This year, a research publication by the Vidya Herbs R&D Center for Excellence, demonstrated a grains of paradise extract could help reduce visceral fat stores and enhance energy expenditure in overweight adults.
Aframomum melegueta, also known as grains of paradise, has origins in Western Africa. The seeds have a similar taste to black pepper, but are more closely related to ginger as a member of the Zingiberaceae family1. Grains of paradise typically contain small amounts of shogaols, gingerols, and paradols, powerful compounds with demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-proliferative properties1. Paradol is of particular interest with preclinical studies demonstrating a positive correlation between its consumption and the reductions of visceral fat deposits1.
The Aframomum melegueta seed extract known as AfperFIT™ is manufactured by Vidya Herbs™, a company best known for their production of standardized herbal extracts including proprietary ingredients backed by clinical research.
An earlier preclinical study of AfperFIT™ demonstrated an enhancement of brown adipose tissue (BAT) through the upregulation of fatty acid metabolism markers UCP-1, PGC-1α and PPARγ2. The purpose of brown adipose tissue is to help animals and humans produce necessary heat through thermogenesis. An increase of thermogenesis leads to an increase in energy expenditure, which could help with weight loss.
In the newly published human clinical trial, the thermogenic potential of AfperFIT™ was studied further1. In the 12-week double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial with a parallel design, 60 healthy overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0 to< 30.0 kg/m2) adults were assigned to groups receiving either 250 mg AfperFIT™ twice daily or a placebo. Energy expenditure was measured through indirect calorimetry and body composition was measured using DEXA.
By the end of the 12 weeks, energy expenditure in the AfperFIT™ group showed an increase of 18.55% compared to an insignificant change in the placebo group. The AfperFit group also showed a significant reduction in body weight and BMI from baseline to the end of the 12 weeks compared to placebo (p<0.01).
There was a significant reduction (p<0.01) in visceral fat in the AfperFIT™ group, and an increase in visceral fat (p<0.05) in the placebo group. Visceral fat is stored in the abdomen and is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease in humans.
To summarize, the 12-week oral supplementation of 500 mg per day of AfperFIT™ produced a thermogenic effect by significantly increasing energy expenditure which led to a reduction in body fat, most notably from visceral fat stores. There was also an obvious reduction in the body weight and BMI of the subjects in AfperFit group. No serious adverse events were reported and measures of health were found to be within the normal limits throughout the duration of the study.
Because AfperFIT™ can enhance thermogenesis without the use of stimulants, it has a wide range of healthy lifestyle and sports nutrition applications. It is non-GMO, free of allergens, and great for formulation in capsules, tablets, soft gels, powders, and functional foods. AfperFIT™ is standardized to 2% 6-Paradol using super critical CO2 extraction in the Vidya Herbs™ state of the art facility in Bangalore, India.
Those interested in receiving more information on AfperFIT™ can visit afperfit.com, or request documents and samples from the Vidya Herbs office located in Red Bank, New Jersey via email (info@vidyaherbsusa.com) or phone (732) 784-1587.
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References
- Sudeep, H. V., Aman, K., Jestin, T. V., & Shyamprasad, K. (2022). Aframomum melegueta seed extract with standardized content of 6-Paradol reduces visceral fat and enhances energy expenditure in overweight adults – a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, Volume 16, 3777–3791. https://doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s367350
- Sudeep, H. V., Aman, K., Jestin, T. V., & Shyamprasad, K. (2022). Aframomum melegueta seed extract with standardized content of 6-Paradol reduces visceral fat and enhances energy expenditure in overweight adults – a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, Volume 16, 3777–3791. https://doi.org/10.2147/dddt.s367350
