African Mango
Summary
African mango seed extract produced large weight losses in a few small trials from one Cameroonian group, but reviews rate them poorly reported or at high risk of bias. The only low-risk-of-bias trial found no significant difference, and a 2022 Thai trial found no metabolic benefit (grade D). It appears well tolerated short term.
Key facts
- Seed kernel extract of the African bush mango tree; IGOB131 is the most-studied branded extract[1][3]
- Body weight and waist size: favorable but low-quality trials (D); metabolism and inflammation in a newer trial: no difference (D)[3][4][6][8]
- None set; African mango is a botanical, not a nutrient[1]
- None established in our sources[1]
- 4 graded human outcomes on this page
- October 10, 2026
How it works
ProposedSeed extract inhibited fat-cell formation in lab studies, and the IGOB131 trial reported lower leptin and higher adiponectin. These are proposed pathways; none has been confirmed to cause weight loss in well-controlled human trials.[1][3]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
At a glance: strongest evidence per outcome
| Outcome | Grade | Effect | Strongest evidence | Rows |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 102 · 2009 | 3 rows |
| Metabolic syndrome | Grade D | Improved | RCT · n = 24 · 2018 | 1 row |
Every graded row
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body weight, body fat, waist size and blood lipids | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 102 · 2009 Adults with overweight or obesity, BMI >25 (Cameroon) Form: IGOB131 seed extract · Dose: 150 mg twice daily before meals (300 mg/day) · Duration: 10 weeks Body weight, body fat, waist circumference, total and LDL cholesterol, blood glucose, C-reactive protein and leptin improved versus placebo, and adiponectin rose. | 19254366 (opens PubMed)Source [3] |
| Metabolism, inflammation and aerobic capacity | No effect | Grade D | RCT · n = 69 · 2022 Women with overweight or obesity, BMI 23–29 (Thailand) Form: Irvingia gabonensis kernel extract · Dose: 300 mg/day · Duration: 12 weeks No between-group differences in metabolism, inflammation, telomere length or aerobic capacity; plasma vitamin C and early adiponectin rose versus placebo. | 36364907 (opens PubMed)Source [6] |
| Body weight and blood lipids | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 40 · 2005 Adults with obesity, mean age 42 (Cameroon) Form: Irvingia gabonensis seed · Dose: 1.05 g three times daily (3.15 g/day) · Duration: 1 month Body weight fell 5.26% versus 1.32% on placebo, with lower total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and higher HDL. | 15916709 (opens PubMed)Source [4] |
| Metabolic syndrome components and insulin sensitivity | Improved | Grade D | RCT · n = 24 · 2018 Adults with metabolic syndrome (Mexico) Form: Irvingia gabonensis extract · Dose: 150 mg twice daily (300 mg/day) · Duration: 90 days Within the extract group, waist size, 90- and 120-minute glucose, triglycerides and VLDL fell; 7 of 12 had remission of metabolic syndrome versus 2 of 12 on placebo. | 29336718 (opens PubMed)Source [5] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IGOB131 (standardized seed kernel extract) | Varies[1][3][7] | No human absorption data in our sources.[3] | Mild side effects such as headache and trouble sleeping; rats showed no adverse effects at up to 2,500 mg/kg/day for 90 days.[1][7] | Cameroon weight trial (300 mg/day) |
| Ground seed or crude seed preparation | Varies[4] | No human absorption data in our sources.[4] | The trial abstract does not report adverse events.[4] | Early Cameroon trial (3.15 g/day) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from 300 mg/day of IGOB131 or similar extracts to 3,150 mg/day of seed, for 4 to 13 weeks. Most products follow the 150 mg twice-daily IGOB131 regimen.[3][4][5][6]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Medicines
- Medications generallyNIH fact sheetNo interactions are documented in our sources; supplements sold for weight loss often contain other ingredients, so check the full label with your pharmacist.[1]
Who should be careful
- Chronic kidney disease
- A published case describes a 42-year-old with chronic kidney disease who became dialysis-dependent after 2.5 months of African mango use.[9][1]
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- No human safety data in our sources.[1]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
Safety
Short-term use appears well tolerated, but human safety has not been rigorously studied.
