African mango

What is African mango?

African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) is a fruit-bearing tree native to western and central Africa. Its seeds, sometimes called dika nuts, are used as a food thickener in regional cooking. Supplements use an extract of the seed kernel, which was popularized in the early 2010s as a weight-loss aid.

What the research says

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements describes a clinical trial in Cameroon in which 102 adults with overweight or obesity took 150 mg of a proprietary Irvingia extract (IGOB131) or placebo before lunch and dinner for 10 weeks. The extract group ended with lower body weight, body fat and waist size. However, the Office of Dietary Supplements also notes that the trials in this area used different methods, small samples and short durations, and were all conducted by the same authors, so larger and more diverse trials are needed.

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of five randomized trials reached a similar conclusion. Pooled results showed reductions in body weight, body fat, waist circumference and blood lipids, but four of the five trials had a high risk of bias, and the only trial rated low risk of bias did not find significant differences in its main outcomes. The authors concluded that the overall picture is limited by poor methodological quality and insufficient reporting.

There is no meaningful evidence that African mango supports blood sugar in people with normal or borderline readings, despite its frequent inclusion in blood sugar formulas.

How it’s used in supplements

Standalone products often provide 150 mg twice daily to mirror the Cameroon trial. In multi-ingredient blends, African mango is frequently present in undisclosed and probably much smaller amounts.

According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, African mango extract appears to be well tolerated, with mostly mild side effects such as headache, difficulty sleeping, flatulence and gas. Its safety has not been rigorously studied in humans, and there is a report of kidney failure in a person with chronic kidney disease. People with kidney disease, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone taking diabetes or cholesterol medicines should talk to a doctor before using it.

When you see African mango on a blood sugar label, it is worth asking why it is there. Its research, such as it is, focuses on body weight and blood lipids in people with overweight, not on glucose markers. Weight loss can improve blood sugar, but that depends on overall diet and activity rather than one extract, and the trials behind African mango are not strong enough to rely on for that purpose.