Nothing is guaranteed to generate more interest, amongst those keen to shed a few pounds, than claims of a new ‘wonder’ slimming pill. ‘New’, however, may not actually be the most appropriate term for a herbal diet pill, possibly to be developed from a common wild plant used as far back as the 12th century by Augustinian monks. These monks lived at Soutra Aisle, South of Edinburgh. Archaeologists have discovered, via ancient texts, that the monks used the bitter vetch plant to stop hunger pangs, chewing the tubers on the plant’s roots to quash their appetites, often for several weeks.