Document Type : Review Article
Author
Graduated in Physiology of Crop Plants, Tehran University of Agriculture and Natural Resources Campus
Abstract
Sleep disorders, as one of the most common complaints of the present era, have a significant impact on cognitive function and quality of life Sleep disorders are prevalent complaints in today's society, significantly affecting cognitive function and overall quality of life. The present study aimed to explore the effects of saffron and its active compounds on enhancing sleep quality. To achieve this goal, an extensive search was conducted in the PubMed database over a ten-year period (2014-2024). The keywords used were "saffron and sleep", "sleep quality and saffron", "crocin and sleep", and "saffron and sleep disorders. Articles included in this review focused specifically on the effect of saffron and its compounds on alleviating sleep issues and the possibility of accessing the full text. Articles that only included abstracts or were written in languages other than English were considered as exclusion criteria. The results of this review of relevant literature indicated an improvement in sleep quality with the consumption of saffron compounds (crocin and safranal). The potential mechanisms of saffron's effect were based on studies related to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on sleep. Saffron also improves sleep quality by increasing the melatonin hormone. Crocin and safranal extended non-rapid eye movement sleep duration. Saffron also plays a role in the serotonergic, glutamatergic, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) systems, which are involved in sleep and insomnia. Based on the findings from this review, it is recommended that individuals consume between 28-30 mg of these compounds daily for optimal benefits
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