African Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) has become popular in recent years as a dietary supplement marketed for weight loss and metabolic health, including metabolic syndrome. The scientific evidence supporting its use is limited but does exist, primarily from small randomized controlled trials and animal studies. Several studies have reported that African Mango seed extract may modestly improve body weight, waist circumference, and some markers of metabolic syndrome such as blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. For example, a 2009 randomized controlled trial published in Lipids in Health and Disease found that supplementation with Irvingia gabonensis extract led to significant improvements in body weight, body fat, and plasma lipid levels compared to placebo over a 10-week period. However, these studies are typically small (often <100 participants), of short duration, and sometimes sponsored by manufacturers of the supplement, raising concerns about bias.

Mechanistically, African Mango is thought to influence adipogenesis, leptin regulation, and insulin sensitivity, but these effects have mostly been demonstrated in vitro or in animals. There is still insufficient high-quality, long-term clinical data to conclusively recommend African Mango for the management of metabolic syndrome. It is not widely used in traditional African medicine specifically for metabolic syndrome, but rather as a food source and for other folk medicinal uses. Overall, while there is some scientific evidence, it is preliminary, and larger independent trials are needed.