Home Ingredients African Mango Seed Extract (Irvingia gabonensis)
Weight ManagementMetabolic Health

African Mango Seed Extract (Irvingia gabonensis)

Irvingia gabonensis
Evidence Level
Preliminary
1 Clinical Trial
3 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) is a West African tree whose seed, the dika nut, is traditionally used as a food thickener and is now sold as a concentrated extract for weight management. Note that no product branded MangoSelect has been tested for weight: that trademark belongs to Fytexia and covers a mangosteen extract sold for joint comfort. The evidence is weaker than the marketing suggests. In the systematic review cited here, four of the five randomized trials were rated high risk of bias, and the one trial rated low risk of bias found no significant effect on body weight or waist size.

Studied Dose Commonly 150 mg twice daily before meals, the regimen used in two of the five trials. The review reports daily doses across the trials ranging from 300 mg to 1,050 mg, and no dose has been shown to work in a low risk of bias trial.
Active Compound Irvingia gabonensis (African mango) seed extract. The branded extract used in several of the trials, IGOB131, is standardized to plant albumin and ellagic acid rather than to fiber.

Benefits

Weight and waist support

Pooling all five randomized trials, a 2020 systematic review found lower body weight and waist circumference with African mango seed extract. But four of those five trials were rated high risk of bias, and the one trial rated low risk of bias found no significant difference in body weight, waist circumference or fat mass. The positive pooled result therefore rests on the weaker studies.

Supported by Trial 1

Appetite and fullness

None of the trials behind this page measured appetite, fullness or food intake, so this is not something the evidence supports. The doses studied are also far below the several grams of fiber used in satiety research.

Supported by Trial 1

Metabolic markers

Pooled across the trials, total cholesterol and LDL were lower with African mango, but the trials disagreed with each other so strongly that the pooled figures are hard to interpret. In the one low risk of bias trial, in adults with metabolic syndrome, cholesterol did not change significantly, and the HDL and triglyceride results were trends whose confidence intervals crossed zero.

Supported by Trial 1

Mechanism of action

1

Fat metabolism rather than fiber

Whole dika nut is fiber rich, and early work assumed fiber explained the effects. The concentrated extract sold today is standardized to plant albumin and ellagic acid, and researchers now propose effects on fat breakdown and fat synthesis instead. Neither mechanism has been confirmed in people.

2

Adipokine signaling

One trial reported large changes in leptin and adiponectin. That trial was part funded by the company that supplied the extract, and it was rated high risk of bias. The review cited on this page does not analyze these hormones, and no low risk of bias trial has measured them.

Clinical trials

1
African Mango and Body Composition: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
PubMed

Systematic review and meta-analysis of Irvingia gabonensis seed extract on anthropometric and cardiovascular outcomes. (Lee et al. 2020, Journal of the American College of Nutrition)

Five randomized trials: four in Cameroon in adults with overweight or obesity, and one in Mexico in adults with metabolic syndrome. Three of the five came from the same laboratory. The review's authors note the participants were mainly of African ethnicity, which limits how far the findings carry.

Pooled across the five trials, body weight fell by about 9 percent and waist circumference by about 8 percent relative to placebo, with benefits also reported for cholesterol. The caveat matters more than the headline: four of the five trials were rated high risk of bias, and the only trial rated low risk of bias found no significant difference in weight, waist, fat mass or cholesterol. One of the five tested African mango combined with Cissus quadrangularis, so its result cannot be credited to African mango alone. The authors concluded that efficacy seems positive but is limited by poor methodological quality and insufficient reporting, and that further high quality trials are needed.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

Reported side effects in the trials were minor, but the trials were small, short and poorly reported, so this is weak reassurance.
Mild gas, headache, or sleep difficulty have been reported.
The review cited here notes that Korea's national evidence agency listed chronic renal failure and liver toxicity among adverse effects reported for Irvingia gabonensis seed extract supplements. None of the five short trials reported events like these. Anyone with liver or kidney problems, and anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, should not use it without medical advice.

Important Drug interactions

Diabetes medication — may affect blood sugar; monitor.
Space it a couple of hours away from other medications to be safe.
Tell your doctor if you manage blood sugar with medication.

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Frequently asked questions about African Mango Seed Extract (Irvingia gabonensis)

What is African Mango Seed Extract?

African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) is a West African tree whose seed, the dika nut, is traditionally used as a food thickener and is now sold as a concentrated extract for weight management.

What is African Mango Seed Extract used for?

African Mango Seed Extract is researched primarily for Weight Management and Metabolic Health. Pooling all five randomized trials, a 2020 systematic review found lower body weight and waist circumference with African mango seed extract.

What is the recommended dosage of African Mango Seed Extract?

The clinically studied dose is Commonly 150 mg twice daily before meals, the regimen used in two of the five trials. The review reports daily doses across the trials ranging from 300 mg to 1,050 mg, and no dose has been shown to work in a low risk of bias trial. Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is African Mango Seed Extract safe, and does it have side effects?

For most healthy adults, African Mango Seed Extract is well tolerated at studied doses. Reported effects can include: Reported side effects in the trials were minor, but the trials were small, short and poorly reported, so this is weak reassurance. Mild gas, headache, or sleep difficulty have been reported. It may also interact with some medications. African Mango Seed Extract is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does African Mango Seed Extract interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: Diabetes medication — may affect blood sugar; monitor. Space it a couple of hours away from other medications to be safe. If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for African Mango Seed Extract?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for African Mango Seed Extract as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 1 clinical trial and 1 cited reference summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(1 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. Lee J, Chung M, Fu Z, et al. The Effects of Irvingia gabonensis Seed Extract Supplementation on Anthropometric and Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Am Coll Nutr. 2020;39(5):388-396..PubMedUsed to support: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Pooled results favored African mango for weight, waist and cholesterol, but four of five trials were high risk of bias and the single low risk of bias trial was null.