-2011/
---

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- Does smelling saffron help improve premenstrual syndrome, period pain, or irregular periods?

Randomised trial, 2011

# Does smelling saffron help improve premenstrual syndrome, period pain, or irregular periods?

Smelling saffron for 20 minutes reduced a stress hormone and anxiety in a small study. The researchers suggest this might help, but the study did not directly measure whether symptoms actually improved.

 Early or limited evidence

35 women with normal sense of smell

## What they did

35 women with normal sense of smell were exposed to saffron odor for 20 minutes. Before and after, researchers measured stress hormone (cortisol), testosterone, and estrogen levels in saliva. Women also completed an anxiety questionnaire.

## What they found

After exposure to saffron odor, cortisol decreased, estrogen increased, and anxiety scores decreased in both the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle.

## What it means for you

Saffron smell may affect hormones and anxiety, which are related to PMS. However, the study is very small with no comparison group for the smell exposure, and measured only hormone changes, not actual PMS or period pain symptoms. No evidence yet that smelling saffron treats symptoms.

35

women studied

20

minutes of saffron odor exposure

3

hormones measured

## About the study

Original title Psychological and neuroendocrinological effects of odor of saffron (Crocus sativus) Authors Fukui H, Toyoshima K, Komaki R Journal Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology Year 2011 Study design Randomised trial What was tested 20-minute exposure to saffron odor Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2010.11.013](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2010.11.013)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Dysmenorrhea and period pain](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-dysmenorrhea/)[Saffron](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-saffron/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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