Clinical evidence for saffron and fenugreek in sexual function is limited to moderate, and it comes from trials that supplied standardized extracts or capsules at fixed doses rather than spices added to food. For other spices, this review found no adequate evidence. Saffron has been tested in women with sexual dysfunction and in men with erectile dysfunction, with mixed results across meta-analyses; fenugreek trials reported effects on arousal, orgasm and saliva testosterone in men. No trial in this review tested kitchen spices at ordinary food quantities against sexual desire.
The dose and the preparation decide whether a trial result says anything about a spice on a plate, and most online claims ignore it.
Saffron shows modest and inconsistent benefits for sexual function. In women with severe sexual dysfunction, capsules were superior to placebo in desire, lubrication and satisfaction over 6 weeks, with a borderline result. In men with erectile dysfunction, meta-analyses report effects on erectile function, orgasmic function and intercourse satisfaction, while a broader review of herbal supplements describes mixed findings.
Trials tested saffron and fenugreek as standardized extracts at fixed doses. — Image: AI-generated / Gemini 3.1 Flash via OpenRouter
The trial by Kashani et al. (2022) was a 3-centre double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. It gave saffron (Crocus sativus) capsules of 15 mg twice daily or placebo for 6 weeks to 74 married women aged 18 to 55 with severe sexual dysfunction, and 34 women per group completed it. Both groups improved on the total score, the time-by-treatment difference favoured saffron (p = 0.050), and at week 6 the saffron group improved by 62% from baseline. Desire, lubrication and satisfaction were the domains where saffron exceeded placebo.
The authors call for more robust research. The review by Lu et al. (2021) covered 19 meta-analyses, found heterogeneous results and listed nausea, dry mouth, poor appetite and headache as common side effects of saffron, with no serious adverse reactions. The review by Borrelli et al. (2018) examined 24 randomized trials with 2,080 patients, found 3 saffron trials with 397 participants giving mixed results, and stated that larger high-quality studies are needed before use can be recommended. The meta-analysis by Ho et al. (2026) found that herbal supplements overall improved erectile function, orgasmic function, desire and satisfaction versus controls in 1,227 men with erectile dysfunction; saffron specifically was effective for erectile function, orgasmic function and intercourse satisfaction.
What does fenugreek do for desire and testosterone?
Fenugreek shows limited and inconsistent effects. A 6-week trial in healthy men found improved arousal and orgasm sub-domains while testosterone stayed within the reference range, and a 12-week dose-ranging trial in men aged 40 to 80 found higher saliva testosterone than placebo at some doses, without changes in plasma testosterone versus placebo or reported subjective effects.
The trial by Steels et al. (2011) was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 60 healthy men aged 25 to 52 who did not have erectile dysfunction. They took 600 mg per day of a standardized fenugreek extract with a mineral formulation or placebo for 6 weeks, and the fenugreek group improved significantly in the sexual arousal and orgasm sub-domains. Testosterone and prolactin stayed within the reference range, with no effect on mood or sleep.
The trial by Lee-Ødegård et al. (2024) randomized 95 men aged 40 to 80 to placebo or 600, 1200 or 1800 mg of fenugreek extract for 12 weeks. Plasma total testosterone and the free testosterone index rose versus baseline but not versus placebo. Saliva testosterone was 37.2% higher than placebo (p = 0.042), and the 1800 mg dose raised saliva testosterone by 19.6%, with no subjective effects or side effects reported.
Why is a kitchen spice not the same as a trial dose?
A kitchen spice is not the same as a trial dose. The trials used capsules or standardized extracts with a fixed milligram amount, taken on a schedule, while cooking adds variable amounts of plant material mixed with other ingredients.
The tested doses illustrate the gap: saffron capsules of 15 mg twice daily, and fenugreek at 600 mg per day or at 600, 1200 and 1800 mg. Those figures describe testing conditions, not a recommendation. [More research needed: none of the sources reviewed for this article tested the effect of eating kitchen spices at ordinary food quantities on sexual desire.]
In clinical work with couples, a recurring pattern is that the search for an edible fix replaces a conversation about stress, sleep and the relationship; clinical experience is that this conversation is usually more effective than any supplement.
When is low desire caused by something else?
Low desire is often caused by something else, and that possibility comes before any supplement. Depression, anxiety, relationship problems, poor sleep and physical illness can reduce sexual interest, and when reduced desire lasts for months, a medical and psychological assessment is the appropriate first step rather than a search for an edible remedy.
The trials reviewed here enrolled people with a defined complaint or a specific age range, so their results describe those groups and cannot be applied to everyone with low desire.
In a trial of 74 women with severe sexual dysfunction, saffron capsules outperformed placebo in the desire domain, but the result was borderline and the placebo group improved too. Reviews describe mixed findings.
Does fenugreek raise testosterone?
In men aged 40 to 80, 12 weeks of fenugreek extract raised saliva testosterone by 37.2% versus placebo; plasma total testosterone rose only versus baseline. A 6-week trial in healthy men found testosterone within the reference range.
Can kitchen spices replace extract capsules?
No. The reviewed trials used capsules and standardized extracts at fixed milligram doses, so their results describe those preparations. No source reviewed here tested kitchen spices at ordinary food quantities on sexual desire.
Do saffron and fenugreek have side effects?
The review by Lu et al. (2021) lists nausea, dry mouth, poor appetite and headache as common saffron side effects, with no serious adverse reactions. In the herbal supplement review for erectile dysfunction, adverse events did not differ significantly between placebo and active treatment in placebo-controlled studies.
Spices Are Not Magic, but They Are Not Worthless
Spices have a modest place in sexual health rather than a decisive one. The trials behind saffron and fenugreek are small and mixed, yet they point to measurable effects on desire, arousal and satisfaction in specific groups, and they leave room for better studies.
Our editorial position is that spices belong in the kitchen and in the shared pleasure of a meal, but none of this evidence turns them into a treatment for sexual desire.
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Kashani L, Aslzadeh S, Shokraee K, Shamabadi A, Tadayon Najafabadi B, Jafarinia M, et al. Crocus sativus (saffron) in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction: a three-center, double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled clinical trial. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2022;12(3):257-268. PMID: 36186931. DOI: 10.22038/AJP.2022.19714
Lu C, Ke L, Li J, Zhao H, Lu T, Mentis AFA, et al. Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and health outcomes: a meta-research review of meta-analyses and an evidence mapping study. Phytomedicine. 2021;91:153699. PMID: 34419735. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153699
Borrelli F, Colalto C, Delfino DV, Iriti M, Izzo AA. Herbal Dietary Supplements for Erectile Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Drugs. 2018;78(6):643-673. PMID: 29633089. DOI: 10.1007/s40265-018-0897-3
Ho CY, Hsu CH, Chien TJ. Herbal dietary supplements for erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. J Tradit Complement Med. 2026;16(1):109-120. PMID: 41696741. DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2025.11.001
Steels E, Rao A, Vitetta L. Physiological aspects of male libido enhanced by standardized Trigonella foenum-graecum extract and mineral formulation. Phytother Res. 2011;25(9):1294-1300. PMID: 21312304. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.3360
Lee-Ødegård S, Gundersen TE, Drevon CA. Effect of a plant extract of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) on testosterone in blood plasma and saliva in a double blind randomized controlled intervention study. PLoS One. 2024;19(9):e0310170. PMID: 39288153. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310170
Image credits: the featured image and the first in-text image are AI-generated (Gemini 3.1 Flash via OpenRouter).
