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Botanical illustration of Alligator Pepper
CulinarySourced entry

Alligator Pepper

Aframomum melegueta

Grains of paradise, a peppery West African seed in the ginger family. In a small pilot trial, a seed extract eased anxiety and improved mood and sleep.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • ToxicityNothing recorded

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Alligator Pepper?

Plant family
Zingiberaceae, the ginger family
Parts used
The pungent seeds
Where it grows
Coastal West Africa
Genus
Aframomum
Species
melegueta

Also called

Grains of Paradise, Melegueta Pepper

Traditionally used for

  • Spice
  • Anxiety
  • Sleep

Traditionally described as

  • Pungent
  • Calming (in a small trial)

Traditions that use it

Natural compounds

6-Paradol6-Gingerol

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Alligator pepper, a relative of ginger, has pungent seeds widely used in African folk medicine.[1]Study

Research in people

  • In a small pilot trial, healthy adults with moderate anxiety took 50–150 mg of a seed extract a day for 2 days. They reported less anxiety and stress, better mood and better sleep. No side effects were reported. This was a short, small study.[1]Study

    Technical detail: randomized, double-blind; extract standardized to 10% vanilloids (6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 6-paradol); acted on TRPV1, CB2 and 5-HT1A receptors and inhibited FAAH in lab tests.

In short

Evidence in people comes from one small, short trial.

Sources

  1. [1] Aframomum melegueta Seed Extract's Effects on Anxiety, Stress, Mood, and Sleep: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Clinical Trial · DOI: 10.3390/ph18020278Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.