Saffron helps insomnia patients by improving duration and quality of sleep: Study

Results highlighted the following facts.

• Six weeks of saffron supplementation led to an increased time in bed assessed by actigraphy, An improved ease of getting to sleep evaluated by the LSEQ questionnaire and to an improved sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, and global scores evaluated by the PSQI questionnaire, whereas those parameters were not modified by the placebo.
• 6-week saffron extract supplementation reduced pain feeling, improved physical global score, and reduced emotional limitation, assessed by the SF-36 questionnaire.
• Of note, the saffron baseline values of physical functioning, bodily pain, and general health were slightly lower than the placebo baseline values,
• Saffron supplementation was safe, as no differences in mild and moderate adverse events were reported between both groups.

"The mechanisms of action of saffron extract on sleep quality and sleep duration is not totally known. Looking at the effects of the active compounds of saffron, safranal was found to activate the sleep-promoting neurons from the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) and inhibit the wakefulness-promoting neurons from the tuberomammillary nuclei (TMN) in vitro."the research team quoted.

Observing the results the team concluded that ,"The present study provides additional evidence that a saffron extract could be an interesting natural and safe nutritional strategy to improve sleep duration and quality of sleep on population presented mild to moderate chronic primary sleep disorder."

For full article follow the link: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051473

Primary source:Nutrients