Student Research Committee, Midwifery Department, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
BMC Womens Health. 2024 Feb 26;24(1):143. doi: 10.1186/s12905-024-02980-w.
BACKGROUND: Sexual satisfaction is a crucial part of a fulfilled life, and the ability to have satisfying sexual function is crucial to one's sexual health. This study investigated the effect of the combined administration of saffron and vitamin E and vitamin E alone on the sexual function of women in their reproductive years. METHODS: A triple-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted with 50 participants experiencing sexual dysfunction without comorbid sleep disorders or severe depression. They were allocated into two groups using a block randomization method (stratified based on the severity of moderate or mild/normal depression). During the 8-week intervention period, participants in the experimental group were administered a 15 mg saffron capsule (safrotin) in the morning and a combination capsule containing 15 mg saffron and 50 mg vitamin E (safradide) in the evening. During the same period, the control group consumed one saffron placebo capsule in the morning and one capsule containing 50 mg of vitamin E and saffron placebo in the evening (in identical appearance to safradide). The Female Sexual Function Index was used to assess sexual function, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) was used to measure levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. These measures were administered at baseline as well as four and eight weeks post-intervention, with an additional measurement taken four weeks after the intervention ceased. The repeated measures ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the groups. RESULTS: Following the intervention, the experimental group (saffron and vitamin E) demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the overall mean score of sexual function compared to the control group (placebo of saffron and vitamin E) (adjusted mean difference (AMD): 4.6; 95%CI: 3.1 to 6.1; p < 0.001). The mean scores for sexual function dimensions, namely libido, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction, except for pain, were consistently higher than those of the control group across all time points (p < 0.001). Additionally, the mean score for lubrication was significantly higher only at the eighth-week measurement (p = 0.004). The mean depression score in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group at all-time points, i.e., four (p = 0.011) and eight weeks after the intervention (p = 0.005), and four weeks after the end of the intervention (p = 0.007). The experimental group exhibited a statistically significant decrease in mean anxiety score compared to the control group at four weeks into the intervention (p = 0.016) and four weeks following the end of the intervention (p = 0.002). At eight weeks post-intervention, however, there was no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.177). Additionally, the experimental group exhibited a significant reduction in the overall mean stress score compared to the control group after the intervention (AMD: -2.3; 95%CI: -3.1 to -1.5; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Using the combination of saffron and vitamin E is more effective in improving sexual function and its domains compared to vitamin E alone in women of reproductive age with sexual dysfunction without severe depression. Also, it diminishes the degree of depression, anxiety, and stress more compared to vitamin E alone. However, further research is required to arrive at a more definitive conclusion. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20100414003706N36. Date of registration: 17/05/2020; URL: https://en.irct.ir/trial/45992 ; Date of first registration: 21/05/2020.
背景:性满足是充实生活的重要组成部分,而拥有满意的性功能对人们的性健康至关重要。本研究调查了联合使用藏红花和维生素 E 与单独使用维生素 E 对生育年龄女性性功能的影响。
方法:采用三盲随机对照试验,共纳入 50 名患有性功能障碍但无共患睡眠障碍或严重抑郁的女性参与者。采用区组随机化方法(基于中度或轻度/正常抑郁的严重程度分层)将参与者分为两组。在 8 周的干预期间,实验组每天早上服用 15 毫克藏红花胶囊(沙福林),晚上服用含有 15 毫克藏红花和 50 毫克维生素 E 的复合胶囊(沙夫拉迪德)。同期,对照组每天早上服用一粒藏红花安慰剂胶囊,晚上服用含有 50 毫克维生素 E 和藏红花安慰剂的胶囊(外观与沙夫拉迪德相同)。使用女性性功能指数评估性功能,使用抑郁、焦虑和压力量表-21(DASS-21)评估抑郁、焦虑和压力水平。这些测量值在基线以及干预后 4 周和 8 周进行测量,并在干预停止后 4 周进行额外测量。采用重复测量方差分析、协方差分析和曼-惠特尼 U 检验比较组间差异。
结果:干预后,实验组(藏红花和维生素 E)与对照组(藏红花和维生素 E 安慰剂)相比,整体性功能平均评分显著增加(调整平均差异(AMD):4.6;95%置信区间:3.1 至 6.1;p<0.001)。除疼痛外,性功能维度的平均评分,即性欲、唤起、高潮和满意度,在所有时间点均高于对照组(p<0.001)。此外,只有在第 8 周测量时,润滑的平均评分显著更高(p=0.004)。实验组的抑郁平均评分在所有时间点均显著低于对照组,即干预后 4 周(p=0.011)和 8 周(p=0.005),以及干预结束后 4 周(p=0.007)。与对照组相比,实验组在干预 4 周时(p=0.016)和干预结束后 4 周时(p=0.002)的焦虑平均评分也显著降低。然而,在干预后 8 周时,两组间无显著差异(p=0.177)。此外,与对照组相比,实验组在干预后应激的总平均评分显著降低(AMD:-2.3;95%置信区间:-3.1 至 -1.5;p<0.001)。
结论:与单独使用维生素 E 相比,在生育年龄且无严重抑郁的性功能障碍女性中,联合使用藏红花和维生素 E 更能有效改善性功能及其各方面。此外,与单独使用维生素 E 相比,它还能更有效地降低抑郁、焦虑和压力的程度。然而,还需要进一步的研究来得出更明确的结论。
试验注册:伊朗临床试验注册中心(IRCT):IRCT20100414003706N36。注册日期:2020 年 5 月 17 日;网址:https://en.irct.ir/trial/45992;首次注册日期:2020 年 5 月 21 日。
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