Traditional Persian medicine holds that saffron is useful in treating depression. A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology shows that usingt saffron extract twice a day is as effective as Prozac in treating mild to moderate depression. Subjects were feeling better in as little as six weeks. Side effects were minimal, and another study showed them to be no different than placebo.

Saffron is probably not the cheapest brain food, with one pound costing up to $5000. Apparently, 75,000 flowers need to be harvested to make this amount.

Interestingly, other studies have shown saffron extract improves learning and memory in animal studies.