About Grain of Paradise

Grains of Paradise is an herb belonging to the ginger family and is sourced from an African plant, “Aframonum melegueta.”

Origin Grain of Paradise

Grains of Paradise are sourced from West Africa, with the largest production and exportation from Ghana. It used to be a well-known spice even in the European countries when camel caravans got to Sicily and parts of Italy. The caravans brought the spice as African pepper, but Europeans gave it another name to its current name, “Grains of Paradise.” It was a spice of high demand until the 19^th century, until more and more substitutes became available, like nutmeg and black pepper. This spice, however, continues to define its worth as a subtler but more superior substitute to ginger, cardamom, and citrus in West Africa and some Northern areas of Africa.

Paradoxine (an extract) is the preferred choice for being the only Grains of Paradise extract that has real human research study behind it (STD. to 12.5% 6-paradol).

Packed in the Grains of Paradise Seeds are compounds like:

• 6-shogaol
• 6-paradol
• 6-gingerol

It is a tropical herb of genus Aframomum and belongs to the Zingiberaceae angiosperms (ginger family), the family of the Kingdom Plantae. Although it is indigenous to W. Africa, it is also a vital cash crop in the Basketo region of southern Ethiopia. The Grain Coast (Pepper Coast) is a historical coastal district named after this commodity. It is a spicy edible plant that is grown in the tropics and often served alongside beverages and kola nuts to entertain guests. It is largely used as a remedy against a lot of ailments in folkloric medicine across several parts of the world. Several experimental studies have shown that these herbs may exert antibacterial and antioxidant effects.

Plant Description

The grain of paradise is a perennial plant of about 4-5 ft. (1.2-1.5 m) in height. It is a known plant of the ginger family, and of course, related to cardamom. Growing up from a rhizome, its leaves are narrow and have a similar resemblance to bamboo. The average leaves are often 35 cm in length and about 15 cm wide, with a well-structured vein system. Flowers are cornet-shaped, orange lip color, and rich pinkish to the orange upper part. These amazing flowers are succeeded by reddish-brown, wrinkled (fig-shaped) ovoid capsules, almost 5 to 7 cm in length, enclosed in a leafy bract. These pods consist of several red angular seeds, all in a jelly pulp. They have a very pungent taste. This hot peppery taste is caused by the presence of aromatic ketones. The rhizomes and flowers have a gingery smell. The seeds can be boiled or consumed raw. The seeds have several medical and culinary benefits. Because of its pungent taste, it is a popular option to spice up our food.

Cooking With The Spice

Grains of Paradise are commonly used to spice up a bland ingredient, including famous flavored spice blends like the Mediterranean Ras El Hanout. As it is often bitter after taking, this spice has also grown fame to be an ingredient for craft beers and a flavoring option for gin and ale. It is also a great supplement to marinades for vegetable and fish dishes or applied into meat for roasting like kebabs and steaks. To some extent, it can also be added to fruit desserts green salads. It can also be a good ingredient to soups and brines, adding it towards the last stages of the cooking process.

Nutrition Profile

In a 5 g serving size of these natural seeds, and due to a 2000 daily calorie count, these Grains of Paradise have 0% carbohydrate, 0% protein, and a 5Kcal^-1 count. It also contains 2 percent calcium and has 19 milligrams sodium.

Flavor Profile

The grain of paradise looks like black pepper but offers a lighter punch in comparison. It is not as pungent-tasting as black pepper but that unique earthy, warm taste, with some hint of citrus and cardamom, is what people crave when taking Grains of Paradise. It also gives a bitter taste after eating, another unique value to the spice.

In What Ways Can We Benefit From These Amazing Grains?

1. May Boost Our Energy Expenditure

Here we will be highlighting the patented Paradoxine and how it functions inside the body.

There are two kinds of fat inside our body:

1. Brown Adipose Tissue
2. White Adipose Tissue

Paradoxine functions by converting white fat into brown fat.

