The next new kid on the block in the weight loss dietary supplement industry is Irvingia Gabonesis. Irvingia Gabonesis is the name of the West African wild mango or bush mango. The trees which the mangos grow on not only bear edlble fruits but a nuts called dika nuts. The Irvingia is high in fat and fiber. The extract of it's seed has been patented for use in weight, blood glucose, and lipid management. Currently, the company, Life Extension is the only authorized supplier.

In combination with a healthy diet and exercise, Irvingia promotes weight management in four different ways.

• It supports the sensitivity of leptin. Leptin is a hormone produced in the fat cells of the body, and it regulates body weight through interaction with the hypthalamus. By working on specific neurons within the hypothalamus, it aids in appetite regulation. When these neurons are stimulated, a signal is sent to the body that it is no longer hungry, and it is time to stop eating.
• It supports healthy levels of adiponectin. Adiponectin is an another hormone produced in the fat cells. It helps regulate glucose and aids in processing fatty acids. Furthermore, this hormone works in conjunction with leptin to regulate body weight.
• It influences the activity of glycerol-3-phosphate. Fat storage in the body is depedant upon the action of blood sugar, insulin, and glycerol-3-phosphate. Fat comes in two forms: fatty acids and triglycerides. Fatty acids circulate in the bloodstream and act as fuel for the body whereas triglycerides are stored as fat in the fat cell. While fatty acids are small enough molecules to flow in and out of fat cells, triglycerides are larger and locked into fat cells. When glycerol-3-phospate is present, fatty acids are stored as triglycerides.
• It reduces the caloric impact of carbohydrates and delays the rise post-meal blood sugar levels through the its effect on the amylase enzyme. Amylase is found in the saliva, and it is an ezyme that breaks down starch into sugar.

Therefore, in more easy-to-understand language, Irvingia Gabonesis decreases the appetite, decreases the amount of fat stored, improves insulin sensitivity, and consequently improves weight loss.

Because of Irvingias customary use and it's reputation as a folk health food, in 2005, researchers at Cameroon did a random study of 40 obese adults. The adults were divided into two groups. One group took 1.05 grams of the extract three times a day for 30 days while the other group took a placebo. Participants were instructed to follow an 1,800 calorie diet and record what they ate. At the end of the study, the group taking the extract lost an average of 11.5 pounds while the placebo group only lost 2.9 pounds. Furthermore, there was a decrease in systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol while the HDL cholesterol rose.

After the initial study, another study was done by the same group. Unlike the first study, this time they combined Irvingia with Cissus Quandrangularis. Cissus is a native vine in West Africa and Asia. After looking up information on Cissus, supposedly, it is used for helping broken bones and tendons heal faster and reducing pain and inflammation. Therefore, I am not sure why those chose this plant to combine with Irvingia.

Anyway, they divided 72 particpants into three groups. One group took 150 mg. of Cissus twice a day. One group took a 250 mg. combination of Cissus and Irvingia. Another group took a placebo.The same parameters were used for this study. After 10 weeks, the placebo group lost 4.6 pounds, the Cissus-Irvingia group lost 19.4 pounds, and the Irvingia group lost 26.1 pounds. Again, total cholesterol jand LDL cholesterol decreased more in the Irvingia group.

In March 2008, a similar but larger study was done by the same group. Published in the online journal Lipids in Health and Disease, researchers did a study with 102 overweight adult at the University of Yaounde at Cameroon. Randomly divided into two groups, one group took 150 mg. capsules of the plant extract twice a day for ten weeks while the other group took a placebo. No special diet was maintained and particpants were told to maintain their normal exercise levels. At the end of the study, the group taking the extract lost an average of 28 pounds and 6.7 inches on their waistlines while the placebo group only lost 1.5 pounds. In addition to losing weight, the group that took the extract also had lower bad or LDL cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels. During the study, some participants taking the extract reported headaches, sleep problems, and gas; however, the placebo group also had similar rates.

Before getting to excited about these studies, one comment needs to be noted. All three studies were done by the same company which markets the product now. Secondly, the studies were not controlled since particpants self-reported the food they ate. Furthermore, in the second study, I find it unusual that the placebo group lost an average of 4.6 pounds when their diet and activities levels supposedly did not change.

In light of the research, Irvingia shows great promise as a weight loss dietary supplement. However, for the results to be more conclusive, a controlled study should probably be done by a different research team. In October of 2008, Life Extension marketed a weight loss product using the extract. Although it is the only authorized supplier of the patented Integra-Lean extract (IGOB131), other products of the extract have emerged on the market without clinical validation. Therefore, some of the same problems may develop that happened with Hoodia. Since dietary supplements are not regulated in the same way as prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs by the FDA, inferior products might start showing up in the U.S. market.