ArticleJournal of menopausal medicine2021
The Effects of a Saffron Extract (affron®) on Menopausal Symptoms in Women during Perimenopause: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.
Article in Journal of menopausal medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Therapeutic efficacy of botanicals in psychological disorders in menopausal women: a systematic and scoping review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Pooled it
- The effects of a saffron extract (Affron®) on mood, sleep, self-esteem, and exploratory measures of physical appearance in women aged 50 to 70 years experiencing low mood and poor sleep: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Trial
- Trial
- An examination into the mental and physical effects of a saffron extract (affron®) in recreationally-active adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2022Trial
- Self-Reported Changes in Premenstrual and Menstrual Symptoms among Females Taking a Novel Multinutrient Supplement: A Pilot Study.Current developments in nutrition · 2026Article
- Adverse Events of Saffron (Health science reports · 2026Article
- Hot flashes: a review.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Effect of saffron on premenstrual syndrome and dysmenorrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Korean journal of family medicine · 2026Article
- Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Women with Menopause.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Palmitoylethanolamide in Postmenopausal Metabolic Syndrome: Current Evidence and Clinical Perspectives.Nutrients · 2024Review
- Saffron extract as an emerging novel therapeutic option in reproduction and sexual health: recent advances and future prospectives.Annals of medicine and surgery (2012) · 2024Review
- Current Knowledge of the Antidepressant Activity of Chemical Compounds fromPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesThere is preliminary evidence suggesting saffron may effectively treat menopausal symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the tolerability and efficacy of a standardised saffron extract (affron®) on menopausal complaints in perimenopausal women.
methodsIn this 12-week, parallel-group, double-blind, randomised controlled trial, 86 perimenopausal women experiencing menopausal complaints received either a placebo or 14 mg of a saffron extract (affron®), twice daily. Outcome measures included the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36).
resultsBased on data collected from 82 participants, saffron was associated with greater improvements in mood and psychological symptoms compared to the placebo. Results from the GCS revealed a significantly greater reduction in the GCS psychological score (
conclusionsThe saffron extract, affron®, administered for 12 weeks at a dose of 14 mg twice daily was associated with greater improvements in psychological symptoms. Further studies in perimenopausal women presenting with varying severity of menopausal symptoms, using different doses of saffron will be useful to examine in future clinical trials.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.