A dietary supplement - Extramel(R) - derived from a melon concentrate rich in antioxidant superoxide dismutase enzymes, or SOD, has been shown to relieve stress and fatigue. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, published in BioMed Central’s open access Nutrition Journal, researchers found that the antioxidant supplement from melon juice concentrate decreased the signs and symptoms of perceived stress and fatigue in healthy volunteers.

Marie-Anne Milesi from Seppic, France, worked with a team of researchers to evaluate its anti-stress effects in 70 volunteers. She said, “Several studies have shown that there is a link between psychological stress and intracellular oxidative stress. We wanted to test whether augmenting the body’s ability to deal with oxidative species might help a person’s ability to resist burnout. The 35 people in our study who received capsules containing superoxide dismutase showed improvement in several signs and symptoms of perceived stress and fatigue”.

Study participants not receiving placebo took 10 mg Extramel(R) once daily, corresponding to 140 IU SOD per capsule.

The researchers found a strong placebo effect in the volunteers who received inactive starch capsules, as can be expected when studying subjective feelings like stress. However, the improvements seen in the supplement group were significantly greater, especially after 28 days. According to Milesi, “The placebo effect was only present during the first 7 days of supplementation and not beyond. It will be interesting to confirm these effects and better understand the action of antioxidants on stress in further studies with a larger number of volunteers and a longer duration”.

A provisional PDF of the study is available free from the Nutrition Journal at the link to the abstract below:

Supplementation with melon juice concentrate Extramel on stress and fatigue in healthy people