Britons working on chocolate diet pill

By Stephen Daniells

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Obesity

The British-based Chocolate Powder Company says it is testing the
weight loss effects of a cocoa-based diet pill that could soon be
ready for launch on the US weight loss market.

Company director Professor Albert Zumbé says he has designed a supplement that not only contains a cocoa extract but also has a chocolate flavor.

"This will be a winner,"​ Professor Zumbé, visiting professor at the University of Salford in the UK, told NutraIngredients-USA.com.

CPC's core business to date has been low-fat chocolate powder, cocoa extracts and chocolate flavorings.

But if a new clinical trial, currently at the midway stage, produces good results, the firm may gain some new clients.

The trial is following approximately 100 normal and slightly overweight people. Metabolic studies are planned to follow the clinical trial.

Details of the active ingredients are closely guarded, but are claimed to function as appetite suppressants.

A previous study by Japanese researchers reported that ingested cocoa prevented high-fat diet obesity in rats by modulating lipid metabolism.

A worldwide patent has been filed on the CPC product and negotiations are progressing with a large American enterprise to help the firm break into the lucrative US market.

The new product will go head-to-head with Trim Spa and Trim Smart in the US, other diet pills containing cocoa extracts.

"We will have a chocolate-tasting product that suppresses diet. People can take one tablet just before each meal to reduce their appetites,"​ Zumbé said.

"Now you can have your cake and eat it."

Sales of diet pills have increased by 10 to 20 per cent a year since 1997, according to weight-loss-diet-i.com as more Americans struggle to fight fat without breaking into a sweat, going against the advice of nutritional experts to follow a balanced diet and take regular exercise.

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