The effect of saffron supplementation on glycemic parameters: An overview of systematic reviews.

Behnam Sadigi, Reza Yarani, Mojgan Mirghafourvand, Nikolaj Travica, Zahra Yousefi, Seyed Kazem Shakouri, Alireza Ostadrahimi, Majid Mobasseri, Flemming Pociot, Sarvin Sanaie, Mostafa Araj-Khodaei

Journal: Phytotherapy research : PTR 2022;36(9):3444-3458

PMID: 35778993

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Abstract

Due to the widespread use of herbal medicine and evidence pointing to the health benefits of saffron supplementation, this review was performed to evaluate the effects of saffron supplementation on glycemic parameters and lipid profiles based on previous reviews. Relevant articles were retrieved from various databases, which included PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane until 2020, with no date restrictions. The quality of the included reviews was assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklist. Finally, of 877 obtained articles, eight reviews meeting the inclusion criteria were included for analysis. Among the eight included reviews, seven articles were meta-analyses. In addition, one review had an average quality while seven had a good quality. A narrative description of the included reviews was performed, while a network meta-analysis was not conducted. A brief review of the results was reported according to the weighted mean difference and mean difference. Seven included reviews assessed the effects of saffron or crocin supplementation on glycemic parameters, and six examined these effects on lipid profile parameters. Almost half of the articles reported significant effects of these supplements on glycemic parameters and lipid profiles. Taken together, results suggest that saffron supplementation may improve glycemic and lipid profile parameters; however, further high-quality studies are needed to confirm the clinical efficacy of saffron on glycemic parameters and lipid profiles.

Address: Student Research Committee, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.; Department of Persian Medicine, Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.; Translational Type 1 Diabetes Research, Department of Clinical Research, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark.; Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.; Food and Mood Centre, IMPACT-The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.; Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Center, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.; Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.; Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of medical sciences, Tabriz, Iran.; Translational Type 1 Diabetes Research, Department of Clinical Research, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark.; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.; Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

DOI: 10.1002/ptr.7542

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MeSH Terms: Blood Glucose, Crocus, Dietary Supplements, Lipids, Systematic Reviews as Topic