Research Hub
This page is the source-of-truth layer for CalmSaff. It focuses on what was studied, in whom, for how long, and where the evidence should stop.
Supported
Mixed / context-limited
Not supported
Study table
| Study | Population | Dose / duration | Main takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affron low-mood RCT Affron, a novel saffron extract, improved mood in healthy adults with self-reported low mood in a 4-week randomized placebo-controlled trial. Source | 128 healthy adults with self-reported low mood | Affron 28 mg/day or 22 mg/day vs placebo 4 weeks | The 28 mg/day arm showed significant improvements in negative mood and stress/anxiety-related scales. The 22 mg/day arm did not show the same pattern. Useful for healthy adults with low mood. It is not a diagnosed depression-treatment study and should not be framed as medication replacement. |
| Adult low-mood Affron trial A 2025 adult Affron trial found improvement in depressive-symptom outcomes over 12 weeks, with sleep benefit mainly in the subgroup with worse baseline sleep disturbance. Source | Adults with low mood / depressive symptoms | See source for exact protocol details 12 weeks | Supports a longer-run, context-specific mood signal and suggests sleep benefit may depend on baseline sleep burden. Useful as additional support, but this MVP avoids over-interpreting it beyond the studied adult population and trial design. |
| Sleep-quality RCT Saffron extract improved sleep quality in a randomized, double-blind controlled trial in adults with mild to moderate sleep complaints associated with anxiety. Source | 66 adults with mild to moderate sleep complaints associated with anxiety | 15.5 mg/day saffron extract 6 weeks | Supports sleep-quality language more than heavy sedation language. Some subjective and objective sleep measures improved. This is sleep-quality support, not proof that saffron reliably acts like a sedative or sleep medication. |
| Saffron vs SSRI meta-analysis A meta-analysis found no significant difference versus SSRIs for symptom reduction in selected RCTs and fewer adverse events in saffron groups. Source | Adults across selected depression/anxiety RCTs | Varied across studies Varied | Useful for tolerability and comparator context, but it is not license to suggest saffron should replace prescription care. The comparator signal is medically sensitive. CalmSaff uses it only to explain uncertainty and context, not to make substitution claims. |
| Adolescent Affron trial An 8-week adolescent Affron trial reported improvement in self-reported anxiety, depressive, and internalizing symptoms. Source | Adolescents | See source for protocol 8 weeks | Shows that the research corridor is broader than one adult mood trial, but it does not make this launch a teen-focused recommendation site. This MVP does not make routine recommendations for minors. |
| Perimenopause trial A perimenopause trial found improvement in psychological menopausal symptoms, but not in vasomotor or somatic symptoms. Source | Perimenopausal women | See source for protocol See source | Useful as a narrow, population-specific lane rather than a broad menopause claim. Do not generalize to all menopause symptoms or to general women’s-health marketing. |
| PMS trial A placebo-controlled saffron trial found improvement in premenstrual syndrome symptoms. Source | Women with PMS | See source for protocol See source | Shows a separate women’s-health evidence lane, but it is outside this launch’s main commercial scope. PMS evidence should not be expanded into PMDD or severe-symptom treatment language without stronger review. |
What the evidence does show
What the evidence does not show
Next step
If you want the evidence turned into a practical product-decision page, the Affron Review is the next step. It keeps the commercial route tied to the same boundaries used here.
For safety-first readers, keep the Safety Hub beside the review page—not behind it.