Dark chocolate biscuits could aid weight loss, say scientists.
Antioxidants in cocoa-rich dark chocolate may trigger the gut in a similar way to weight-loss injections, making you feel more full and less likely to overeat.
Now scientists have invented a biscuit that adds to this by including an extra ingredient which works like Ozempic.
The team from the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy added a bitter compound from the Artemisia absinthium plant, otherwise known as common wormwood, to a normal dark chocolate biscuit.
Early tests suggest people feel more full after eating it, see an increase in satiety hormones and potentially eat less afterwards.
Experts said that even the normal biscuit appeared to have such an effect, which was then boosted by the bitter extract.
The substance triggers one of the body’s GLP [glucagon-like peptide] receptors which is the target of weight-loss jabs like Wegovy and diabetes treatment Ozempic.
Dr Flavia Prodam, the study author, said: “All the people who ate the biscuit reported lower hunger before dinner. It has already been reported that cocoa and dark chocolate have an effect on satiety.
“In this biscuit with the bitter compound, that effect is even higher.
“I think the GLP-1 receptor could be modulated specifically by the bitter compound but we need to investigate this part.”
Dr Prodam and her team created the baked snack especially for the trial but say it would be easy to make it commercially.
She said: “They are very good and similar to normal cocoa biscuits – very tasty.”
They now plan to run a clinical trial to see how it affects food intake in obese patients.
Using a popular and delicious food to improve people’s health could tackle the issue of comfort eating.
Dr Prodam said: “This is an important thing to target because we need to educate people to eat less but there is a lot of failure. The emotional part of eating is important in obesity.
“People want comfort foods, so having one that decreases hunger could be a good strategy.
“We treat patients with drugs but I think the basis is lifestyle management, which is very difficult.
“Motivating people with comfort food could be an important strategy and putting the two together could be very good for patients.”