CaloriBurn™ Grains of Paradise (GP), also known as Aframomum melegueta, is a member of the Ginger family, a family of roots that has been used to treat various ailments and illnesses in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine for ages. Though this family of herbs grows plentiful in much of Asia, GP is most abundant in West Africa, where the seeds of the plant have long been utilized as a spice in cooking. Researchers found that the GP group experienced decreased visceral fat in the lower abdomen while the placebo group saw slightly increased visceral fat in the same area.
Most know that when the body is in a caloric surplus (eg. the body has more energy available than it needs) and insulin levels are high, it stores that energy for later use. Once muscles are adequately fed and supported, the body’s preferred storage method is to turn that excess energy into adipose tissue, or fat. There are two kinds of fat, white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue. White adipose tissue is, at its core, a storage site – it’s main function is to hold energy. However, brown adipose tissue is a bit more of the “expendable” kind, dissipating its caloric value in order to generate heat.
While we don’t have much control over the split between white fatty tissue and brown fatty tissue, it’s highly desirable to have more brown fatty tissue compared to the “hard-to-lose” white fatty tissue. Research has found that holding a higher ratio of brown fatty tissue can potentially increase energy expenditure, and in turn, decrease body fat. In simple terms, brown fat is more willing to give itself up for use, leading it paramount importance in a weight-loss endeavor.
By expending energy previously stored as brown adipose tissue, it’s possible to not only maintain energy levels but also lose body fat. For anyone interested in losing weight, this is an obvious desire, so we need to flip this metabolic switch. It turns out this process may be aided by supplementing with grains of paradise!
