Effectivity of Saffron Extract (Saffr’Activ) on Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Clinical Effectivity Study

Abstract

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder worldwide. Choice treatment includes psychostimulants, but parents tend to be reluctant to administer them due to side effects, and alternatives are needed. Saffron extract is a natural stimulant that has been proven safe and effective for treating a variety of mental disorders. This study compares the efficacy of saffron and the usual treatment with methylphenidate, using objective and pen-and-paper tests. We performed a non-randomized clinical trial with two groups, methylphenidate (n = 27) and saffron (n = 36), in children and adolescents aged 7 to 17. Results show that the efficacy of saffron is comparable to that of methylphenidate. Saffron is more effective for treating hyperactivity symptoms, while methylphenidate is more effective for inattention symptoms.

The Effects of Crocus sativus (Saffron) on ADHD: A Systematic Review

“…The PRISMA flow diagram shows the details of the selection process (Figure 1). In summary, after removing duplications, 32 articles were assessed in the title/abstract stage, and finally, four articles met the inclusion criteria (Baziar et al, 2019; Blasco-Fontecilla et al, 2022; Khaksarian et al, 2021; Pazoki et al, 2022) and two review articles were excluded in the full-text stage (Ozsavci et al, 2019; Ross, 2020).…”

“…Also, in the non-randomized intervention study, dealing with the selection of participants, deviations from intended interventions, outcome measuring, and selection of the reported results were the main sources of bias. Assessing certainty of the evidence indicates a high level of confidence in the results for two studies (Baziar et al, 2019; Khaksarian et al, 2021), while suggests a lower level of confidence for two others (Blasco-Fontecilla et al, 2022; Pazoki et al, 2022).…”

“…Dutta et al investigated the advancement in the evidence-based use of herbal remedies for ADHD. The usefulness of saffron had only been assessed in one of the included articles of this study (Dutta et al, 2022); however, there are more published articles discussing the effectiveness of saffron (Baziar et al, 2019; Blasco-Fontecilla et al, 2022; Khaksarian et al, 2021; Pazoki et al, 2022). This study aims to systematically evaluate the safety and efficacy of saffron in patients with ADHD.…”

Wirksamkeit von Safran beim Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätssyndrom (ADHS)

“…Allerdings muss dies noch in einer beweisend angelegten Studie überprüft werden. Außerdem war die Einschlafzeit unter Safran verkürzt 3 .…”

Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses: Safety and Efficacy of Complementary and Alternative Treatments for Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

“…Only 1 study of saffron was included in the current review, although there have been more recent studies providing additional evidence of efficacy as an adjunct compared with methylphenidate. 49,50 Furthermore, traditional Chinese medicine, or acupuncture, has had several studies of variable quality resulting in a high risk of bias, although we included only 1 study in our review. 51,52 Traditional Chinese medicine differs from western medicine in that it often includes systems of CATs (e.g., herbal and acupuncture) that are tailored to meet the needs of the individual.…”