London, March 27 (IANS) Women can cut their daily calorie intake by almost a fifth if they simply take a herbal diet pill, a research reveals.

The supplement has also been shown to help those with a sweet tooth, reducing the temptation to indulge in sugary snacks.

Zotrim, which is based on three South American plants, was tested by scientists at the University of Liverpool.

They found that women who took the pill with their breakfast had a much lower appetite at lunch time, cutting their calorie intake by 17.6 percent, reported dailymail.co.uk.

Of the 58 volunteers who were given either Zotrim or a dummy pill in the morning, those on the herbal supplement only picked at their afternoon meal.

The subjects, some of whom were overweight, were observed at a test lunch buffet where they were told to eat as much they wanted.

Those on Zotrim ate on average 132 fewer calories. If the effects were replicated throughout the day, the pill would cut a dieter's daily count by 400 or 500 calories.

Zotrim is designed to make the user feel fuller for longer. But it also appears to take the edge off a sweet tooth, cutting the women's selection of biscuits and chocolate mousse from the buffet by 27 percent.

"Zotrim has a robust effect on a dieter's appetite, which could help them lose weight," said Dr Jason Halford, an obesity expert.

The pill contains caffeine and other ingredients from herbs Guarana, Yerba Mate and Damiana.

The cocktail delays the rate at which the stomach empties by about 20 minutes. The process is not dangerous because it merely extends the length of time taken to digest the food.

However, it makes it difficult for dieters to overeat because they feel uncomfortably full sooner.

Previous research has shown that Zotrim can help overweight women lose an average of two inches from their waists in just four weeks. Some of those taking part shed five inches from their middles.