By Sade Oguntola

Copyright tribuneonlineng

Stress is a natural human reaction that happens to everyone. In fact, the body is designed to experience stress and react to it. Its responses help the body adjust to new situations. A stress response might help the body work harder and stay awake longer.

But stress becomes a problem when stressors continue without relief or periods of relaxation. It goes on for weeks or months and frequently affects people working in certain professions, like healthcare providers, due to marriage troubles, issues at work or financial problems.

Ironically, worrying about the effects of stress can make it worse. It can lead to health issues. The trick to keeping it in balance is the consumption of alligator pepper.

Aframomum melegueta, commonly known as grains of paradise, alligator pepper, or melegueta pepper, is traditionally used in West Africa as a pungent spice in cooking as well as in traditional African medicine for the management of a wide range of conditions.

Over the past three decades, alligator seed and its extracts have been investigated through in vitro studies, preclinical research, and some human clinical trials to validate their benefit in dealing with stress.

In a pilot clinical trial, researchers validated its benefit for anxiety reduction, mood improvement, stress mitigation, and sleep enhancement at doses ranging from 50 to 150 mg, with no reported side effects, demonstrating its suitability for daily use. It was in the Pharmaceuticals (Basel).

Anxiety and stress are closely related psychological conditions that frequently co-occur and influence one another. Chronic stress can lead to the development of anxiety disorders, so significantly affecting mood or sleep patterns.

Furthermore, chronic stress can impair sleep by causing difficulties in falling asleep, maintaining sleep, or achieving restorative rest. In turn, poor rest or sleep deprivation results in daytime fatigue, irritability, and cognitive impairment during the day, which can amplify the perception of stressors. Therefore, it is critical to interrupt this negative feedback loop (stress–mood–sleep cycle) to restore overall well-being.

However, according to the researchers, alligator seed can support positive mood and provide effective management of day-to-day stress. It has also been shown to lower tension, reduce perception of anxiety and elevate mood within just three days.

When it came to sleep benefits, alligator seed demonstrated noticeable effects from the first day, even at the 50 mg dose.

For the study, the participants were aged between 40 and 50 took four formulations of a grains of paradise extract daily and were randomized to a ramp-up (0, 50, 100, and 150 milligrams) or ramp-down (150, 100, 50, and 0 milligrams) group.

The grains of paradise extract was prepared in a capsule form, known as Vanizem® (VAN).

Each 3-day intervention period was separated by a 1-week washout period. The participants also completed a physical activity programme that consisted of resistance and cardiovascular training.

The benefits generally increased as the dose increased. For example, anxiety scores decreased by 10 per cent at the 50-milligram dose, 25 per cent at the 100-milligram dose, and 37 per cent at the 150-milligram dose, compared to a placebo.

Using the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ), participants reported falling asleep more quickly (51 per cent), better sleep quality (37 per cent) and improvements in behaviour following wakefulness (7 per cent), which indicates waking up feeling more rested and refreshed.

Overall, after 3 days of supplementation, sleep quality ratings improved by more than 30 per cent compared with the placebo.

Total mood disturbance — an assessment of overall mood state — improved by 16 per cent at 50 mg, 54 per cent at 100 mg and 77 per cent with a 150 mg dose in three days.

The study suggests that the extract’s primary mechanism of action may involve the inhibition of FAAH, which is a key target in anxiety management.

The effects on sleep quality and onset appear to result from the alleviation of daily stress, rather than direct modulation of GABAergic or serotonergic systems.

Participants took alligator pepper in the morning and reported no daytime drowsiness, positioning it as a practical solution for those who want to avoid the lethargy associated with other endocannabinoid-acting ingredients, such as CBD.

The researchers, therefore, said alligator pepper may support individuals exposed to demanding lifestyles, including workers in high-pressure jobs, women going through perimenopause, and other populations dealing with daily challenges that may impact their emotional state.

It also addresses the needs of women during perimenopause and menopause, including stress relief, sleep quality, anxious feelings and mental well-being.

In 2021, a randomised, placebo-controlled pilot study investigated the effects of a botanical extract supplement containing Aframomum melegueta on the quality of life of 57 women with menopausal symptoms.

Compared with the placebo, supplementation was associated with significant improvements, particularly in the menopause and health domain, which evaluates vasomotor symptoms such as hot flushes, headaches and feelings of tiredness owing to a lack of sleep.

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Several popular medicinal plants have been shown to reduce anxiety and stress and improve mood, including Crocus sativus (saffron), Piper methysticum (kava kava), Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo), Lavandula angustifolia (lavender), and Panax ginseng (ginseng), although with limited evaluation of their effects on sleep.

In contrast, other plants used in several Western traditional systems of medicine as sleep aids include Valeriana officinalis (valerian), Passiflora edulis (passionflower), Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile), and Melisa officinalis (lemon balm).

In addition, the roots of Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) are one of the most well-known and recognised ayurvedic ingredients for managing chronic stress, with significant improvements observed in symptoms of stress, anxiety, insomnia, or depression in human clinical trials.