New topic of weight loss: African mango seed extract is actually...

Smiling Pharmacist Network has recently written about many new ingredients related to weight loss, and has also been consulted about many popular weight loss foods. Among them, the most frequently asked question is "African mango seed extract". Smile searched for related research this week and would like to share with you the results of empirical research on African mango extract.

1. What is African mango?

As the name suggests, African mango is produced in western Africa. It is also called bush mango. It is different from other types of mangoes and is very different from the mangoes we eat in Taiwan every summer. The active ingredients extracted from the seeds of African mango have been widely used by local villagers, with certain results in suppressing diet and reducing appetite.

In terms of ingredient composition, African mango seeds contain about 10.9% protein, 64.2% fatty acids, 15.2% carbohydrates, and 3.4% fiber. It can be seen that fatty acids account for the majority, of which 86.5% are saturated fatty acids (mostly medium-chain fatty acids), 6.9% are monounsaturated fatty acids, and 3% are free fatty acids. As for other active ingredients, there is nothing special that is not found in other plants.

In vitro studies have found that African mango seed extract can inhibit adipogenesis by regulating PPARγ and glycerol-3 phosphate dehydrogenase, and adjust the effects of leptin and adiponectin to affect body fat, but it is still unclear which component is responsible for this effect.

2. Human Evidence

A randomized double-blind study in 2005 found that taking 1.05 grams of African mango seed extract before each of the three meals for one month can reduce body weight/waist circumference, body fat, blood cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, indicating that African mango seed extract may have the potential to reduce fat and weight. However, the study design was not rigorous enough, which reduces the credibility of the results.

African mango extract may have weight loss and cholesterol-lowering benefits, according to research sponsored by the ingredient provider. A randomized, double-blind study published in Lipids in Health and Disease in 2009 recruited 102 healthy, overweight and/or obese volunteers and randomly divided them into two groups. A double-blind trial was conducted for 10 weeks, with either 150 mg of African mango seed extract (IGOB131) or an equal amount of placebo taken 30-60 minutes before lunch and dinner each day. The subjects' physical examination results and changes in metabolic parameters at 0, 4, 8 and 10 weeks were analyzed, including fasting blood lipids, blood glucose, C-reactive protein, adiponectin and leptin. The results of the study found that after 10 weeks, the group taking the extract had significantly reduced weight and improved waist circumference compared to the placebo group.

Additionally, the group taking the extract experienced a greater reduction in body fat (6.3%) compared to the group taking the placebo (1.9%). Initially, the two groups had similar baseline serum lipid values. As the study progressed, significant differences began to be observed between the two groups, with the extract group gradually showing greater improvements. At 10 weeks, significant differences were observed in total cholesterol (placebo group: 142.5 mg/dl vs. extract group: 111.9 mg/dl) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (placebo group: 77.7 mg/dl vs. extract group: 59.77 mg/dl). Compared with baseline values, total cholesterol levels decreased by 1.9% in the placebo group, compared with 26.2% in the extract group, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels decreased by 4.8% in the placebo group, compared with 27.3% in the extract group.

The researchers concluded: "Administration of 150 mg of African mango seed extract twice daily before meals to overweight and/or obese volunteers helps improve body weight and various parameters of metabolic syndrome. These clinical results echo previous publications on the gene expression of African mango seed extract regulating lipid metabolism pathways. However, since this study was sponsored by the African mango extract raw material manufacturer, the fairness of the evidence remains to be verified.

Currently, there is very limited literature on the use of African mango for weight loss and fat reduction. Some research designs are not rigorous enough, and some are based on manufacturer endorsements to influence impartiality. Therefore, there is not enough research to confirm the weight loss benefits of African mango seed extract. More rigorous research is still needed to confirm its effectiveness.

3. Positioning

The literature on the use of African mango seed extract for weight loss/fat reduction is quite limited, and it is still unclear which active ingredient has the potential weight loss benefit. Instead of taking African mango seed extract, choose other weight loss ingredients with more complete research data.

This article comes from: Smiling Pharmacist Network

※For more information, please visit "Smiling Pharmacist Network"