An extract derived from a West African mango may help overweight people shed pounds and lower their cholesterol, say researchers from the University of Yaounde in Cameroon.
For this new study, 102 overweight adults were asked to take either the mango extract or a placebo twice a day for 10 weeks. No changes to diet or exercise habits were made.
By the end of the study, the extract group had lost a significant amount of weight - an average of 28 pounds - while the placebo group showed no significant change.
Moreover, those taking the extract showed declines in "bad" LDL cholesterol and blood sugar levels which were not seen in the placebo group.
The extract comes from Irvingia gabonensis, also known as African mango, a fruit commonly eaten in West Africa. It's thought that the plant's seeds may inhibit body fat production.
These findings were published in the March 2009 issue of the online journal Lipids in Health and Disease.
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