Grains of Paradise

Q: Do grains of paradise help with weight loss?

Evidence is limited and mixed. Small Japanese trials found higher energy expenditure and a small drop in visceral fat. A 12-week trial reported about 3 kg more average weight loss than placebo, but fat mass did not differ and two authors work for the extract maker. A 2026 trial of 40 mg/day with L-BAIBA found no change in body composition.

Q: Can grains of paradise help with anxiety or sleep?

One short pilot crossover trial of 30 adults reported lower anxiety scores and better self-rated sleep versus placebo. It was funded by the extract maker and is too short to judge longer-term effects.

Q: Are grains of paradise safe?

The spice is GRAS-listed in US food. Extract trials of up to 12 weeks reported no adverse effects, and blood counts and chemistry stayed normal at 500 mg/day. The trials were small and short, so long-term safety, and safety in pregnancy, children and with medicines, has not been studied.

Q: Do grains of paradise interact with medications?

No human interaction studies exist. In a lab study, 6-paradol, one of the seed's pungent compounds, inhibited CYP1A2, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9 and 2C19, enzymes that clear many drugs. Whether supplement doses do this in people is unknown, so anyone on regular medicines has reason to ask a pharmacist first.

Q: What are grains of paradise?

They are the seeds of Aframomum melegueta, a West African member of the ginger family. They taste peppery and are used as a spice; concentrated seed extracts are sold as supplements.

Q: How do grains of paradise work?

The proposed route is brown-fat activation by pungent compounds such as 6-paradol, shown in rodents and linked to energy-expenditure changes in small human studies. It is not confirmed.

Also called Aframomum melegueta, melegueta pepper, alligator pepper, Guinea pepper, grains of paradise extract, 6-paradol.

Best grade C across 6 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 8 sources

Grains of paradise is a ginger-family spice whose seed extract is sold for thermogenesis and weight loss. Small Japanese trials found raised energy expenditure and a small visceral-fat drop. A 12-week Indian trial reported more weight loss than placebo but no difference in body-fat percentage, and a 2026 combination trial found no body-composition change.

Every graded outcome on this page

6 rows · line = participants

Grade CBody weight, visceral fat and energy expenditure in overweight adultsBody weightn 70
Grade DBody weight, body fat and resting metabolic rate during diet and exercise (combined with L-BAIBA)Body weightn 37
Grade DAnxiety, mood and sleep quality over 2 daysAnxiety and sleepn 30
Grade DWhole-body energy expenditure after a single doseEnergy expendituren 19
Grade DVisceral fat and energy expenditure over 4 weeksVisceral fatn 19
Grade DCold-induced thermogenesis and body fat in men with low brown-fat activityCold-induced thermogenesisn 9
3 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter

Key facts

Energy expenditure: A single 40 mg dose of extract raised whole-body energy expenditure within 2 hours in 12 young men with active brown fat, more than in 7 men without detectable brown fat; placebo produced no significant change¹
Visceral fat: In 19 young women, 30 mg/day for 4 weeks slightly reduced visceral fat area versus a slight rise on placebo; subcutaneous and total fat did not change²
Weight in overweight adults: In a 12-week trial of 70 overweight adults, 500 mg/day of a 6-paradol-standardized extract cut body weight by an average 4.07 kg versus 0.81 kg on placebo (medians 1.6 kg vs 0.4 kg), but body-fat percentage and fat mass did not change differently from placebo and lean mass fell⁴
Spice status: The US FDA lists grains of paradise among spices generally recognized as safe for their intended use in food⁶
Industry: Two of the four authors of the 12-week weight trial are employees of the extract maker (Vidya Herbs), and the 2025 anxiety pilot was funded by its maker (Nektium Pharma)^4,5

What it is

Grains of paradise are the peppery seeds of Aframomum melegueta, a West African plant in the ginger family, sold as a spice and an extract.

