Traditional herb can ward off hunger for two months
London, Mar 6 (UNI) British experts are promoting a traditional herb which can ward off hunger for atleast two months.
Dr Brian Moffat, an expert on medieval remedies, said the tubers of the heath pea had the effect of making people forget to eat.
''If you ate one of these pea sized tubers you are meant to 'not eat, not want to eat and not miss eating for weeks and even in two months','' he said.
''They were actually used as a measure to ward off hunger in the medieval times, once crops had failed in the fields,'' he said.
The herb was also used by King Charles II to help his plump mistresses lose weight and could be the answer to obesity in the modern day world, Dr Moffat claimed.
Evidence of the herb's use was discovered during an archaeological dig.
Monks used the plant, also known as bitter vetch, to treat patients in the 14th century Soutra Aisle monastery near Edinburgh.
Dr Moffat said the commercial possibility these days would be to make a modern slimming pill with the herb.
Richard
Swift,
head
of
the
project,
said,
''The
tubers
could
help
boxers
and
other
athletes
train
down
to
a
weight
as
well
as
helping
dieters
exercise
and
lose
weight.''
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