 The spice saffron is composed of the female reproductive organs of the flower of the saffron crocus. Each flower just produces a few threads, such that you need 50,000 flowers to make a single pound of spice, enough flowers to fill a football field. So no wonder it's the most expensive spice in the world. Thankfully, in the double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of the efficacy of saffron on PMS, they found benefits using just a tiny amount. What if you could get away with using even less, though? This has to be one of the wildest studies I saw published last year, the psychological and neuroendocrinological effects of the odor of saffron. I don't even know how they even thought up the idea to do the study. The purpose of the study was to clarify the effects of saffron odor on symptoms unique to women, such as premenstrual syndrome, menstrual pain, and irregular menstruation. Another double-blind placebo-controlled study, how do you blind a smell study, though? Well, they diluted the saffron so much that you couldn't even smell it anymore. That's how little they used. So half the women sat there smelling nothing, and the other half sat there smelling nothing, except they were secretly being given an undetectable whiff of this flower. And here you go. Significant drop in stress hormone levels and a significant improvement in psychological symptoms. Unbelievable. Smelling saffron is simple and easy, and it seems there is little side effect.