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 is a tasty fruit native to Nigeria and Cameroon in West Africa. It contains a large seed that is rich in oil and protein. The seed is also eaten, either whole or as a paste or powder in recipes for dika bread, ogbono soup, or Gabon chocolate. The high fiber content was at first thought to be the main ingredient leading to weight loss. However, recent research now shows it to be the seed storage proteins, named glutelins, that are responsible.
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.
Oben led a research group that published their first weight loss study in 2005 (Lipids in Health and Disease, Vol. 4, pp. 12-15) based on 28 human subjects. Treatment consisted of 3 capsules of extract containing 350 mg each, at each of 3 daily meals, a half-hour before eating. The total intake of the extract was 3.15 grams per day. Twelve subjects in the placebo group took oat bran extract instead. Diets were encouraged to be low fat, with a total daily limit of 1800 Calories.
After one month, the average weight loss in the mango-treated group was 5.6 percent, compared with 2.23 percent of the placebo group. These differences were significant statistically.
The mango treatment group also showed significant changes in blood lipids: lower total cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL-cholesterol.
Two curious notes about this study stand out. One is that there was no significant change in body fat composition between the two groups. The other was that the IG-treatment group started out with a much higher average weight than did the control group (231 lbs vs. 175 lbs).
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.
African mango is a tasty fruit native to Nigeria and Cameroon in West Africa. It contains a large seed that is rich in oil and protein. The seed is also eaten, either whole or as a paste or powder in recipes for dika bread, ogbono soup, or Gabon chocolate. The high fiber content was at first thought to be the main ingredient leading to weight loss. However, recent research now shows it to be the seed storage proteins, named glutelins, that are responsible.
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.
Oben led a research group that published their first weight loss study in 2005 (Lipids in Health and Disease, Vol. 4, pp. 12-15) based on 28 human subjects. Treatment consisted of 3 capsules of extract containing 350 mg each, at each of 3 daily meals, a half-hour before eating. The total intake of the extract was 3.15 grams per day. Twelve subjects in the placebo group took oat bran extract instead. Diets were encouraged to be low fat, with a total daily limit of 1800 Calories.
After one month, the average weight loss in the mango-treated group was 5.6 percent, compared with 2.23 percent of the placebo group. These differences were significant statistically.
The mango treatment group also showed significant changes in blood lipids: lower total cholesterol, lower LDL-cholesterol, lower triglycerides, and higher HDL-cholesterol.
Two curious notes about this study stand out. One is that there was no significant change in body fat composition between the two groups. The other was that the IG-treatment group started out with a much higher average weight than did the control group (231 lbs vs. 175 lbs).
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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