Potential Weight-Loss Effects of African Mango

An extract made from the African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) may help overweight people lose weight and lower their cholesterol levels, researchers report in the online journal Lipids in Health and Disease.

The yellow fruits, which resemble mangoes, are commonly eaten in West Africa. The seeds are also valued for their high oil content, and the hardy green wood is valued in construction for its natural resistance to termites.

Earlier studies have shown that seed extracts from the African mango may reduce body fat production by affecting genes and enzymes involved in metabolism.

In the study, 102 overweight or obese adults were randomly assigned to receive either 150 milligrams of the African mango seed extract or placebo twice daily for 10 weeks. Participants were told to maintain their normal dietary and exercise habits.

Weight loss in the extract group was significant, with participants losing an average of 28 pounds by the end of the study. In contrast, the placebo group showed almost no change in weight. The authors also report that low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or "bad cholesterol) and blood sugar levels decreased in the extract group.

Although these results are promising, additional research is needed to determine how effectively African mango seed extract induces weight loss.

For more information about integrative therapies for weight loss, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness database.

Comments

[W Simmons]

Fascinating. It will be interesting to see how this works out. How did they notice the effects of the African mango? Are there no obese people where the mango is eaten? What if you drink the juice of the African mango – are there benefits with that? Can I grow African Mmngos in my backyard? Is it going to be the next Hydoxycut or phendimetrazine? Is a pharmaceutical company already doing this research so the public won’t be able to see the benefits of this for less than $10 a pill? I’m brimming with questions.

[Tom R.]

In 2008, a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study was published in Lipids in Health and Disease that evaluated the effects of Cissus quadrangularis (CQ) used alone or in combination with African Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) on weight loss and cholesterol reduction. The participants were divided into three groups: placebo, Cissus quadrangularis alone, and Cissus quadrangularis with African Mango. The results showed that the combination of CQ with African mango had a synergistic effect on the reduction of cholesterol (both total and LDL) and fasting blood glucose when compared to the CQ only group. The study suggests that African mango may also have antioxidant properties in addition to its hypoglycemic and hypocholesterolemic properties.

[W Simmons]

Sweet. Can I grow Cissus quadrangularis in the same backyard as Irvingia gabonensis? And why doesn’t CQ have the a cool nickname like The African mango? I guess it’s called Veld Grape. If it were in my backyard, I’d call CQ "The Svelte Grape."

[T.J.]

An average weight loss of 28 pounds is pretty high for only 10 weeks. I'm surprised that such results were achieved without changing the diet or exercise habits of the subjects!

[Joe Pa]

It seems like so much diet, diseas and nutraceutical research is coming back to oxidative damage and antioxidant value. I think it's time to quantify and standardize antioxidant value. We’ll call it an Aox. One Aox will be the antioxidant value of a tablespoon of blueberries. Then on the packaging, the manufacturer can put “Each serving contains 2.5 Aoxs.” Or, “this beef jerky serving has negative 4 Aoxs.” Or, “this Brazilian rain forest berry has 18 Aoxs per gram, the highest on record,” And, “The USDA recommends 5 Aoxs per 8 ozunces of red meat consumed.” There, I just gave someone a grant idea. Publish or perish.

[Steve]

I believe that the African mango grows only throughout the equatorial central Africa and western Africa. I know that regular mangoes grow in Florida, but I do not think that African mango’s will grow in the U.S. Although I could be wrong because I tried to find the information but wasn’t able to find a lot.

[healthy body, healthy mind]

So much money and resources are poured into searching for the magic weight-loss cure. As someone who is a strong proponent of eating healthily and exercising, I feel like we're wasting our resources on something that is fixable. Imagine if we used all the billions of dollars spent on the weight-loss industry to study incurable cancers or other fatal diseases. Maybe we'd have more cures by now.

[Steve M]

Are there any plants that don’t have antioxidant properties?

[Lynn W]

Researchers were looking at Irvingia gabonensis as far back as 1990, when they found out that it could help improve glucose levels in Type 2 diabetics, which is when they also discovered it could help reduce LDL levels and raise HDL levels. You can see the abstract here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2148494

[JRG]

There’s a company in Idaho that actually sells Irvingia gabonensis as an extract, OR as a “raw product.” The raw product is a small pile of wood chips, and the solid extract looks pretty foul. There’s no information on how to use it. I’m afraid that this new report will send people on a hunt to find this stuff, and you’ll have people buying the wood chips to chew on them, or get the extract, just to get the weight-loss properties.

[Zack]

This article is very interesting. The African mango has great potential as a nutraceutical and may help a great number of people who are struggling to loose weight. It may also help people lower their cholesterol without having to take medications. I wonder if people experience any side effects after ingesting African mango and if the amount of the extract a person takes makes a difference. The information that I came across in the study suggests that people experienced headaches, sleep problems and gas after taking the extract; however, the rates of these effects were similar in the placebo group. Where can a person buy African mango? Is it sold in the United States?

