Updated 4/8/24. I've been getting a lot of questions about African Mango, also called Irvingia gabonensis and whether this fruit can help people lose weight. African mango is similar to the mango's you've probably eaten at some point. Undoubtedly, you've seen many websites touting this fruit for obesity and weight loss. Few websites offer proof, though. In this review, let's look at the clinical studies on African mango. African Mango is sometimes called Bush Mango or Wild Mango. All of these refer to its scientific name, Irvingia gabonensis. The extract of African mango that has been used in weight loss research is called IGOB131. This name is sometimes shortened to simply OB131.
African Mango Weight Loss Research
Does African Mango help people lose weight? There is indeed research on Irvingia gabonensis. More precisely, there is research on an extract from the seeds of the African mango tree. The extract from the seeds is dubbed IGOB131. I am telling you this because if you try Irvingia gabonensis weight loss supplements, this is the ingredient that the research was conducted on.
Other African mango extracts may not have the same effect.
Study
In one 4-week study, 40 overweight people were given either 3.15 grams (3500 mg) of Irvingia gabonensis or a comparable amount of oat bran 30 minutes before meals, in conjunction with a low-fat diet. People ate about 1800 calories a day.
Results indicated that those receiving Irvingia gabonensis lost about 5.6% of body weight. Those taking the placebo lost about 1% of body weight. Body fat did not change significantly in either group.
Problem. Body fat was measured using bioelectric impedance analysis. This method, while quick and easy to administer, is less accurate than other means like hydrostatic weighing, Bod Pod etc.
Systolic blood pressure (the top number) was reduced by about 4 points. This drop in systolic blood pressure could be the result of weight loss as opposed to a direct effect of Irvingia gabonensis itself.
Study
In a 10-week study, 102 healthy overweight men and women were followed for 10 weeks. People were given either a placebo or 350 mg of Irvingia gabonensis. The supplement was supplied by Gateway Health Alliances Inc (Fairfield CA), a company that owns a US patent on IGOB131
Results showed that those receiving the Irvingia gabonensis extract had lower body weight, body fat, and waist circumference than those taking the placebo. Specifically, those taking IGOB131 extract lost 28 pounds vs. about 1 pound for those getting the placebo. Body fat was determined using bioelectric impedance analysis. This is a HUGE difference and honestly, I'm skeptical of it.
LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), total cholesterol, blood glucose, and C reactive protein were also lower in those who received the Irvingia gabonensis extract.
The weight loss observed in the African Mango group could account for the the decreases in cholesterol, blood glucose and C reactive protein. These things do change when people lose weight. The soluble fiber in the extract may also had an effect on cholesterol levels.
Study
Another study noted that mouse cells exposed to IGOB131 had increased fat cell production of adiponectin. Adiponectin has anti-inflammatory properties and that high levels of adiponectin appear to be associated with a lower risk of heart disease. This study also noted that IGOB131 inhibited fat cell development as well.
Study
In a review of previous research, the authors noted that studies published on African mango all had problems with how they were conducted. Because of this, the authors state that Irvingia gabonensis “cannot be recommended as a weight loss aid. Future research in this area should be more rigorous and better reported.”
Study
At least one group of researchers has reported that a combination of African mango and another supplement, Cissus quadrangularis, produces greater weight loss than African mango alone. This study involved 72 overweight men and women who took either the supplement combination or a placebo for 10 weeks. Those taking the blend of ingredients used 250 mg of both supplements.
African Mango And Leptin
The 10-week study published in 2009 also noted that the IGOB131 extract reduced levels of leptin. Leptin is a hormone made inside fat cells that play a role in appetite. Basically, this is what happens:
- When leptin levels rise, we stop eating
- When leptin levels fall, we get hungry
That's the simple answer. The amount of leptin we have is dependent on how much body fat we have. The more body fat, the higher the leptin levels. One problem, however, is that many overweight people (who make a lot of leptin) are insensitive to the leptin and it doesn't work to stop them from eating. In other words, they are leptin-resistant.
Irvingia gabonensis lowered leptin levels; some take this to mean it helps weight loss. But remember that as leptin levels decrease, we get hungry. I'm saying this because the decrease in leptin observed in the 10-week 2009 study appears to be a result of IGOB131 reducing fat cell growth and differentiation. In other words, as fat cell growth slows, leptin levels might also fall.
If the African mango extract does reduce leptin levels, would a continued drop in leptin cause a rebound hunger in people, causing them to eat more? I don't know? The longest study so far has only lasted 10 weeks. Leptin is not the only player in the game when it comes to obesity. If Irvingia gabonensis has any real effect on combating weight loss, its effects on leptin are probably not the answer.
Is African Mango Safe?