How it works

Proposed

The seeds contain pungent ketones such as 6-paradol, 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol. In rodents an extract and 6-paradol activate brown-fat thermogenesis, and the human trials link the energy-expenditure rise to brown-fat activity measured by PET scanning. A lab study by the maker of one extract reported TRPV1 activation and FAAH enzyme inhibition, a proposed route for mood effects not confirmed in people.^1,3,5

Forms, side by side

3 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Grains of Paradise forms compared

3 forms

Grains of Paradise forms compared: 3 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
3 forms	Alcohol extract of the seeds (Japanese trials)	Seed extract standardized to 6-paradol (AfperFit)	Seed extract standardized to 10% vanilloids (Vanizem)
Absorption in people	No head-to-head human data¹	No head-to-head human data⁴	No head-to-head human data⁵
GI tolerance	The 4-week trial authors described 30 mg/day as safe; the abstracts give no detailed adverse-event data.²	Well tolerated at 500 mg/day for 12 weeks; blood counts and chemistry stayed in the normal range.⁴	No side effects reported at 50-150 mg/day over 2 days.⁵
Studied for	Energy expenditure, brown fat, visceral fat	Body weight and visceral fat	Anxiety, mood and sleep

Alcohol extract of the seeds (Japanese trials)
Absorption in people
No head-to-head human data¹
GI tolerance
The 4-week trial authors described 30 mg/day as safe; the abstracts give no detailed adverse-event data.²
Studied for
Energy expenditure, brown fat, visceral fat
Seed extract standardized to 6-paradol (AfperFit)
Absorption in people
No head-to-head human data⁴
GI tolerance
Well tolerated at 500 mg/day for 12 weeks; blood counts and chemistry stayed in the normal range.⁴
Studied for
Body weight and visceral fat
Seed extract standardized to 10% vanilloids (Vanizem)
Absorption in people
No head-to-head human data⁵
GI tolerance
No side effects reported at 50-150 mg/day over 2 days.⁵
Studied for
Anxiety, mood and sleep

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

6 graded outcomes, largest study first

6 graded outcomes: 5 improved, 1 no effect. The largest, a 2022 randomized trial of 70 people on body weight, visceral fat and energy expenditure in overweight adults, found an improvement.

By ageBy sizeTable

AgeAll ages

Bar: the ages a study enrolled (running to the edge when it states no upper or lower limit). Dot: only a mean age, counted as near your age within 5 years. Tick: the mean age inside a range.

4Visceral fat and energy expenditure over 4 weeks: improved, 20–22

5Whole-body energy expenditure after a single dose: improved, 20–32

1Body weight, visceral fat and energy expenditure in overweight adults: improved, 20–50

3Anxiety, mood and sleep quality over 2 days: improved, 40–50

2Body weight, body fat and resting metabolic rate during diet and exercise (combined with L-BAIBA): no effect, mean age 43.2

6Cold-induced thermogenesis and body fat in men with low brown-fat activity: improved, ages not stated

1Body weight, visceral fat and energy expenditure in overweight adults

Improved · Grade C · RCT, 70 people, 2022

Overweight Indian adults aged 20-50 (BMI 25-30)

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Body weight, visceral fat and energy expenditure in overweight adults	Improved	70	Grade C · RCT, 2022	Overweight Indian adults aged 20-50 (BMI 25-30)
Body weight, body fat and resting metabolic rate during diet and exercise (combined with L-BAIBA)	No effect	37	Grade D · RCT, 2026	Overweight and obese US adults on a calorie-restricted diet and weekly exercise programme (12 placebo, 13 L-BAIBA alone, 12 L-BAIBA plus grains of paradise)
Anxiety, mood and sleep quality over 2 days	Improved	30	Grade D · Pilot RCT, 2025	Healthy Spanish adults aged 40-50 with moderate anxiety
Visceral fat and energy expenditure over 4 weeks	Improved	19	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2014	Non-obese Japanese women aged 20-22
Whole-body energy expenditure after a single dose	Improved	19	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2013	Healthy Japanese men aged 20-32, grouped by brown-fat activity on FDG-PET
Cold-induced thermogenesis and body fat in men with low brown-fat activity	Improved	9	Grade D · Crossover RCT, 2021	Healthy young Japanese men with low brown-fat activity on FDG-PET/CT

