Can a diet involving African mango supplements help you lose weight and fight obesity? Preliminary clinical evidence suggests it may, but more research is needed to rate the effectiveness of African mango for dieting and weight loss.
African mango supplements are made from the seeds of Irvingia gabonensis, a tree indigenous to Central and West Africa. The tree can reach heights of 40 ft and produces fruit (commonly called African mangos) that contain a single seed or nut.
The seed is high in fiber and medium- and long-chain fatty acids (it has a fat profile similar to coconut). Increasing consumption of fiber-rich foods and essential fatty acids may support weight loss results as part of a healthy diet plan.
Should you incorporate African mango pills into your diet plan or are there better sources of these health-boosting constituents that you can use to promote fat loss and weight reduction?



- Helps control the appetite
- Increases leptin sensitivity & adiponectin
- Improves blood sugar & cholesterol
African Mango Diet Plans
African mango fruit is commonly consumed by local populations and is also pickled and used to make juice. Although the fruit is commonly eaten, I. gabonensis does not have a history of medical use in the regions’ traditional medicine practices.
African mango has become a popular dietary supplement and is used for weight loss, obesity, high blood lipid levels and pain. [1] It is also used for diabetes and to modulate blood sugar levels.
Some research suggests that using African mango in a weight loss diet may improve appetite control and help to reduce hunger cravings. It may improve leptin sensitivity, which can help users feel full faster. Resistance to the hormone leptin is often associated with obesity.
However, there is not enough reliable evidence to rate the use of Irvingia gabonensis extracts for specific medicinal uses. African mango dietary supplements have shown positive effects on obesity, hypercholesterolemia and type II diabetes mellitus. But initial results need to be confirmed by larger-scale independent research studies.
People electively use Irvingia supplements to help them control their appetites, achieve healthy weight levels and support digestion.
African Mango Diet Pills and Weight Loss
African mango may help support weight loss because of its high fiber content and fatty acid profile. In human studies, African mango has been observed to decrease appetite, help reduce overall body weight and lower cholesterol levels.
The World Health Organization reports that nearly 3.4 million people die each year because of effects related to being overweight and/or obese. Those with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or above are significantly more likely to develop some diseases.
Many of these diseases—including diabetes, heart disease and cancer—are related to prolonged levels of inflammation (also called chronic inflammation).
The connection between chronic inflammation and excess weight may be explained by the behavior of fat cells in the body. Researchers have revealed that fat cells do not just passively store energy.
Instead, they have been observed to secrete pro-inflammatory compounds that contribute to chronic inflammation (what is occasionally referred to as ‘meta-inflammation’ within the scientific community).
African Mango Mechanisms of Action
Beyond its high fiber content, the mechanisms of action underlying African mango’s weight loss effects are still being investigated. One possible mechanism is African mango’s impact on leptin – a hormone produced by fat cells that circulates in the blood and communicates with your brain.
Leptin was only discovered in 1994 and since then researchers have been investigating its effect on weight loss and weight gain. Researchers hypothesize that leptin communicates with the brain and relays information about the body’s energy stores.
Sufficient leptin levels indicate the body has enough energy, whereas low leptin levels may communicate a state of starvation to the brain, which may trigger the storage of energy and increase appetite (making it difficult to lose weight).
African mango is hypothesized to make the body more sensitive to leptin, which could improve the ability to control hunger cravings and compliance to diet plans.
In vitro and in vivo studies, Irvingia gabonensis has been observed to inhibit the maturation of fat cells (a process called adipogenesis). It may do this by affecting the synthesis of adiponectin, a hormone produced by fat cells that modulates several metabolic processes, including fatty acid oxidation and glucose regulation.
Human Research and Diet Results
There have been a small number of human studies investigating the effects of African mango diet supplements on overweight individuals. Two studies have yielded positive results, but have been critiqued for substandard experimental design.
More research is needed before the effectiveness of African mango for dieting can be established. Nevertheless, in these preliminary studies African mango supplements were connected with improvements in body weight, fat mass, adiponectin activity, waist circumference, hip circumference, leptin sensitivity and insulin sensitivity.
In a four-week placebo-controlled human study, treatment group subjects received three daily 1.05 g doses of I. gabonensis seed extract. Participants were overweight and individuals in both the treatment and placebo groups adhered to a 1,800 kCal/day diet plan.
At the end of the study, individuals in the treatment group lost an average of 8.8 lbs. No statistically significant weight loss was reported for the placebo group. [3]
In another study, a standardized I. gabonensis seed extract called IGOB131 was administered to overweight individuals over the course of 10 weeks. Participants were assigned to either the treatment or placebo group.
Individuals in the treatment group received two 150 mg doses of IGOB131 per day. No dietary restrictions were imposed on the treatment or placebo groups.
After 70 days on the diet plan, the following results were reported:
- treatment group subjects lost an average of 28.2 lbs (12.8 kg);
- placebo group subjects lost an average of 1.5 lbs (0.7 kg);
- treatment group subjects ate an average of 2,767 kCal/day;
- placebo group subjects ate an average of 3,156 kCal/day. [2]
African Mango for Blood Glucose Control
African mango has been observed to lower resting blood glucose and cholesterol levels in individuals with type II diabetes. In a 1990 study, individuals with type II diabetes were given a mixture of water and African mango seed fiber every day for one month.
