Improvement after a supplement is not the same as a comparative result
Start with the comparison. A before-and-after change alone cannot isolate the contribution of an ingredient.
Saffron
Selected research topic
Sleep
Some measured outcomes improved in human comparison studies. Read these findings with their populations and conditions.
Some findings concern patients or people with a deficiency.
- Publications for this topic
- 4
- Human comparison publications
- 1
- Publications needing review
- 2
Findings in the studies
Subjective sleep quality
- A better result than the comparison group was reported.
What the comparison group used was not confirmed.
Patient group · Single ingredientMeasurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Randomized controlled trial: subjects were randomly assigned to groups for comparison.
- Study population
- Human participants · Patient group
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Results were compared between groups.
- Measurement time
- Not confirmed.
Insomnia symptoms
About this measure
Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
Research with unclear study subject or type
- The study reported improvement in this measurement.Single ingredient
Measurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Meta-analysis
- Study population
- Recorded population category: Patient group. Whether the research involved humans needs confirmation.
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Results were compared between groups. · Study comparison: saffron versus placebo across included RCTs
- Measurement time
- Not confirmed.
Sleep quality
About this measure
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
Research with unclear study subject or type
- The study reported improvement in this measurement.Single ingredient
Measurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Meta-analysis
- Study population
- Recorded population category: Patient group. Whether the research involved humans needs confirmation.
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Results were compared between groups. · Study comparison: saffron versus placebo across included RCTs
- Measurement time
- Not confirmed.
Outcome needs clarification
About this measure
Original outcome name: RSQ
Research with unclear study subject or type
- The study reported improvement in this measurement.Single ingredient
Measurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Meta-analysis
- Study population
- Recorded population category: Patient group. Whether the research involved humans needs confirmation.
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Results were compared between groups. · Study comparison: saffron versus placebo across included RCTs
- Measurement time
- Not confirmed.
This result is held for interpretation. That does not mean research found no effect.
Outcome groups needing additional review (1)
- Sleep quality · Distinct papers needing additional review: 1Evidence criteria check: 1
One paper can appear under multiple measured outcomes or review reasons, so these counts should not be added together.
Representative outcome and study details
Studies with an unspecified organism reported between-group improvement in Insomnia symptoms.
Single-ingredient studies · Includes patient groups · between-group comparison
1 publications linked to this result
Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)
- Route, form, dose, or population details are incomplete, so the findings cannot be confirmed as directly comparable.
Data coverage and detailed study classifications
Paper counts are separated by research topic below. One paper may contribute to multiple findings.
Analysis status: Public-ready
Ingredient analysis date:
How the grade was determined: C
The 39.7 evidence score includes 1 independent human studies and 1 clinical studies in the representative benefit area. The C tier remains conservative because of limited repetition across independent human clinical studies, too few clinical findings with an explicit effect direction.
The grade is based mainly on the research area with the most evidence. It does not mean the same result was found in other areas.
Papers linked to this ingredient overall: 97
Papers linked to this topic 4 · distinct papers 4 · papers with a confirmed human comparison 1 · papers needing additional review 2
A publication may appear in more than one count. These numbers should not be added. Ingredient-wide papers, topic-linked papers, and sources in outcome groups use different scopes. Adding source counts may count the same paper more than once.
- Insomnia symptoms (Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)): Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- Sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)): Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- Sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)): Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- RSQ: Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- Subjective sleep quality: Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 1
What the research found
Subjective sleep quality
The study reported improvement in this measurement.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
ISI
The study reported improvement in this measurement.
Meta-analysis · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
PSQI
The study reported improvement in this measurement.
Meta-analysis · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
RSQ
The study reported improvement in this measurement.
Meta-analysis · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Meta-analysis · Single ingredient · Patient group
The comparison could not be confirmed.
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
Unspecified measured outcome
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Unspecified population
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
How to read research findings
How should I read research findings?
Research guidesNo clear difference and an uninterpretable result are different
A reported null comparison contains a result. An abstract without an interpretable comparison leaves a question unresolved.
Paper counts and study counts are different
Count original research separately from research that reanalyzes it. Publication volume is neither replication nor a quality rating.
Side effects and combination findings
Findings from this ingredient alone are shown separately from those involving another supplement or medication.
No combination cautions are available to show in the current data. This does not guarantee safety.
Side effects and combination studies
No side-effect or combination findings are available to show from the collected papers. This does not establish safety.