Our mood-boosting botanical ingredient, Vanizem®, has been named both Botanical Ingredient of the Year and Mind & Mood Ingredient of the Year at the prestigious NutraIngredients Europe Awards 2026.

Since we launched Vanizem® in 2024, this fast-acting, non-sedative Aframomum melegueta extract has been making waves. It is clinically proven to improve mood, reduce stress levels, and enhance sleep quality within just three days [1].

Now, an expert panel of judges drawn from scientific research, academia, and the industry has crowned it the winner in two major categories.

What the Judges Said About Our Big Wins

🌿 Botanical Ingredient of the Year

This award honors the best branded or own-label botanical ingredient, reflecting the increasing consumer demand for effective, natural solutions backed by solid science. In their citation, the judges noted:

“Vanizem® has been selected as the winner thanks to its compelling blend of innovation, scientific credibility, and responsible sourcing. As a relatively new entrant to the market, it distinguishes itself through proprietary extraction methods and a patent-pending encapsulation technology that elevates its performance and reliability.

The ingredient is supported by a robust scientific dossier including toxicology, mode of action research, and clinical studies demonstrating statistically significant benefits – underscoring its safety and efficacy. Sustainably sourced and commercially successful, Vanizem® has rapidly gained traction across a wide range of nutraceutical formulations, reflecting both strong market confidence and meaningful impact.”

🧠Mind & Mood Ingredient of the Year

This category recognizes the ingredient that best supports cognition, memory, alertness, mood, stress, anxiety, relaxation, sleep, and brain recovery. Commenting on our win, the judges shared:

“Vanizem® is recognised for its highly innovative vanilloid technology, delivering fast-acting improvements in mood and sleep through modulation of the body’s endocannabinoid system. With a distinctive mechanism, strong early clinical signals, and impressive commercial momentum, Vanizem® stands out as a breakthrough botanical with genuine disruptive potential and exciting opportunities for future expansion.”

The Science Behind the Success

Vanizem® uniquely breaks the stress-mood-sleep cycle by inhibiting the FAAH enzyme. This action preserves our body’s “bliss molecule” (anandamide) to promote feelings of calm without causing drowsiness, making it perfectly suitable for daytime use. Best of all, it is highly effective at a low daily dose of just 100–150 mg.

Our President and CEO, Miguel Jiménez, shared his pride in this double achievement:

“We are delighted that Vanizem® has triumphed in not one but two categories at the prestigious NutraIngredients Europe Awards 2026. This achievement affirms our commitment to advancing nutritional science and delivering high-quality, evidence-backed botanicals. Since its launch, Vanizem® has been a great success, with strong early adoption and sales growth. It’s ideal for consumers looking for a natural solution for managing stress, anxious feelings, low mood and sleep problems.”

A huge thank you to our incredible R&D, scientific, and commercial teams, as well as our partners, who have made Vanizem® the award-winning success it is today!

Reference

[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