Pill helps weight loss without dieting

 A diet pill that could help people lose weight without cutting down on food is being developed.

Scientists in the US discovered a natural dietary supplement called nicotinamide riboside (NR), which kick-starts the same chemical pathways as cutting food consumption by a third.

Calorie restriction and fasting are known to trigger fundamental changes in the body that boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, slow down ageing and protect against disease. Researchers discovered that when 24 people took a daily 1,000mg dose of NR, it mimicked calorie restriction, lowering blood pressure and slowing the metabolism.

Prof Doug Seals, a researcher in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, said early testing indicated that NR could also help reduce the risk of a heart attack by a quarter and even benefit people with Alzheimer’s, but more research was required.

The research was published in Nature Communications.