£1-a-day slimming pill hailed as female equivalent of viagra

A £1-a-day slimming pill was yesterday hailed as the female equivalent of Viagra – thanks to its libido-boosting side-effects.

An increasing number of women in their 40s and 50s who have taken Vita-Lean to control weight gain have noticed a boost in sex drive of up to 90 per cent.

They say it increases sexual desire in a matter of weeks and can be taken prior to intercourse in much the same way as Viagra.

It is believed a key natural ingredient, Irvingia Gabonensis – an extract of the African mango, eaten for its health benefits – could be responsible.

A tea-based infusion of the extract has been used for centuries in Africa as an aphrodisiac.

Richard Wylie, the managing director of Vitagetics, the product’s UK distributor, stressed the ‘side effect’ was harmless.

He said: ”Irvingia has long been known to have health benefits, and previous studies have shown this to be the case.

”However, it has recently come to light that it may also increase sexual desire, particularly among middle-aged women.”

He added: ”As such, the ‘side effect’ is totally and utterly harmless. To a large extent, it could be a placebo but, nevertheless, could benefit many relationships.”

Vita-Lean hit the headlines in the UK last November.

It promises to help women drop a dress size in just three weeks by tricking the body’s metabolism into staying active while speeding up its ability to break down the bad saturated fat stored in the body.

The pill – already a sensation in the States, the obesity capital of the world – also reduces the desire to eat by making the brain believe that the stomach is already full.

Studies found those who took the pill’s main extract irvingia for 10 weeks lost an average of two stone – equivalent to three dress sizes.

Losing nine pounds would take just three weeks and two days and would be equivalent to a dress size.

Existing anti-obesity pills generally cut weight by five to 10 per cent when taken for a year.

Vita-Lean, which is available without prescription, will need official approval before being made available on the National Health Service.

However, it looks set to go on sale nationally following talks between Vitagetics and leading supermarkets.

The UK has the worst weight problem in Europe, with almost a quarter of adults classed as obese or morbidly obese

Mr Wylie, who has lost more than two stone by taking two of the pills a day, believes it will become a ”practical alternative” to gastric bands and other surgical procedures.

”Obesity in Britain will only get worse For many, the prospect of a gastric band is too severe, or too expensive,” he added.

”This product will enable those looking to lose weight to do so in a safe, simple and affordable way.

”We think that this is a fantastic natural way of losing weight and I think it is a life-saver.”

Vita-Lean contains two natural extracts that are widely used to control weight and cholesterol – irvingia gabonensis and cissus.

Irvingia is known to suppress appetite by reducing levels of a hormone that makes us hungry. It also tricks the hypothalamus – the brain’s weight and appetite control mechanism – into keeping the body’s metabolism running fast.

Cissus quadrangularism, a plant extract rich in carotenoids, triterpenoids and ascorbic acid, also contains fat-fighting chemicals.

But women who have taken the pill for two weeks or more are now reporting an increased libido.

Mum-of-two Sarah Marshall, 43, said Vita-Lean has ”restored her sex life to the full”.

Sarah, from Norwich, Norfolk, said: ”I took Vita-Lean to lose weight, and managed to lose a stone in under a month.

”But I noticed a strange side-effect in so far as it’s restored my sex life to the full.”

Vita-Lean is not considered a medicine, and further clinical tests will be needed before it is available on the health service.

A study in March by researchers at the University of Yaounde in Cameroon found men and women who took irvingia lost an average of 28lb in just 10 weeks.

Mr Wylie said further tests would also be carried out to determine the extracts’ libido-boosting properties.

Speaking last year, Dr Colin Waine, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: ”The numbers involved are relatively small.

”If their claims are justified, it could have a potentially very beneficial impact but I think it is a little early to form conclusions.”

Irvingia is only available in the UK online from the company’s website, www.vitagetics.com