The company that holds the US patent on the African Mango extract IGOB131 has published a safety study in lab rats showing that the ingredient is up to 2500 mg/kg for up to 90 days of use. The ingredient caused no genetic mutations. That is good.
How much is that in people? To convert the lab rat dose to the people dosage, divide the rat dose by 6.2. If we do this, we get 2500 /6.2 = 403 mg per kilogram of body weight.
Remember there are 2.2 kg in a pound, so divide your body weight (in pounds) by 2.2 and multiply that by 403 to find the maximum safe amount in you. Use less than this to be even more conservative.
African Mango Side Effects
For healthy people, African mango food and supplements are probably safe. Here are some things to consider if you are not “healthy.” This list is not complete:
- Begin by taking less than recommended for at least the first week.
- Speak to your doctor first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Don't take if you are allergic to mangos.
- Common side effects reported include GI problems, headache, dry mouth, and sleep problems.
- Stop taking African mango supplements at least 2 weeks before having surgery.
- In theory, this supplement may lower blood sugar levels
- Speak to your doctor if you have any health problems.
At least one report exists of kidney failure after taking African mango supplements. This individual had high blood pressure and was taking medications. The person took 1000 mg of African mango daily for a couple of months.
Things To Think About
1. It is important to remember that all of the positive research on African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) has used a specific extract called IGOB131. Consumers should look for the amount of IGOB131 on supplement labels. Much of the research is sponsored by a company that owns the patent on IGOB131.
2. Obtaining good results is probably better if the African mango is combined with a low-fat / low-calorie diet.
3. Don't be swayed by the amount of Irvingia gabonensis a supplement contains. Look instead for how much of the IGOB131 extract the product has. This is what the research uses.
4. Exercise likely helps any effect the supplement has.
5. Weight loss could account for the observed changes in total cholesterol, LDL, and CRP.
Does African Mango Work?
The preliminary research is intriguing, although most studies are small and about 3 months. If Irvingia gabonensis extracts are going to work, it will probably take at least four weeks before people notice a decrease in weight.
Here's African Mango on Amazon
I originally came across the African Mango Seed supplement by reading an article on-line. I also saw where Dr Oz mentioned the supplement on his show. Intrigued, I followed a link in the article to a website. http://www.pureafricanmango.com It claimed to have the most potent and purest African Mango Seed extract. Interested, I did purchase the supplements and received them yesterday. Today is my first day taking them. I came across your article, which is why I am posting. The bottle states it has 350 mg per capsule of Irvingia (1050 mg for 3). However, it does not mention IGOB13 anywhere on the bottle.
The good thing is, the only other ingredients are gelatin, magnesium stearate and rice flour. So, there are no other “weight loss” additives like green tea, etc. I plan to try this for the next 30 days with a healthy eating habit (low fat, 1,800 cal a day). I’d be more than happy to post any results. Thank you again for your article.
Hi Amber and thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you are enjoying my supplement website. To answer your question, the study you referenced was one I linked to in my African Mango review. I linked to the actual full text of the study so you can scroll up and read the entire study if you like. It looked specifically at IGOB13, lasted 10 weeks and had over 100 people. It was also double blind and placebo controlled. Those are some of the things I look for in a study. I think this might be the best African Mango study so far. I would like to see a few other studies corroborating their results but it looks like a good study to me.
I would first like to say thank you for this site. It has saved me a lot of time and money.
I was very interested in the Irvingia gabonensis for helping with my weightloss. After reading your reviews of the IGOB131 extract, I came across this link, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19254366?dopt=Abstract
I would like to know if that is a reliable study.
Thanks again 🙂
I found this info about the Life Extension product so I guess this is the one I will buy. Thanks for the very informative article! I’ll post back and let you know how it goes. http://newsblaze.com/story/2009080712410600001.bw/topstory.html
Hi Cat,
I looked at the life extension Integra lean African mango supplement. The good news is that it doesn’t appear to contain anything other than African mango. As long as you are happy with what is happening I dont see a need to change it. let me know how long it seems to be helping you and how much weight you lose with it. I’m curious.
PS I changed the date to 2011 in your email 😉
Hiya – I purchased “Life Extension” Integra-Lean Irvingia 150mg. It says to take 1 capsule twice daily.
Is this enough; is this the right stuff I should be taking I purchased it from Swanson Health.
I have been taking it since 1/27/11; have noticed a HUGE difference in my appetite I am not as hungry as I usually am; I noticed I dont wanna snack like I used to!
Please let me know if this is the right stuff I should be taking; if not what do you recommend?
I’m not sure if this is in my head or not but I am just not that hungry I started out taking one a day then I moved it up to 2 a day~
Thanks
Cat
Judy, sleeplessness is one of many common side effects I see with supplements. Its not that everybody will get it but if they test enough some people will say something. GI problems are probably the most common side effect people who take supplements report. I think if people take it in the morning that sleeplessness probably wouldn’t be an issue. I’m guessing on this though. I dont think Ive seen any research it raised heart rate or blood pressure.