Every graded row

6 rows

Form tested

Showing 6 of 6 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade CBody weight, visceral fat and energy expenditure in overweight adultsBody weight-4.07 kg vs -0.81 kgRCT
n 70 · 2022

Improved Energy expenditure rose and visceral fat area fell versus placebo, which saw visceral fat increase. Body weight changed by -4.07 kg versus -0.81 kg on placebo (p<0.01; medians -1.6 kg vs -0.4 kg). Body-fat percentage and fat mass fell in both groups with no significant difference between them, and lean mass fell on the extract but rose on placebo (p<0.001). No adverse effects were observed.

Design: RCT, n = 70, 2022
Population: Overweight Indian adults aged 20-50 (BMI 25-30)
Form: AfperFit seed extract standardized to at least 2% 6-paradol
Dose: 250 mg twice daily (500 mg/day)
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 4 · PubMed 36329722 (opens PubMed)

Grade DBody weight, body fat and resting metabolic rate during diet and exercise (combined with L-BAIBA)Body weightNo body-composition changeRCT
n 37 · 2026

No effect No group differences in body mass, resting metabolic rate, DXA fat or fat-free mass, blood pressure, glucose or blood lipids. Hunger ratings were lower than placebo at day 28 with the combination.

Design: RCT, n = 37, 2026
Population: Overweight and obese US adults on a calorie-restricted diet and weekly exercise programme (12 placebo, 13 L-BAIBA alone, 12 L-BAIBA plus grains of paradise)
Form: Grains of paradise combined with L-BAIBA (CaloriBurn)
Dose: 40 mg/day grains of paradise with 500 mg/day L-BAIBA
Duration: 56 days
Source: Reference 7 · PubMed 42271377 (opens PubMed)

Grade DAnxiety, mood and sleep quality over 2 daysAnxiety and sleepLower anxiety scoresPilot RCT
n 30 · 2025

Improved Anxiety scores fell and mood and self-rated sleep quality improved versus placebo at all three doses, with no side effects reported.

Design: Pilot RCT, n = 30, 2025
Population: Healthy Spanish adults aged 40-50 with moderate anxiety
Form: Hydroalcoholic seed extract standardized to 10% vanilloids (Vanizem)
Dose: 50, 100 or 150 mg/day
Duration: 2 days per dose, assessed 48 hours after the first dose (crossover with placebo)
Source: Reference 5 · PubMed 40006090 (opens PubMed)

Grade DWhole-body energy expenditure after a single doseEnergy expenditureHigher energy expenditure (brown-fat-positive men)Crossover RCT
n 19 · 2013

Improved Energy expenditure rose within 2 hours in the 12 men with active brown fat, significantly more than in the 7 without; placebo produced no significant change.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 19, 2013
Population: Healthy Japanese men aged 20-32, grouped by brown-fat activity on FDG-PET
Form: Alcohol extract of grains of paradise seeds
Dose: 40 mg, single dose
Duration: Single dose (2-hour measurement)
Source: Reference 1 · PubMed 23308394 (opens PubMed)

Grade DVisceral fat and energy expenditure over 4 weeksVisceral fatSmall visceral-fat reductionCrossover RCT
n 19 · 2014

Improved Visceral fat area at the navel fell slightly on the extract and rose slightly on placebo (difference p<0.05); subcutaneous and total fat did not change. Whole-body energy expenditure rose on the extract but not placebo.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 19, 2014
Population: Non-obese Japanese women aged 20-22
Form: Alcohol extract of grains of paradise seeds
Dose: 30 mg/day
Duration: 4 weeks per period
Source: Reference 2 · PubMed 24759256 (opens PubMed)

Grade DCold-induced thermogenesis and body fat in men with low brown-fat activityCold-induced thermogenesisHigher cold-induced thermogenesis; slight body-fat dropCrossover RCT
n 9 · 2021

Improved Resting energy expenditure did not change, but cold-induced thermogenesis was higher after the extract than after placebo. Body fat percentage fell slightly but significantly on the extract; body weight and fat-free mass did not change.

