Herbal pill helps lose weight naturally--study

An intriguing new study found that simply taking a herbal pill can curb appetite, take the edge off cravings and reduce the overall calorie intake in healthy to overweight people.

The herbal supplement, Zotrim, contains compounds such as Guarana which helps to suppress the appetite and aid in fat burning, Yerba Mate which enhances energy levels and Damiana which helps to minimize bacteria within the body.

Moreover, the diet pill can stop the cravings for desserts in those with a sweet tooth.

It is easily available at the chemists/supermarkets and costs around £21.95 for a month's supply of 180 tablets.

The working process of Zotrim
According to Dr Lasse Hessel, the inventor of Zotrim, the pill 'helps people cheat on their own stomach.’

The mechanism behind the working of the product is that it makes the user feel fuller for a longer period while simultaneously delaying the rate at which the stomach empties by nearly 20 minutes.

Additionally, the process is not hazardous because it just extends the length of time taken to digest food.

58 healthy to slightly overweight women examined
In an effort to collect concrete proof to support the effectiveness of Zotrim, the researchers enrolled a group of 58 healthy to slightly overweight women for the study.

The participants were divided into two groups, one that took the pill in the morning before breakfast and the other that was assigned a placebo.

They were then invited to eat what they could at a buffet lunch.

Observations by researchers
The investigators noted the women reacted differently to food in front of them.

The slimming aid slashed the calorie consumption by an average of 132 calories at one sitting.

Moreover, nearly a quarter of the participants exhibited a drop in their selection of sweets and chose lower fat foods when taking Zotrim.

The women in the herbal pill group ended up finishing their meal three minutes earlier, indicating they were satiated faster.

Additionally they ate less, exhibiting less hunger and a lower desire to eat when compared with those in the placebo group. They also showed less craving for sweets and were not as ravenous as those in the second group.

Dr Jason Halford, who led the study at the Kissileff Laboratory for Ingestive Behavior at the University of Liverpool stated, “These findings suggest that the ingredients contained in the Zotrim formulation produce a robust acute effect on caloric intake. If sustained, such changes could benefit weight control, as observed in previous studies on the formulation.”

Results of previous studies
An earlier study had found that continuous intake of Zotrim herbal pills led to overweight participants lose 11.5 pounds in 45 days as opposed to only 0.5 pounds in a placebo group.

In another study on overweight healthcare workers, the volunteers taking Zotrim were able to resist snacking, control portion sizes, and avoid emotional eating.

The pill also helped women lose an average of two inches from their waists in just four weeks.

The findings of the present study were presented at the 34th British Feeding and Drinking Group Meeting on 25th March and will later appear as a conference abstract in the peer reviewed International Research Journal Appetite.