Like vanilla for chocolate? - use of transdermal patches to reduce chocolate cravings - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, Nov, 2000 by Abigail Chipley

If wearing a patch can kill nicotine cravings, doesn't it stand to reason that one might also help people kick the chocolate habit? Well, a British company called Aromacology Patch Company Ltd. thought so. Developed by a recovering chocoholic, the Aromacology patch is designed to reduce cravings for chocolate and other sugary treats and, in the process, help people shed unwanted pounds. And if the results of a study conducted by dieticians at St. George's Hospital in London are to be believed, the patch may actually do the trick.

Chocolate contains a chemical that is converted to serotonin (the "feel good" chemical), which scientists believe is why people become so addicted. Researchers, who presented their findings to the International Congress of Dietetics in Edinburgh last March, say the patch activates serotonin production and has the same effect on the brain as a candy bar, thereby significantly reducing cravings for the sweet stuff.

In the study, 200 overweight volunteers received either a patch that releases a blend of vanilla and other sweet scents, a lemon patch or a scent-free patch. Over the course of four weeks, the participants who wore the vanilla patch lost an average of 4.5 pounds. By comparison, the participants who sniffed lemon lost an average of 3 pounds, while those who received the scent-free patch lost no weight. Participants who wore the vanilla patch reported indulging in about half as much chocolate as they usually did and that they cut back on other sweets too.

Unfortunately, if it's potato chips and other fatty, starchy foods that make your mouth water, the vanilla patch won't do you much good. But don't despair: The company is working on a patch to reduce cravings for high-fat foods that will be released next year. We're just hoping it doesn't reek of the deep-fryer at McDonald's.