Brown fat is a specialized fat store that can raise energy expenditure and generate heat. Brown fat was also proved to utilize blood lipid and glucose levels to boost glucose metabolism.

2. Its Extract Gives Fitness

Grains of paradise haven bioactive substances that are believed to saddle them with health benefits, including uses for some pre-workout supplementation like:

• Boosting Metabolism – It increases fat loss by boosting energy expenditure.
• Lowering Inflammation – Its fruits and seeds have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. These bioactive ingredients also showed reasonably anti-inflammatory activity in studies with an animal by blocking the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme and pronouncement of pro-inflammatory genes.

Okay, so let us recall a bit; studies investigating the health effects of the seeds have identified different potential pre-workout advantages like:

• Anti-diabetic effects
• Anti-obesity effects
• Anti-inflammatory effects
• Anti-hypersensitive activity

These effects have been proved by several athletes globally, basically, those involved in sports and bodybuilding, who used these grains of paradise as part of their pre-workout formula for improving workout endurance and body composition; in formula contrast to the coveted muscle-boosting benefits of typical post and pre-workout supplements like carnitine, creatine, and BCAA.

Further, some casual natural supplement enthusiasts have also used these grains of paradise as a way of lowering the development of cardiovascular complications and obesity.

3. Antimicrobial Properties

Extracts of the grain of paradise seeds have antimicrobial strength due to the presence of phenolic compounds that are often used as disinfectants. Several scientific research studies have revealed that this extract is broad-spectrum and has a hindering effect on the proliferation of bacteria like Salmonella typhi, Klebsiella pneumonia, and Staphylococcus aureus, etc. Use it daily to get benefited.

4. Treatment of Gut Disorders

The extract from grains of paradise can be used for curing gastrointestinal issues like stomach pain, intestinal ulcer worms, and diarrhea.

5. Wound Healing

Seeds are bruised and are used to prepare brews for healing wounds. It is high in tannin (a compound distinguished by its remarkable property) and thus very effective for treating wounds, burns and easing inflamed mucous membrane.

6. Anti-Oxidizing Prowess

Grains of paradise seeds are an excellent envelope of phytonutrients such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, tannins, saponin, cardiac glycosides, and phenolic compounds; they scout for free radicals and protect against allergens, platelet aggregation, tumors, microbes, ulcers, and liver toxins in the body.

7. Dermatological Care

The grain of paradise can also be used for making herbal remedies for curing infectious skin diseases like chickenpox, measles, and smallpox.

8. Anti-inflammatory Strength

Seeds of the grain of paradise have an anti-inflammatory ability due to the presence of gingerol that prevents the prostaglandins and leukotriene synthesis. It also offers protection from inflammation in the body.

9. Analgesic Properties

Aqueous extract of these plants is analgesic in nature and may be used to ease and alleviate pains like joint pain, arthritic pain, stomach pain, toothache, and rheumatoid pain. Use it often to get rid of all of these pains.

10. Digestive Properties

Regular usage of the grain of paradise helps to ease digestion of diets, thus addressing constipation and bloating.

11. Aphrodisiac Properties

Several studies have revealed that these grains of paradise are aphrodisiac and thus can be used for sexual urge stimulation.

Side Effects of Yet an Amazing Seeds

It might be completely safe for most adults; nevertheless, it can lead to irritation of the intestine, stomach, and urinary system. Because just a few is known about its use during pregnancy and lactation, it is just best to stay on that safe side and do without it.

Dosing Considerations for Grains Of Paradise

The normal dose of grains of paradise is dependent on several factors like the user’s health, age, and several more conditions. At this period, there is inadequate scientific proof to determine an appropriate dose range for grains of paradise. Keep in your mind that natural goods are not always necessarily safe, and dosages are very important. Be sure to follow necessary directions on product labels and consult your physician or any other healthcare professional before using them.