Design: Crossover RCT, n = 9, 2021
Population: Healthy young Japanese men with low brown-fat activity on FDG-PET/CT
Form: Grains of paradise seed extract
Dose: 40 mg/day
Duration: 5 weeks per period
Source: Reference 3 · PubMed 33952741 (opens PubMed)

Lab research on drug metabolism

1 note

Cell-free lab work, not human data.

6-paradol and CYP enzymes (lab study): In human liver microsomes and recombinant enzymes, 6-paradol inhibited CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 (IC50 3.8 to 21.4 µM), which the authors say could lead to drug interactions. No human study has tested this.⁸

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Brown fat may decide who responds

In the single-dose trial the energy-expenditure rise appeared only in men with active brown fat. A later 5-week trial in men with low brown fat found no change in resting energy expenditure, though cold-induced thermogenesis rose.^1,3

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 30-40 mg/day of an alcohol extract for 4-5 weeks to 500 mg/day of a 6-paradol-standardized extract for 12 weeks; a mood pilot used 50-150 mg/day for 2 days. These are research doses, not recommendations.^2,3,4,5

When trials measured an effect

4 outcomes

How long trials ran before effects were measured
Outcome	Measured at	Basis
Energy expenditure	Within 2 hours of a single dose	40 mg extract in men with active brown fat¹
Anxiety scores	48 hours after the first dose	50-150 mg/day of a vanilloid-standardized extract in a 30-person pilot⁵
Visceral fat	Week 4 (end of period)	30 mg/day extract in 19 young women²
Body weight and visceral fat	Week 12 (only follow-up)	500 mg/day 6-paradol-standardized extract, measured at baseline and 12 weeks⁴

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

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Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Grains of Paradise and your picks, and between your picks.

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Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Grains of Paradise.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

3 groups

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: No trial has tested grains of paradise extracts in pregnancy or breastfeeding; the trials enrolled healthy non-pregnant adults. Culinary amounts of the spice are a different exposure from concentrated extracts.^4,6
People on weight-loss, blood-pressure or anxiety medicines: The extracts were studied for energy expenditure and mood, and the anxiety pilot recorded blood-pressure shifts in both directions over 2 days. In lab tests, 6-paradol inhibited several drug-metabolising CYP enzymes; drug interactions have not been studied in people, so combined effects are unknown.^5,8
Children: All trials enrolled adults; there are no data on extract use in children.^1,4

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

2 checks

Standardization differs by product

Trials used different preparations: a plain alcohol extract at 30-40 mg, an extract with at least 2% 6-paradol at 500 mg, and an extract with 10% vanilloids at 50-150 mg. Results from one do not transfer automatically to another.^2,4,5

Spice vs extract

In the US, grains of paradise are GRAS-listed as a spice for their intended use in food. That listing concerns culinary use, not concentrated capsule extracts such as the 500 mg/day product in the weight trial.^6,4

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, grains of paradise included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

6 answers

Do grains of paradise help with weight loss?

Evidence is limited and mixed. Small Japanese trials found higher energy expenditure and a small drop in visceral fat. A 12-week trial reported about 3 kg more average weight loss than placebo, but fat mass did not differ and two authors work for the extract maker. A 2026 trial of 40 mg/day with L-BAIBA found no change in body composition.^1,2,4,7

Can grains of paradise help with anxiety or sleep?