I saw Irvingia reviewed in Life Extension magazine with the research listed, but I didn’t notice if their product contained the IGOB131 extract. I would be concerned if sleeplessness is a side effect, is it also raising BP and HR.
Hi Vicki
I looked at the Doctors Trust African Mango link you sent me. It does say that the 300 mg of African mango is equivalent to 1200 mg of Irvingia Gambonensis. Now, while that is more than the amount used in African mango research, I also noticed that the Doctors Trust supplement contained 200 mg of green tea. Green tea has caffeine. The African mango research did not use any green tea. For me, that is a red flag.
Many weight loss supplements add caffeine (or green tea) to their products to try to bolster any effects it might have. The Irvingia Gambonensis research does not use green tea or caffeine or anything else. If the product really has so much Irvingia Gambonensis -which in theory should work wonders if the research is correct – why are they adding green tea/caffeine?
I did not turn up any studies one way or another that African Mango interacts with blood thinners like coumadin (warfarin) so I don’t know. That may change as more research is done. There is a little evidence that caffeine may interact with blood thinners but talk to your doctor about this for the most up to date info.
I’m very interested in taking this supplement to help me lose weight. I have shopped from Puritan’s Pride for numerous years and came across Doctors Trust African Mango Extract.
It lists Mango Irvingia gabonensis seed extract at 300 mg. per capsule. Could this be the one I am looking for? Also, many doctors are NOT familiar with this supplement. I am a bit worried that it may have harmful affects or interactions with medications such as coumadin. Would you know? Thank you for you studies and time.
Karen, IGOB131 is the extract from African mango that has been used in research. That is why I made a point of telling people about it. If this extract is not used then I am not sure if the same results would be seen as in the African mango research. Also, dont spend extra for any African mango supplement contains other stuff (green tea, acai berry, hoodia etc.). The research is on African mango alone.
Is IGOB131 and Irvingia gabonensis (seed) the same thing?
Martin, the African mango extract is obtained from the seeds If I understand it correct. As such it shouldn’t contain any significant carbs to raise blood sugar levels.
@Mary, I’m interested in finding out why your blood sugar levels would decrease. Since the plant itself is a mango, wouldn’t your sugar levels actually increase? Or do they extract it from the seeds?
Kristen, I’ve been looking also and no African mango supplement appears to mention the IGOB131 extract.
This is one of the things about African mango that makes me skeptical. Why dont the supplements use the extract that has been used in research.
At the very least look for a product that has the levels of African mango used in research. It appears to be between 350 mg to 3 grams a day.
I dont see anything unsafe about the product so it may be worth a try. if nothing else you’ll know in a month if it worked or not.
Hi Joe…I bought the African Mango at Spouts and 150 is the mg. The only other ingredient is Tocotriene Complex 350 mg. The brand is FruitrientsX. Hope this is helpful, I have just bought it so won’t begin supplement until tomorrow. Thanks for your site.
Hi Linda, Thanks for the heads up on that product. I looked up Tocotriene. It’s another name for Fructooligosaccharides (FOS). I covered FOS when I reviewed Yacon Syrup. Here is the link to that post: http://supplementclarity.com/yacon-syrup-and-weight-loss-review-of-research/
Let me know how it works for you.
I can’t find any supplement that lists IGOB131, they only say Irvingia gabonensis(seed). Have you found any thing that states otherwise?
Hi Ashley, I think IGOB131 should be listed on the African Mango supplement. I made it a point to highlight this compound because it is exactly the ingredient that has been studied in clinical research. Just taking African mango may not give the same results.
I would not recommend any African mango supplement that does not tell you how much IGOB131 it contains.
I understand this might be difficult. I have asked “supplement people” about which products contained IGOB131 and nobody has yet given me an answer unfortunately.
There are so many products out there..which one contains the most IGOB131?
Hi Mary. my guess is that it may be the fiber in African Mango but regardless I’m very glad your blood sugar levels have decreased.
Does your bottle of African Mango list the amount of IGOB131 it contains? How much African Mango is in a capsule and what brand are you using?
I have been taking African Mango for about a week now. I have only taken one in the morning at breakfast time, and I have noticed a marked decrease in my blood sugar readings. I don’t know if the African Mango has anything to do with the decrease, but at this time that is all I can attribute it to.
My bad cholesterol last year was high. The only change I made was taking African mango supplements. I’ve been taking it for about six months now and I no longer have high cholesterol. Weight loss was insignificant… Only about 7 pounds.
Helen, what was your cholesterol a year ago and what is it now?