[Sophie]

I have to say that I totally agree with Healthy body/Healthy mind. First it was green tea extract, then the acai berry, now it is the African mango that is going to help people lose weight. The reason that so many United States citizens have an obesity problem is due to the fact that there is a McDonald's on every corner! Instead of searching for new weight-loss supplements, we should be cutting out saturated fats, cholesterol and hydrogenated oils.

On the other hand, I think it is great to take things like the African mango or acai berry for the antioxidant properties.

[E.T.]

JRG, what you said about Irvingia gabonensis wood chips and people trying to find them reminded me of the potential dangers of taking herbs without being aware of interactions and toxic effects. A friend of mine got some type of herb in wood chips form and was going to take it, even though they had no idea what it did. I know the Natural Standard database has a great tool that can check for potential interactions, but I think people should definitely speak to their doctors before trying to self-medicate.

[Tasha Jones]

Honestly, this study on the extract of mango as a weight-loss aid strikes me as an entire waste of research time and dollars. It simply fuels the demand for a silver bullet cure-all for being overweight and obese, instead of giving overweight people the truth: losing weight is not easy. It takes a long time to gain weight. It takes a long time to lose it. And it all comes down to the number of calories in versus the number of calories out.

[Bobby]

I agree with Tasha, that we are wasting time and money trying to lose weight with the magic bullet. I was raised on a farm and if you didn’t put in the work then you got no benefit, basically you would starve. The same is with any job; if you don’t go to work then you don’t get a paycheck. I never thought in my life time there would be a world epidemic… Yes a epidemic of obesity. Everyone wants the benefits of being a healthy weight, but they aren’t willing to do the work. Yes, some people need more help and support to lose the weight because of genetics, that’s fine, and for them I suggest looking at some of their options on the Natural Standard Web site. However, for the majority, I think they need to put in the effort and stop looking for the quick fix.

[Michael K. Ragland]

I read your article, then researched to find a source for the extracts, as well as additional information on taking the supplement. I found that the recommended diet is one that includes complex carbohydrates, recommending against the Atkins approach. I also found that the weight loss occurs mostly in the last five weeks of a 10-week course. I could find no information on taking the drug for a longer period of time. I found an extract being marketed on the net wherein you take two pills per day.
I purchased a supply of the extract from Life Extension and began the program on April 23. At the same time, I modified my diet to include complex carbohydrates (whole grains)in the form of whole grain bread, some nuts, and expanded the intake of vegetables and fruits, along with Whey protein. I already have an exercise program consisting of competitive racquetball for an hour or more at least three days per week, plus an hour to an hour and a half of brisk walking while exercising my dog. We typically walk about 3 to 4 miles per day.
The two weeks, I gained about 8 pounds, likely due to the switch in diet. Since that time, I have dropped back to about the same weight I was prior to beginning the program. I have found that there is no appetite suppressent in the program, but maintain a healthy calorie intake at about 2,000 calories per day, along with the exercise.
In all my research, the indication was that an average of 28 pounds was lost, but no indication of the start point or such was included. In my case, I am 5'6", 220 pounds (currently) with a BMI of above 35. I have about a 37 inch waist. I am 70 years old. No matter what diet or such that I have tried, I have not been able to reduce the body fat content.
I have done Atkins, low fat, weight lifting, muscle milk, extreme cardio. I find the two a day work with racquetball in the morning and walking in the afternoon has been fun, but not much help in losing weight or inches.
If you like, I will continue to report back on this program. No point in everyone wasting money if it does not work.

[Andrew B]

This study really intrigues me because it seems like it was a well-conducted study that produced statistically significant results (something that never seems to happen in studies like this!) Further research that looks at side effects and drug interactions with the use of African mango would be really interesting because it seems like no apparent contraindications were found in this study, and as we know, overweight and diabetic patients tend to have many contraindications to various drug therapies due to their assortment of different co-morbidities.

I searched to see if the extract was available in America and found several Web sites that carry it. However, the customer reviews of the product were largely unfavorable, and most customers wrote that they did not experience any such weight-loss effects from the supplement.

[Electronic Medical Records]

This is really surprising information for me. The article is quite interesting and informative.

[Michael Ragland]

I'm back again taking the Life Extension product for the entire 10 weeks. I took three pills per day rather than the two that Life Extension recommended from their study. At the end of 10 weeks, while maintaining the 2000 calorie per day diet that I mentioned earlier, plus continuing the racquetball and walking, I had actually gained about five pounds from what I was when I started the program. I did not lose the 28 pounds quoted in the original study. I did not notice any difference in my blood sugar nor in my blood pressure, both of which I track on a regular basis.

While the supplement may work for some, it did nothing for me. I have since started taking chia seeds (3+ tablespoons per day, uncooked) and have been able to lose weight and feel quite a bit better physically. I have increase the distance walked in the afternoon and shortened the time, averaging about 19-20 minute miles. I'm also still playing racquetball three or more times per week.