One short pilot crossover trial of 30 adults reported lower anxiety scores and better self-rated sleep versus placebo. It was funded by the extract maker and is too short to judge longer-term effects.⁵

Are grains of paradise safe?

The spice is GRAS-listed in US food. Extract trials of up to 12 weeks reported no adverse effects, and blood counts and chemistry stayed normal at 500 mg/day. The trials were small and short, so long-term safety, and safety in pregnancy, children and with medicines, has not been studied.^6,4

Do grains of paradise interact with medications?

No human interaction studies exist. In a lab study, 6-paradol, one of the seed's pungent compounds, inhibited CYP1A2, 2B6, 2C8, 2C9 and 2C19, enzymes that clear many drugs. Whether supplement doses do this in people is unknown, so anyone on regular medicines has reason to ask a pharmacist first.⁸

What are grains of paradise?

They are the seeds of Aframomum melegueta, a West African member of the ginger family. They taste peppery and are used as a spice; concentrated seed extracts are sold as supplements.^1,6

How do grains of paradise work?

The proposed route is brown-fat activation by pungent compounds such as 6-paradol, shown in rodents and linked to energy-expenditure changes in small human studies. It is not confirmed.^1,3

Sources

8 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

8 sources

1Grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract activates brown adipose tissue and increases whole-body energy expenditure in men.Crossover RCT Br J Nutr, 2013 · PMID 23308394
2Daily ingestion of grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta) extract increases whole-body energy expenditure and decreases visceral fat in humans.Crossover RCT J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2014 · PMID 24759256
3Prolonged Treatment with Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta) Extract Recruits Adaptive Thermogenesis and Reduces Body Fat in Humans with Low Brown Fat Activity.Crossover RCT J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2021 · PMID 33952741
4Aframomum 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.RCT Drug Des Devel Ther, 2022 · PMID 36329722
5Aframomum melegueta Seed Extract's Effects on Anxiety, Stress, Mood, and Sleep: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Clinical Trial.Pilot RCT Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 2025 · PMID 40006090
621 CFR 182.10 Spices and other natural seasonings and flavoringsGuideline US Food and Drug Administration (eCFR), 2026 · ecfr.gov
7Effects of L-BAIBA supplementation with and without grains of paradise on changes in resting metabolic rate, body composition, and cardiometabolic risk factors.RCT Nutr J, 2026 · PMID 42271377
8Effects of 6-paradol, an unsaturated ketone from gingers, on cytochrome P450-mediated drug metabolism.Lab study Bioorg Med Chem Lett, 2017 · PMID 28274629

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026evidence, research notes, who should avoid, time to effect, summary, FAQ, questions, related	Added a 2026 56-day trial of 40 mg/day grains of paradise combined with L-BAIBA during diet and exercise (no body-composition or metabolic-rate change, grade D; sponsor-linked) and updated the summary and weight FAQ. Added a lab study showing 6-paradol inhibits five CYP enzymes as a research note, in the medicines caution and in a new interactions FAQ; the interactions table stays empty because no human interaction data exist (checked LiverTox and LactMed: no grains of paradise entries; no NCCIH or MedlinePlus page). Added time-to-effect rows, page questions and goal-hub links. Not added: a 57-woman menopause pilot of a soy, grains of paradise and pomegranate combination (effects cannot be attributed to grains of paradise).	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z audit against docs/supplements/AUDIT-STANDARD.md
Oct 14, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review (first draft). Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (titles and years taken from the record, none retracted) and the abstract read for each cited row. Studied doses are reported as research doses, not dosing advice.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page
Oct 14, 2026evidence	Independent adversarial review: AfperFit row, summary, key facts and FAQ now state that body-fat percentage and fat mass did not change differently from placebo and lean mass fell (PMC full text), with the median weight change; Vidya Herbs tie reworded to two employee co-authors; Vanizem population/completers corrected from the full text; 2013 placebo wording and brown-fat insight made complete.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: adversarial review

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