Saffron's aroma compound. Human evidence comes from saffron extracts containing safranal, which reliably improve self-rated mood and sleep, with smaller effects on thinking, blood pressure and blood sugar mainly where values are already abnormal. Side effects are mild and mostly reversible at the doses tested. Pregnancy is a firm boundary. Safranal alone has been given to people only once. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure (seated) | 110–125 / 70–80 mmHg | Primary cardiovascular effect; additive hypotension risk |
| Haemoglobin | 13.5–15.0 g/dL (men), 12.5–14.5 g/dL (women) | Red cell parameters fell in animal study |
| Platelet count | 200–350 × 10⁹/L | Platelets fell with prolonged high-dose animal exposure; anticoagulant relevance |
| Estimated glomerular filtration rate | Above 90 mL/min/1.73 m² | Kidney changes in animal toxicity work |
| Fasting blood glucose | 75–86 mg/dL | Saffron preparations lower fasting glucose; additive hypoglycaemia risk on antidiabetic therapy |
| HbA1c | 4.8–5.3% | Three-month average; moved in metabolic trials |
| Alanine aminotransferase | 10–26 U/L (men), 8–22 U/L (women) | Reference value for the liver-cell damage signal |
| Validated symptom score | No established target value; change from own baseline | Defines whether the intervention is working at all |
Cadence: Baseline; symptom score at 4 and 12 weeks; blood pressure at 4 weeks, earlier on antihypertensives; full blood count and kidney panel at 6 months, then every 6 to 12 months