The dark chocolate biscuits triggered the key fullness hormone GLP-1 – which is the target of appetite-suppressing injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro
Scientists have invented a chocolate biscuit which could help weight loss by stopping us binge eating on treats.
Experts who designed the new biscuit say antioxidants in cocoa-rich dark chocolate may help make you feel sooner and stop overeating. Experts at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy added a bitter compound from the Artemisia absinthium plant to a normal dark chocolate biscuit.
They found dark chocolate biscuits triggered the key fullness hormone GLP-1, which is the target of appetite-suppressing injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro. People reported feeling more full after eating the dark chocolate biscuit with the added compound.
Study author Dr Flavia 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.”
The researchers said their early tests suggest that people feel more full after eating the new biscuit and so would potentially eat less afterwards.
Most biscuits contain a lot of sugar and fat and it is not known yet whether any new biscuit would see the benefits outweigh the harms.
Dark chocolate, particularly with a cacao content of over 70%, is known to trigger fullness hormones. The study showed that a standard dark chocolate biscuit without the bitter extract had the same effect of boosting fullness hormones when compared to a glucose drink. The biscuits with the new compound also reduced self-reported hunger in participants.
Dr Prodam 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.”
The biscuits are the latest attempt to tackle obesity by triggering the GLP-1 hormone to stop people overeating.
The researchers said their new chocolate biscuit would be easy to mass produce so could be advertised as a new treat you can’t overeat – making it less likely people will scoff the whole pack in one go.
Study author Dr Flavia Prodam said: “I think the GLP-1 receptor could be modulated specifically by the bitter compound but we need to investigate this part… They are very good and similar to normal cocoa biscuits – very tasty.”
Dr Carrie Ruxton, a dietitian who was not involved in the study, said: “The biscuits were compared with a glucose drink, which would be rapidly absorbed by the body and create spikes in glucose. So performing better [on fullness] than a glucose drink is not much of an endorsement.
“A more effective way of limiting appetite and boosting satiety is to eat more fibre and protein. Fibre is low in calories and slows digestion helping us to feel fuller quicker. Protein has been shown to boost GLP-1 levels which helps appetite control.
“Good options for snacks include boiled eggs, wholemeal toast with peanut butter, seeds, popcorn, pineapple cubes, roasted chickpeas or edamame beans.”