The effect of Irvingia gabonensis seeds on body weight and blood lipids of obese subjects in Cameroon said:
The soluble fibre of the seed of Irvingia gabonensis like other forms of water-soluble dietary fibres, are "bulk-forming" laxatives. Irvingia gabonensis seeds delay stomach emptying, leading to a more gradual absorption of dietary sugar. This effect can reduce the elevation of blood sugar levels that is typical after a meal [4]. Controlled studies have found that after-meal blood sugar levels are lower in people with diabetes given glucomannan in their food [5] and overall diabetic control is improved with soluble fibre-enriched diets according to preliminary [6] and controlled [7,8] trials. One double-blind study reported that glucomannan (8–13 grams per day) stabilized blood sugar levels in people with the insulin resistance syndrome [9]. Like other soluble fibers, Irvingia gabonensis seed fibre can bind to bile acids in the gut and carry them out of the body in the faeces, which requires the body to convert more cholesterol into bile acids [10]. This can result in the lowering of blood cholesterol as well as other blood lipids. Controlled double-blind [11,12] studies have shown that supplementation with several grams per day of soluble fibre significantly reduced total blood cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides and in some cases raised HDL cholesterol, these being comparable with effects noticed with Irvingia gabonensis.
