African mango has recently been marketed as a dietary supplement (related products include African mango seeds and their tea drinks), mainly extracted from its seeds, which have shown high in vitro antioxidant capacity in animal or human studies and have potential effects on weight loss, lowering blood lipids and lowering blood sugar.
In empirical medicine, does consuming African mango seeds really work? What are the benefits? Whether there are side effects of African Mango, see the article for details.
What is African Mango?
African mango (Irvingia gabonensis or African mango) is a plant belonging to the bud family, it is also known as wild mango, or shrub mango, mainly distributed in Africa, the fruit is spherical and when ripe with smooth yellow fiber mesocarp and hard endocarp.
The fruit of African mango is edible, and their use in traditional medicine has been shown to treat gastrointestinal or liver diseases, diarrhea, and infections.
Seeds are particularly valued because they are rich in dietary fiber, fat and protein, and are often used in food, beverages, medicine and cosmetics, where consumption of dried African mango seeds is common in West African countries (especially Nigeria and Cameroon) and has been part of the local diet for centuries.
What are the benefits of African mango?
1. African mango seeds help with weight loss
Obesity refers to abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue, resulting in impaired health, with numerous comorbidities including: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, certain cancers (endometrial, breast, prostate, colon), gout, acid reflux, osteoarthritis and infertility.
In addition, obesity may be a manifestation of other diseases, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, and certain hypothalamic disorders.
A systematic review (including 3 randomized controlled trials) pointed out that African mango seed extract significantly reduced body weight, waist circumference, and improved blood lipid markers compared with placebo, and related adverse events included headache and sleep difficulties. Note 1
*Conclusion: Oral administration of African mango seed extract may have weight loss effects, but more studies are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety due to the small sample size of the included studies, low methodological quality, large dose differences, short intervention period, and single ethnic background
2. African mango seeds are beneficial for diabetes and regulate blood sugar
Type 2 diabetes remains the leading cause of cardiovascular disease, blindness, end-stage renal failure, amputation and hospitalization.
It has also been linked to an increased risk of cancer, severe mental illness, cognitive decline, chronic liver disease, accelerated arthritis, and other disabling or fatal diseases.
Therefore, effective blood glucose monitoring has always been considered the basis of diabetes care, and average blood glucose is directly related to the occurrence and development of chronic diabetes complications.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (90-day trial of 24 patients with metabolic syndrome) showed that oral African mango seed extract (150 mg twice daily) improved blood glucose and area under the mean glucose curve (as measured by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)). Note 2
*Conclusion: Oral African mango seed extract may be helpful in regulating blood glucose, but limited by small sample sizes, more large studies are needed to support this
3. African mango seeds improve blood lipids and lower cholesterol
Dyslipidemia, defined as abnormal serum cholesterol or triglyceride levels, predicts an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction and stroke, and is the main driver of these changes.
Studies have shown that a 10 mg/dL increase in total cholesterol is associated with a 5% increase in overall mortality and 9% in cardiovascular mortality.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (4 weeks, 40 obese patients) showed that oral administration of African mango seed extract significantly reduced total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL-cholesterol. Note 3
*Conclusion: Oral African mango seed extract may be helpful in improving blood lipids, but more studies are needed to support this due to small sample sizes
4. African mango seeds regulate blood pressure
High blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, with about 54% of strokes and 47% of coronary heart disease worldwide caused by high blood pressure and is the leading cause of death.
Between the ages of 40 and 69, every 20 mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure more than doubles the baseline mortality rate from cardiovascular disease.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (4 weeks in 40 obese patients) reported that oral administration of African mango seed extract had a systolic blood pressure effect. Note 4
*Conclusion: Oral administration of African mango seed extract may help regulate blood pressure, but more studies are needed to support this due to small sample sizes
What are the side effects of African mangoes?
African mango seed extract is safe for healthy adults to consume in appropriate doses, but possible side effects or adverse effects have been reported as dry mouth, flatulence, headache, flu-like symptoms, and sleep disturbances.
Safety precautions (5 contraindications to use)
1. Do not use if you are pregnant, lactating women, minor children, and those with poor liver and kidney function (because the relevant safety is still unknown)
2. Do not use if you have been allergic to mango (may induce allergic reactions)
3. Do not use in combination with drugs (because African mango can delay gastrointestinal emptying, which may affect the efficacy of drugs)
4. Do not use for diabetics or those taking related hypoglycemic drugs (because African mango has a hypoglycemic effect, it may cause hypoglycemia)
5. Discontinue use 2 weeks before surgery (as it may affect blood sugar control during surgery)
Where can I buy the highest quality African mango that is recommended by most people?
| Paradise Herbs, African Mango, 60 Vegetarian Capsules (Direct shipping from the United States / Worldwide delivery) |
Product Features： Paradise Herbs is a high-quality herbal health brand originating in the United States Using vegetable fiber capsules, vegetarian options are available No artificial excipients added, reducing the chance of sensitization The unique active extract (10:1 ratio, equivalent to 1,500 mg of seeds), in addition to containing 7% albumins, also retains all the natural components of the plant intact for optimal synergy | |
