Benefit of Grains of Paradise: Weight Loss (Brown Fat Activation)

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What is the effect of Grains of Paradise in Weight Loss?

Grains of paradise contains chemicals that cause brown fat activation, this increases whole-body energy expenditure and leads to weight loss by reducing visceral fat.

What is the role of Grains of Paradise on Fat Loss?

Grains of paradise is a species of the ginger family that can be used as a stimulant. It can help you to burn fat by increasing your metabolism through the activation of brown fat, and can help in fat loss (in the visceral area).

The video below shows the insights of Joe Cannon (MS in exercise science and a BS in chemistry and biology research) about the effects of grains of paradise in weight loss.


This is our recommended Grains of Paradise supplement (Amazon’s Choice):

Iya Foods Grains of Paradise, Alligator Pepper Ground 3 oz Pack

What is Brown Fat in the body?

Brown Fat (also known as Brown Adipose Tissue) is a type of fat tissue that is composed of brown fat cells. These cells are dark or brown in color, due to the large amount of mitochondria present in them. Brown fat cells are highly thermogenic, because they can be converted directly to heat energy thanks to their high number of mitochondria.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is correlated to whole-body energy expenditure (EE). Thermogenesis is increased during cold weather (to generate body heat) or can be diet-induced when the body is under caloric restrictions and needs additional energy which it draws from fat tissue.

Youth is directly correlated with brown adipose tissue levels. Babies have the highest amount of brown fat. While adults have significant amounts of brown fat tissue, it is greatly reduced in overweight and elderly people.

Research shows brown fat to be healthy, as animal studies show a reduction in obesity and an increase in the metabolism of fat and glucose.


What is Brown Fat activation?

Brown fat activation is the process in which cold exposure activates the mitochondria on brown fat cells. They break down blood sugar and fat molecules to create body heat and maintain body temperature.

What is a good brown fat activation technique?

Moderate cold exposure can be used as a brown fat activation technique:

  • Exposure to temperatures of 19°C (66.2° F) for 2 hours increased energy expenditure through brown fat activation.
  • Exposure to temperatures of 17°C (62.6°F) for 2 hours per day, for 6 weeks increased brown fat activation and a decreased white fat tissue.
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See below 2 studies that confirm the effects of grains of paradise on fat loss:

Study 1

It was reported that a single ingestion of an alcohol extract of grains of paradise (GP, Aframomum melegueta), increases energy expenditure (EE) through the activation of brown adipose tissue, a site of metabolic thermogenesis.

An alcohol extract of GP seeds and 6-paradol are known to activate BAT thermogenesis in small rodents.

  • Title: Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract activates brown adipose tissue and increases whole-body energy expenditure in men.
  • Length: 4 weeks.

Subject Information

  • Number of Subjects: 19.
  • Gender: male.
  • Health Status: healthy .
  • Age range: 20-32 years.

Method used

The present study aimed to examine the effects of the Grains of Paradise extract on whole-body Energy Expenditure and to analyse its relation to BAT activity in men.

Volunteers underwent FDG-PET after 2 h of exposure to cold at 19°C with light clothing. A total of twelve subjects showed marked FDG uptake into the adipose tissue of the supraclavicular and paraspinal regions (BAT positive). The remaining seven showed no detectable uptake (BAT negative).

Results

Within 4 weeks after the examination, whole-body Energy Expenditure was measured at 27°C before and after oral ingestion of Grains of Paradise extract (40 mg) .

The resting EE of the BAT-positive group did not differ from that of the BAT-negative group.

After Grains of Paradise extract ingestion, the Energy Expenditure of the BAT-positive group increased within 2 h to a significantly greater level than that of the BAT-negative group.

Placebo ingestion produced no significant change in Energy Expenditure.

Conclusions

These results suggest that oral ingestion of Grains of Paradise extract increases whole-body EE through the activation of BAT in human subjects.


Study 2

  • Title: Daily ingestion of grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract increases whole-body energy expenditure and decreases visceral fat in humans.
  • Length: 4 weeks.

Subject Information

  • Number of Subjects: 19.
  • Gender: female.
  • Health Status: non-obese.
  • Age range: 20-22 years.

Method used

The present study aimed to examine a daily ingestion of GP extract on whole-body Energy Expenditure and body fat in humans.

Whole-body Energy Expenditure and body fat content were measured before and after daily oral ingestion of GP extract (30 mg/d) in a single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design.

Results

Four-week daily ingestion of GP and a placebo decreased and increased slightly the visceral fat area at the umbilicus level, respectively.

The GP-induced change was significantly different from that induced by the placebo, and negatively correlated with the initial visceral fat area.

Neither GP nor placebo ingestion affected subcutaneous or total fat.

The daily ingestion of GP, but not the placebo, increased whole-body Energy Expenditure.

Conclusion

These results suggest that GP extract may be an effective and safe tool for reducing body fat, mainly by preventing visceral fat accumulation.


Want to know more?

Click the links below to access the individual topic pages:


Sources

This article makes use of information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Benefit of Grains of Paradise: Weight Loss (Brown Fat Activation)
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