Irvingia gabonensi (IG) is the Latin name of the tree grown in Central and West Africa that produces a fruit similar to a mango and nicknamed African mango, dika nut, or bush mango.
In areas where IG grows, its flesh is widely eaten. But its seed or nut (fresh or dried) that contains the supposedly ingredients are not. Sold almost exclusively online, the seed extract comes in powder, liquid and capsules.
What Are The Claims?
Some websites claim that the high soluble content of IG seed can take away belly fat and trim waistlines. It’s often combined with other ingredients such as green tea, and marketed as burning fat supplement.
There are also claims that taking the supplement 30-60 minutes before meals can lower appetite, lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides reduce fat cell growth, boost breakdown of fats and improve blood sugar control. There are claim also that it is highly effective at getting rid of fat and cholesterol.
According to 1000C.F.A in his book, The Healing Power of African Fruits and Herbs, he wrote: “the African mango garnered a lot of Hollywood hype when Oprah Winfrey featured the fruit on her show as an effective supplement for weight loss. Since then, companies have capitalized on the impetus and marketed products that contain African Mangoes”
While the fruit itself is highly nutritious, the slimming properties come from the seed (as I wrote before, above). The fruit contains calcium, phosphorous, iron and vitamin C. Compared to the fruit, the seed have six times more calcium, about twice more iron and additional thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. The seeds also have a high fiber content that aid in removing cholesterol from the body.
A study was published in the journal of Lipid in Health and Disease (2008) that evaluated the effects of African Mango seed capsules on weight loss in over weight and obese human subjects. The subjects were divided into two groups, one was taking Placebo. After the tests, the groups who took the African Mango capsules lost an average of 5.26% of their body weight, more than 4% from Placebo. In a separate study published in the same journal, subjects who took pills that contain African Mango and Velt grape extracts lost more weight than those who took Velt grape pills alone.
It has also been found out that the African Mango extract increases adiponection, PPAR gamma, glycerol-3 phosphate, dehydrogenese, and leptin in the body. These substances boost our body’s metabolism and in turn, help burn fat. However, it can also cause certain side effects like insomania, and headache. Sources: www.webmd.com, foodreference.com, Lipids (2008),
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