Critical reviews in food science and nutrition
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Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr · Mar 2021
Does saffron supplementation have favorable effects on liver function indicators? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Several pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical approaches have been suggested to improve liver health. There is a large discrepancy in the effects of saffron supplementation on liver function in adults. To fill this knowledge gap, this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assess the effects of saffron supplementation on liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). ⋯ In the dose-response analysis, we did not find a significant dose-response relationship between dosage and duration of saffron supplementation on serum levels of ALT, AST, and ALP. We found that saffron supplementation can reduce ALT serum concentrations without significant effects on other liver function indicators, including AST and ALP. Nevertheless, future large RCTs on diverse populations are needed to understand better the effects of saffron and its constituents on these enzymes.