Affron, a standardized saffron extract formulated for adaptogenic benefits including mood support and marketed by Pharmactive, was shown to promote healthy sleep in a recently-published human clinical study which also identified a potential mechanism of action. The ingredient was shown to have an effect in a single, low dose taken just one hour before bedtime. The results showed for the first time a potential mechanism of action by which it can increase the natural production of melatonin levels in the body before bedtime, opening a new branch of research alongside previously-established effects that saffron extract can have on neurotransmitter balance, antioxidant, and inflammatory properties.
 
The new study, appearing in the scientific journal Sleep Medicine, confirmed conclusions of a previous human clinical trial published in 2020 which established that Affron is linked to improvements in self-reported sleep quality.
 
In the new dose-response, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which was published in August, 120 healthy male and female adults between the ages of 18 and 70 who had self-reported sleep quality issues lasting at least four weeks were administered either a placebo or various doses of Affron one hour before bed for 28 days. The main goal was to assess whether Affron could achieve significant clinical benefit at improving sleep quality even at lower doses.
 
Compared to the placebo, Affron supplementation was linked to greater improvements in primary outcome measures of sleep and mood quality ratings after awakening, the insomnia symptom quality total score, and the ISQ-insomnia classifications. Improvements in self-reported mood and sleep quality were associated with one another in the Affron group, the researchers confirmed, leading to the conclusion that Affron supplementation can have a rapid, significant action on sleep quality with just one 14 mg dose.
 
Most importantly, the authors of the study recorded increased levels of melatonin in the participants taking Affron, suggesting that supplementation with the herbal extract could improve the natural production of the sleep-regulating hormone.
 
Affron supplementation was well-tolerated and there were no significant adverse effects or sluggishness reported in the supplementation group, suggesting that Affron could be a natural alternative that doesn’t carry the same chance of daytime tiredness or sleepiness that other supplements do. “The results also indicate that this pure, clean-label saffron extract plays a role in helping to maintain melatonin levels within their normal ranges and provide further validation of the quick sleep-enhancing effects of Affron supplementation in adults with unsatisfactory sleep,” Adrian Lopresti, PhD, lead author of the study, said.
 
Further research is required to examine the efficacy and safety of saffron supplementation using objective sleep measures, over a longer duration, in people presenting with insomnia disorder and other sleep issues, the authors of the study said – additionally, further research into saffron’s potential sleep-enhancing mechanisms of action is required.