Grains of Paradise
Grains of Paradise (aframomum melegueta) is a relatively obscure herb with the average supplement user not being extremely familiar with it. Despite that, grains of paradise has some extensive science behind it indicating that it can be an effective weight loss tool. The active ingredient is referred to as 6-paradol in literature.
Many anecdotal reports of this ingredient claim it to cause significant sweating, which is a positive sign to increased levels of thermogenesis (production of heat by the body), so if you try it and find you’re sweating through your shirt, don’t be alarmed.
What it does
Grains of paradise has been shown to increase metabolic rate and activate brown fat[1], has the potential to increase testosterone levels[2], and may act as an anti-diabetic[3].
How it works
The mechanism of action for this herb are not well known at this time. One study which looked into the thermogenic effects found that 6-paradol increased the discharge rate of sympathetic nerves in a dose-dependent manner. This effect lasted up to 3 hours. In addition to this, it was also found to significantly increase the temperature of brown fat tissue, leading scientists to believe it directly increases the thermogenic rate of brown fat.
Dosing
The current recommended dosing of 6-paradol is 40mg/day. To assess your tolerance, it is suggested to start with a 10-15mg dose.
As the studies suggest, this ingredients effects increase with dosage, so look for a product with a large amount of 6-paradol to garner the best effects.