Participants experienced a significant reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or so-called “bad” cholesterol) levels, total cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. Fasting blood glucose levels were also reduced compared to baseline levels. [4]
In the two studies focused on African mango diet pills and weight loss (discussed above), participants also experienced a reduction in cholesterol levels.
For instance, in the study involving overweight individuals who received three daily doses of 1.05 mg I. gabonensis, treatment groups participants experienced an average:
- 39 % decrease in total cholesterol levels;
- 46 % decrease in LDL-C levels;
- 45 % decrease in triglyceride levels;
- 47 % increase in HDL-C levels. [3]
It is important to remember that this study combined African mango supplementation with a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet plan.
African Mango Diet Side Effects
The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates Irvingia gabonensis supplements as “Possibly Safe” when taken orally and used appropriately.
In the discussed studies, only mild side effects were reported. These include rare cases of flatulence, headaches, sleeplessness and/or mild nausea.
African mango diet supplements my exhibit hypoglycemic and antihypertensive properties. Research has shown I. gabonensis to lower fasting blood glucose levels and possibly affect blood pressure.
Speak with your doctor before taking African mango supplements if you take medication for diabetes or hypertension. Exercise caution when mixing African mango diet pills with other herbs that may affect blood sugar and blood pressure.
There is not enough data to establish the safety of I gabonensis for pregnant and/or breastfeeding women and their children. Do not use African mango supplements within 14 days of any scheduled surgery.
Speak with your doctor before taking African mango to support a diet or weight-loss plan, or for any therapeutic purpose, to make sure the supplement is right for you.
- Irvingia gabonensis: Professional Monograph. Natural Medicines Therapeutic Research. Reviewed 2013 May 3, Updated 2015 Feb 15.
- Ngondi JL et al. IGOB131, a Novel Seed Extract of the West African Plant Irvingia Gabonensis, Significantly Reduces Body Weight and Improves Metabolic Parameters in Overweight Humans in a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Investigation. Lipids Health Dis. 2009; 8: 7.
- Ngondi JL, Oben JE, Minka SR. The Effect of Irvingia Gabonensis seeds on Body Weight and Blood Lipids of Obese Subjects in Cameroon. Lipids Health Dis. 2005; 4: 12
- Adamson I, Okafor C, Abu-Bakare A. A supplement of Dikanut (Irvingia gabonesis) improves treatment of type II diabetics. West Afr J Med. 1990 Apr-Jun;9(2):108-15.
- Friedman JM. The function of leptin in nutrition, weight, and physiology. Nutr Rev. 2002 Oct;60(10 Pt 2):S1-14; discussion S68-84, 85-7.
- Herrera-Covarrubias D, Coria-Avila GA1, Fernández-Pomares C1, Aranda-Abreu GE, Manzo Denes J, Hernández ME. [Obesity as a risk factor in the development of cancer]. Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica. 2015 Dec;32(4):766-76.
- Marí M, Fernández-Checa JC. Sphingolipid signalling and liver diseases. Liver Int. 2007 May;27(4):440-50.
- Hui H, Tang G, Liang V, Go W. Hypoglycemic herbs and their action mechanisms. Chin Med. 2009; 4: 11.
- Adamson I, Okafor C, Abu-Bakare A Erythrocyte membrane ATPases in diabetes: effect of dikanut (Irvingia gabonensis). Enzyme. 1986;36(3):212-5.
- Oben JE, Ngondi JL, Momo CN, Agbor GA, Sobgui CS. The use of a Cissus quadrangularis/Irvingia gabonensis combination in the management of weight loss: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Lipids Health Dis. 2008 Mar 31;7:12.
- Nangue TJ, et al. Irvingia Gabonensis fat: Nutritional Properties and Effect of Increasing Amounts on the Growth and Lipid Metabolism of Young Rats wistar sp. Lipids in Health and Disease 10 (2011): 43.
- Egras AM. et al. An Evidence-Based Review of Fat Modifying Supplemental Weight Loss Products. Journal of Obesity 2011 (2011): 297315.PMC.
- Onakpoya I, Davies L, Posadzki P, Ernst E. The efficacy of Irvingia gabonensis supplementation in the management of overweight and obesity: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Diet Suppl. 2013 Mar;10(1):29-38.
- Ngondi J L et al. IGOB131, a Novel Seed Extract of the West African Plant Irvingia Gabonensis, Significantly Reduces Body Weight and Improves Metabolic Parameters in Overweight Humans in a Randomized Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Investigation. Lipids in Health and Disease 8 (2009): 7.
- Oben JE, Ngondi JL, Blum K. Inhibition of Irvingia Gabonensis seed Extract (OB131) on Adipogenesis as Mediated via down Regulation of the PPARgamma and Leptin Genes and up-Regulation of the Adiponectin Gene. Lipids in Health and Disease 7 (2008): 44.
- Sun J, Chen P. UHPLC/HRMS Analysis of African Mango (Irvingia Gabonensis) Seeds, Extract and Related Dietary Supplements.Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 60.35 (2012): 8703–8709. PMC. Web. 4 Aug. 2015.
- Takeuchi H, Sekine S, Kojima K, Aoyama T. The application of medium-chain fatty acids: edible oil with a suppressing effect on body fat accumulation. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2008;17 Suppl 1:320-3.
- Ross SM. African mango (IGOB131): a proprietary seed extract of Irvingia gabonensis is found to be effective in reducing body weight and improving metabolic parameters in overweight humans. Holist Nurs Pract. 2011 Jul-Aug;25(4):215-7.
Article last updated on: March 13th, 2018 by Nootriment