Nektium is delighted to announce that our mood-boosting botanical Vanizem^® has been named a finalist in two categories at the prestigious NutraIngredients Europe Awards 2026.

The Aframomum melegueta (Grains of Paradise) extract was launched in 2024. Since then, it has gained global recognition for its ability to significantly improve mood, reduce stress levels and enhance sleep quality within just three days¹.

Vanizem^® has now been selected among the three finalists in both the “Mind and Mood” and “Botanical” categories at the NutraIngredients Awards 2026 , which celebrate innovation across supplements and functional food and drink:

• The Botanical Ingredient of the Year award honours the best branded or own-label botanical ingredient. It reflects increasing consumer demand for effective, natural solutions and the growing body of research substantiating the therapeutic properties of plant-based ingredients
• The Mind and Mood Ingredient of the Year award is given to the ingredient that best supports cognition, memory, alertness, mood, stress, anxiety, relaxation, sleep and brain recovery

The finalists were decided by an esteemed judging panel of 28 experts from fields including scientific research, academia and industry.

The winners of the NutraIngredients awards will be revealed at a ceremony in Barcelona on Wednesday May 6.

Nektium’s Laura López, Innovation & Clinical Science Director, said: “Vanizem^® is ideal for the many consumers worldwide looking for fast-acting natural solutions that can address their problems with stress and sleep. It has been a great success since its launch two years ago, with strong early adoption from customers and continued sales growth. We are delighted that it has now secured two places in the finals of this prestigious award ceremony.”

The patent-pending Vanizem^® ingredient is made from a sustainably cultivated source of the West African spice Aframomum melegueta, a member of the Zingiberaceae (ginger) family whose seeds have a long history of use in African traditional medicine.

¹ Pérez-Machín, R. et al. ‘Aframomum melegueta Seed Extract’s Effects on Anxiety, Stress, Mood, and Sleep: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Clinical Trial’ Pharmaceuticals (2025) https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/2/278

Anxious feelings, stress, mood and sleep issues are often interconnected. Vanizem^® breaks this vicious stress-mood-sleep cycle by unlocking natural calm and delivering rapid relief with a single dose. Its unique mechanism of action on the endocannabinoid system, which plays a key role in regulating stress and emotions, means it is non-sedative and suitable for daytime use.

Manufactured in-house using our proprietary processes and technologies, Vanizem^® delivers optimal efficacy and quality at a low daily dose of 100-150mg. It is ideal for consumers seeking a natural, effective solution for managing stress, anxious feelings, low mood and sleep problems.