Irvingia gabonensis (African mango extract) is a popular weight loss supplement. It is unlike most herbs for weight loss, since it is backed by excellent scientific studies involving human subjects. So far the oucomes of these studies are promising.
African mango a widely consumed fruit native to West Africa. Besides the fleshy edible fruit, African mango also contains a large seed that is often consumed whole or processed into a powder or paste for making Gabon chocolate, ogbono soup, or dika bread. Weight loss was first though to be due to the high fiber content of African mango. However, studies now show that the active ingredient is actually the seed proteins called glutelins.
African mango a widely consumed fruit native to West Africa. Besides the fleshy edible fruit, African mango also contains a large seed that is often consumed whole or processed into a powder or paste for making Gabon chocolate, ogbono soup, or dika bread. Weight loss was first though to be due to the high fiber content of African mango. However, studies now show that the active ingredient is actually the seed proteins called glutelins.
Human and lab animal studies of African mango extract have led to a patent, U.S. Patent No. 7,537,790, titled, "Method and composition for reducing body weight and improving control of body lipids" (May 26, 2009). Julius Oben of Cameroon, who devised the extract process, assigned the patent to a company in Fairfield, California, by the name of Gateway Health Alliances, Inc. Gateway also owns the trademarked name, IGOB131, for the proprietary extract.
The first weight loss research published by Oben's Cameroon group appeared in Lipids in Health and Disease, Vol. 4, pp. 12-15 in 2005. It was based on treating 13 human subjects with African mango extract (3 capsules of 350 milligrams each, 3 times per day, one-half hour before meals). They were compared with a placebo group (n=12) who took an oat bran extract. Subjects were encourage to limit total daily intake to 1800 Calories on a low fat diet.
The main results showed an average weight loss in the mango treatment group of 5.6 percent after one month. In comparison, the control group lost an average of 2.23 percent during the same time period. All results were statistically significant.
The mango treatment group also showed significant changes in blood lipids: lower total cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL-cholesterol.
Two curiosities stand out about this study. The first is that the average starting weights of the two groups differed tremendously (231 lbs in the treatment group; 175 lbs in the placebo group). The second is that there was no comparative change in body fat composition.
Although this study involved only 28 subjects, it provides at least initial support for the usefulness of African mango extract for weight loss and bl
The first weight loss research published by Oben's Cameroon group appeared in Lipids in Health and Disease, Vol. 4, pp. 12-15 in 2005. It was based on treating 13 human subjects with African mango extract (3 capsules of 350 milligrams each, 3 times per day, one-half hour before meals). They were compared with a placebo group (n=12) who took an oat bran extract. Subjects were encourage to limit total daily intake to 1800 Calories on a low fat diet.
The main results showed an average weight loss in the mango treatment group of 5.6 percent after one month. In comparison, the control group lost an average of 2.23 percent during the same time period. All results were statistically significant.
The mango treatment group also showed significant changes in blood lipids: lower total cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL-cholesterol.
Two curiosities stand out about this study. The first is that the average starting weights of the two groups differed tremendously (231 lbs in the treatment group; 175 lbs in the placebo group). The second is that there was no comparative change in body fat composition.
Although this study involved only 28 subjects, it provides at least initial support for the usefulness of African mango extract for weight loss and bl
The main results showed an average weight loss in the mango treatment group of 5.6 percent after one month. In comparison, the control group lost an average of 2.23 percent during the same time period. All results were statistically significant.
The mango treatment group also showed significant changes in blood lipids: lower total cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL-cholesterol.
Two curiosities stand out about this study. The first is that the average starting weights of the two groups differed tremendously (231 lbs in the treatment group; 175 lbs in the placebo group). The second is that there was no comparative change in body fat composition.
Although this study involved only 28 subjects, it provides at least initial support for the usefulness of African mango extract for weight loss and blood lipids.
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The mango treatment group also showed significant changes in blood lipids: lower total cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL-cholesterol.
Two curiosities stand out about this study. The first is that the average starting weights of the two groups differed tremendously (231 lbs in the treatment group; 175 lbs in the placebo group). The second is that there was no comparative change in body fat composition.
Although this study involved only 28 subjects, it provides at least initial support for the usefulness of African mango extract for weight loss and blood lipids.
About the Author:
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