- Side effects
- Most reported adverse effects are mild: headache, difficulty sleeping, flatulence and gas.[1][2]
- Kidneys
- One case of kidney failure in a patient with existing chronic kidney disease has been linked to African mango.[9]
- Animal toxicology
- A 90-day rat study found no adverse effects at doses up to 2,500 mg/kg/day and no genotoxicity.[7]
How to read the label
- Label dose vs clinical doseMost labels give 150 mg per capsule taken twice daily, matching the IGOB131 trial. The early seed trial used about 10 times more (3.15 g/day).[3][4]
- BlendsMany "African mango" products add green tea, caffeine or other herbs; those combinations were not tested in the trials above.[1]
- Extract vs seedIGOB131 is a specific extract; generic seed powder is a different product.[3][4]
Cost per studied dose, without the sales pitch
Compare any product you already have by the amount it delivers, not by capsule count or front-of-pack weight.
Cost per studied dose
Enter the price, servings and the amount per serving from your label.
Frequently asked questions
Does African mango help you lose weight?
Small trials from one research group reported large losses, but a 2020 meta-analysis found the only low-risk-of-bias trial was not significant. The evidence is weak.[8][2]
How much African mango is used in studies?
150 mg of IGOB131 extract twice daily (300 mg/day) in most trials; one early trial used 3.15 g/day of seed.[3][4]
Is African mango safe?
It appears well tolerated short term, with mild headache, sleep trouble and gas reported. Human safety has not been rigorously studied.[1]
Is African mango safe for people with kidney disease?
There is one case of kidney failure in a person with chronic kidney disease; talk with your nephrologist first.[9]
Sources
- [1]Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals (updated May 18, 2022). NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, 2022. fact-sheet
- [2]The efficacy of Irvingia gabonensis supplementation in the management of overweight and obesity: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.. J Diet Suppl, 2013. systematic-review
- [3]IGOB131, a novel seed extract of the West African plant Irvingia gabonensis, significantly reduces body weight and improves metabolic parameters in overweight humans in a randomized double-blind placebo controlled investigation.. Lipids Health Dis, 2009. RCT
- [4]The effect of Irvingia gabonensis seeds on body weight and blood lipids of obese subjects in Cameroon.. Lipids Health Dis, 2005. RCT
- [5]Effect of Irvingia gabonensis on Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Sensitivity, and Insulin Secretion.. J Med Food, 2018. RCT
- [6]Effects of Irvingia gabonensis Extract on Metabolism, Antioxidants, Adipocytokines, Telomere Length, and Aerobic Capacity in Overweight/Obese Individuals.. Nutrients, 2022. RCT
- [7]Subchronic toxicity and mutagenicity/genotoxicity studies of Irvingia gabonensis extract (IGOB131).. Food Chem Toxicol, 2012. animal-study
- [8]The Effects of Irvingia gabonensis Seed Extract Supplementation on Anthropometric and Cardiovascular Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. J Am Coll Nutr, 2020. meta-analysis
- [9]A case of renal failure developing in association with African mango consumption.. Int J Clin Exp Med, 2015. observational
What changed
- First draft. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title and year taken from the record) and abstracts read for the cited rows.
- Adversarial review pass: every evidence row re-read against its PubMed abstract; the 2018 metabolic-syndrome results are labelled as within-group changes. Funding taken from PMC2651880 (Gateway Health Alliances) and PMC9656030 (Blackmores; 69 randomized, 66 completed). The 2013 systematic review and 2020 meta-analysis abstracts give no pooled participant count, so they appear in insights and FAQ, not as evidence rows. Efficacy and safety framing checked against the NIH ODS weight-loss fact sheet (opened 2026-10-10, updated May 18, 2022). Retraction, expression-of-concern and erratum check run on all 8 PMIDs: none flagged. Page set indexable.