The wonders of TV never cease to amaze me. Dr. Oz mentioned Irvingia Gabonensis (African Mango) on his show and over night it seems like 100′s of Irvingia Gabonensis websites have sprung up everywhere.
Of course, they are all claiming to have the best source of African Mango supplement and of course, the best prices. But what is it and is it worth your supplement dollar?Dr. Oz said that it was a must have supplement for your medicine cabinet and this seems awfully similar to the Oprah acai berry endorsement, but anyway, here’s the lowdown on this “magic seed”.
Irvingia Gabonensis Basics
This supplement is made from the seeds of a tree that grows in Africa and Southeast Asia called the Wild Mango, African Mango, or Bush Mango, where local populations have been using Irvingia for centuries as a paste for certain breads and a thickening agent for soups.
Nutrition
1 gram of pure Irvingia Gabonensis would contain:
- Calories- 6.97
- Protein- .085g
- Fat- .67g
- Carbs- .15g
- Fiber- .14g
- Traces of Minerals
The nutrition content can vary per species and some are better than others for their fiber content which is the component touted for weight loss.
Source: Protabase
Irvingia Gabonensis for Weight Loss
This seed’s claim to weight loss fame revolves around the results of this study involving 40 subjects, of which 28 were given 1.05 grams of Irvingia supplement daily. The other group was given a placebo. The African Mango group’s weight decreased by 2-5% at the end of the month long study, while the placebo group’s weight decreased by .4-1.3%. The Irvingia group also showed reduction in cholesterol levels
The researchers noted that the seed’s fiber content was most likely responsible for the benefits.
Conclusions
I can think of tons of whole foods that would have the same effect and would cost pennies. Have we forgot about oatmeal? I just don’t see how a small study like that would justify the amazing claims made about Irvingia and it really makes me wonder if Dr. Oz received some kind of kickback for mentioning it on his show.
Surely he’s smart enough to know that there are better fiber sources to recommend without fueling more fire to the dodgy supplement marketers.
Unfortunately, Irvingia Gabonensis gets the “Don’t Waste Your Money” endorsement from Diet Blog.
I have a friend who used african mango pure and got excellent results with it.
But, the reason I G is promoted as a weight loss supplement is because of it’s high fiber content. However, there are cheaper ways of getting the same fiber benefit in other foods.
I just wrote a blog referencing 4 supplements that really do work for weight loss, based on a report on WebMD. The 4 supplements were calcium, green tea extract, CLA and Fiber. Each works in its own way and there’s actual research to back up the effectiveness of each supplement. Of course, Irvingia Gabonensis wasn’t included in the list of supplements that work!
I work in a national chain that sells all these kinds of supplements. I actually find it annoying when all the sudden we get floods of people asking for some new product that they saw on Dr. Oz. It seems like every week he touts some new magic pill, and I don’t even watch the show! Spectra is right, if it is high in fiber then eat tons of foods that are high in fiber. This seed is probably nothing special.
I’m guessing that any food that’s high in fiber would probably have the same effect–beans, oatmeal, veggies, fruits, etc. I don’t see what’s so special about the African mango, aside from the fact that it was on the Dr. Oz show.