Cissus

Irvingia gabonensis is the latest supplement to hit the market and the loss of weight, to saturate the Internet with ads and light discussion forums. But is it is cracked up to be? In the market the loss of fat, which can earn the dubious distinction of being the next or hoodia acai berry (fraud).

Irvingia comes from a tree in West Africa known as the mango wild mango. The trees bear edible fruit, and they are well known for their nut Dika. Like other nuts and seeds, Irvingia is rich in fat (50%), and oil can be extracted. Irvingia also contains 14% fiber. Dietary fiber is often recommended to help weight loss and for their health benefits.

Due to its customary use in African cuisine and popular reputation as a health food, a research group from Cameroon (West Africa) set up a randomized double-blind in 2005 to see if could Irvingia help you lose weight. 40 obese subjects were divided into experimental and placebo groups. The experimental group received 1.05 grams of seeds of Irvingia extract 3 times daily (total 3.15 g) for 30 days.

The subjects were examined and tested weekly for body weight, body fat and waist hip /. Blood pressure was measured and blood samples were also collected after an overnight fast and tested for total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol and glucose. Subjects were interviewed about their physical activity and dietary intake during the trial and were asked to follow a low fat diet of 1,800 calories per day and keep a register of food for seven days.

At the end of the 30-day trial, the group had lost an average of 5.26 Irvingia kilograms (11.5 pounds) and the placebo group had lost only 1.32 kilograms (2.9 pounds). The group receiving Irvingia also experienced a decrease in systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol increased.

It was the first study that suggested a benefit of weight loss of Irvingia. Why Irvingia group lose more weight? It is not clear, but in studies of subjects living in freedom, increased weight loss often means that the experimental group ate less, not necessarily a direct effect on metabolism, hormones or physiology .

In March 2008, the same research group published the results of their second study on Irvingia and weight loss. This time, Irvingia was combined with Cissus quadrangularis, succulent vine native West Africa and South Asia. 72 subjects were divided into three groups: placebo, Cissus extract only (150 mg 2x / day) and Cissus-Irvingia combination (250 mg combined Cissus-Irvingia 2x/day).

All the same tests and measurements were taken as in the 2005 study. After 10 weeks, improvements were observed in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and fasting glucose. The placebo group lost 2.1 kg (4.6 lb), the group lost 8.82 kg Cissus (19.4 lbs) and the group Cissus-Irvingia lost 11.86 kg (26.1 lbs).

Allocation of 26 pounds lost in 10 weeks of extra fiber is very unlikely, even impossible, so the researchers (Oben and Ngondi) thought there was something else happens. They suggested that PPAR gamma, leptin, adiponectin or glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase could all be potential mechanisms by which Irvingia could affect body weight in obese humans.

They have created another 10 weeks randomized double-blind placebo-cons, to investigate these possibilities. 120 subjects were divided into two groups: a placebo group and a group of Irvingia gabonensis, who received 150 mg of extract of Irvingia gabonensis twice a day.

Again, total and LDL cholesterol decreased more in group Irvingia than the placebo group (27% vs 4.8%). In group Irvingia, body fat decreased by 6.3% against 1.9% in the placebo group. Weight loss of 12.8 kg (28.1) pounds in Irv.