7 Health Benefits of African Mango

African mango seeds include a variety of vitamins and minerals. (Image via Pexels/Ron Lach)
African mango seeds include a variety of vitamins and minerals. (Image via Pexels/Ron Lach)

African tribes have historically used the natural fruit known as the African mango (Irvingia gabonensis) in traditional medicine. Typically, the plant's leaves, roots, bark, and fruit are all used.

People consume the fruit's flesh in the regions where it grows (primarily in Central and West Africa).

The fruit seeds include various vitamins, minerals, robust fiber, and healthy fatty acids. The seeds have been extracted in recent years and sold as a nutritional and weight-loss supplement.

The African mango may also be advertised under the labels dika nut, bush mango, and wild mango. The pulp and seeds of the fruit are used to flavor traditional soups, sauces, juices, wines, jams, and jellies in Nigerian and Cameroonian cuisine. Its pulp is rich in antioxidants like carotenes and vitamin C, like many tropical fruits.


Why Include African Mango in Your Diet?

Despite being relatively new to the West, it has long been consumed and utilised medicinally in Africa.

African mango supplements have been demonstrated in recent research to aid in weight loss, decrease cholesterol, and enhance diabetic control.

Here is a list of the benefits offered by the fruit:

1) Boosts metabolism

The pace at which body fat is burned is known as the metabolic rate. Slow metabolism is common in obese people, which causes fat to build up over time. However, adiponectin, a hormone produced by fat cells in the body, is crucial in controlling the body's metabolic rate.

Adiponectin levels have been shown to rise in response to African mango extract. The body burns fat more quickly as a result of increased metabolic activity. The body starts to lose weight as soon as the number of calories burned exceeds the number of calories absorbed.

2) Manage cholesterol levels

Researchers discovered that Irvingia gabonensis supplementation had a favourable impact on participants' blood lipid profiles in a systematic evaluation of randomised controlled trials of African mangoes.

Another study revealed that the fruit's high soluble fiber content might lower plasma cholesterol and triglycerides.

Early studies suggest that giving type 2 diabetics Irvingia gabonensis orally for a month lowers blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglycerides while raising "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.

3) Supplies energy

African mangoes are loaded with nutrients. It gives the body the nutrition it needs to stay energetic and flexible throughout the day.

When someone is feeling energised, they engage in frequent exercise to avoid inactive behaviours. A healthy body weight is based on changing one's lifestyle behaviours.

4) Suppresses appetite

Weight increase is directly correlated with calorie intake. Additionally, the body's leptin hormone levels regulate our hunger. The leptin hormone, which tells the brain when to quit eating, is less sensitive in obese people.

As a result, obese individuals eat far more than what their bodies actually need. However, African mango extract aids in the production and control of leptin, which reduces appetite.

5) Keep your stomach full

High levels of soluble fiber can be found in the African mango extract. The fiber takes a while to leave the stomach and postpones stomach emptying, which reduces hunger. When calorie intake is reduced, the body uses its fat reserves as a source of energy, which causes weight loss.

6) Thermogenesis

Through thermogenesis, African mango extract promotes fat burning in the body. The body's internal temperature rises during the process of thermogenesis. As a result, more body fat is burned off without reducing strength and muscular mass.

7) Weight management

The market offers powdered, liquid, and capsule forms of African mango supplements for weight loss. The fruit extract is a great weight loss supplement because of its nutritious qualities. The fruit's flesh, not its seed, is often consumed.

However, scientists have discovered that the apparently potent compounds that aid in belly fat loss and waistline reduction are contained in the seeds of the fruit.


Key Takeaway

The African mango extract, which has become a new weight-loss mantra, is what makes it so popular. The product promises to make it simple to lose those extra pounds and is packed with nutrients. However, using the fruit for weight loss does have certain adverse effects, just like any other weight loss pill. Therefore, it is crucial to speak with your doctor before using it.

Before recommending supplements, nutritionists say more research is required. There is no magic drug that will make the pounds disappear. The IG extract contains a lot of fiber, just like many meals, which can help you feel full and aid in weight loss, lowering blood cholesterol, and maintaining blood sugar levels.

Proper food and exercise are tried-and-true ways to lose weight and improve overall health instead of relying on supplements.

Edited by Piyush Bisht
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