Weight loss enthusiasts are all abuzz about this weight loss miracle supplement. One of the newer contenders on the fat-blasting scene is called African Mango or Irvingia gabonenesis to be scientifically correct. You may remember all the hype surrounding the
Acai berry diet and how the FTC initiated a crack-down on false claims. Is African Mango for weight loss doomed to a similar fate? Or is it the real deal?
Let’s take a look. African Mango is a bright, tropical fruit that grows in Cameroon, Africa’s west-coastal rainforests. Reports tell us native villagers have turned to this tropical fruit for centuries to restore energy and stay fit. Now that the rest of the world is on to it, how does African Mango stand up under the claims? Well, it’s a bit hard to tell.
A Google search on African Mango reveals an entire first page of review sites dedicated to product promotion. Almost all of them quote a recent study published in a scientific journal called
Lipids in Health and Disease that states the extract from African Mango helped both men and women lose 12.3 pounds of body fat on average without a change in diet or exercise routine. They also lost an average of 2 inches of belly fat and their blood glucose, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were reduced.
The extract from African Mango seeds is purported to promote weight loss in the following ways:Appetite reduction. Leptin is a hormone manufactured by fat cells and is necessary for survival. It insures the body responds as it should when threatened with starvation. Overweight people have elevated blood leptin levels but not enough enters the brain to let the body know it isn’t hungry. African Mango helps restore the leptin balance.
Reduces carbohydrate absorption. African Mango inhibits the
digestive enzyme amylase so that fewer carbs are absorbed as sugar and stored as fat.
Increases adiponectin levels. Adiponectin is a hormone that impacts the regulation of blood glucose levels. Overweight people have decreased adiponectin levels and research states that African Mango can actually increase these hormone levels.
Inhibits fat-converting enzymes. Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that helps convert glucose into triglycerides, which in turn increase the size of fat cells. African Mango supposedly inhibits this action so that less glucose is converted to fat.
In other words, the results of the study suggest that African Mango can increase your metabolism and decrease your appetite. Those two facts alone make African Mango look like the Holy Grail of weight loss. But when celebrities started talking about it, and then when Dr. Oz touted the benefits on his TV show, product reviews took off like a rocket and sales went through the roof.
So, what’s the final verdict?There are plenty of testimonials from ecstatic customers that claim they’ve seen fantastic weight loss result. That may be true. However, a red flag should go up anytime you hear about substantial and sustainable weight loss in the absence of healthy eating or exercise. While supplements may give your weight loss a boost, no one can take them forever. Adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a smart diet and exercise program is the only way to nourish your body and keep it slim and fit for the long haul.
