African Mango is one of the latest discoveries on the weight loss market. The product contains an extract of African mango, whose slimming properties surpass the effectiveness of the popular acai berry extract. The product stormed the American market and recently has also been available in Europe, where it is expected to have a bright future.
Obesity is one of North America’s greatest nutritional challenges and it is now creeping into the developing world as well, thanks to the export of our dietary habits. But maybe we can import a weapon from an another culture to help us in the battle against the bulge. That weapon is an extract of the seeds of Irvingia gabonensis, a West African fruit that goes by the common name of African mango. Whether this extract will end up being embraced by the scientific community as effective way to control weight or will end up on the junk heap of weight loss drugs and dietary supplements that failed to meet the initial hype remains to be seen. At this point all we can say is that based on an intriguing study carried out in Cameroon, further investigation is warranted.
Just what generated the idea that the African mango should be linked to weight control isn’t clear, but it was probably a combination of looking for new markets and a finding that the seeds were high in soluble fiber. There is some evidence that soluble fiber delays stomach emptying which in turn reduces appetite. Furthermore, an intake of soluble fiber is known to reduce blood cholesterol and is also known to reduce the elevation of blood sugar after a meal which is handy when it comes to controlling diabetes. A small double-blind randomized study of 40 subjects in 2005 showed a significant weight loss of about 4 kg with 3 grams of the extract taken daily. There was also a decrease in cholesterol and triglycerides as well as in waist and hip measurements. But there are some peculiarities in the data. First of all, the average initial weight of subjects in the experimental group was 105 kg while that in the placebo group was 79 kg. In a sense we are comparing apples to oranges here because any sort of intervention will cause a greater initial weight loss when there is more weight to lose. Why were the subjects not randomized in such a way that the initial weights in the experimental and control groups were roughly equal?
Uses Purported BenefitsIn alternative medicine, African mango is purported to promote weight loss by suppressing appetite, speeding up metabolism and preventing fat buildup.
In addition, some proponents claim that African mango can help treat certain health problems, such as high cholesterol and diabetes.
To date, few scientific studies have tested the health effects of African mango. However, some research suggests that African mango may help protect against obesity and enhance metabolic health.
For instance, in a 2009 study in Lipids in Health and Disease, researchers found that participants who took African mango every day for 10 weeks experienced significant improvements in body weight, body fat, waist size, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and levels of C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation). The study involved 102 healthy overweight or obese people; half of the participants received African mango, while the other half were given a placebo.
Additionally, a 2008 study in Lipids in Health and Disease indicated that taking a combination of African mango and cissus (an herb long used in Ayurvedic medicine) may help fight obesity. Every day for 10 weeks, 72 obese or overweight participants took capsules containing one of three substances: a placebo, the African mango/cissus combination or cissus alone. By the study's end, members of the African mango/cissus group showed the greatest reductions in body weight, body fat, waist size, and cholesterol levels.
In animal-based research, scientists have determined that African mango may fight obesity by inhibiting the development of fat cells.
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