Forget fitness videos and new year diets, a 100-year-old Scottish recipe of seaweed and a plant commonly known as sticky willy is set to be the post-Christmas slimming sensation.

The bizarre combination, which was first created in 1913, has now been licensed in tablet form in time for the annual battle to shift the extra pounds put on over the festive period.

Trading under the name Quantrim, its ingredients include a seaweed "superfood" called Bladderwrack and a commonly found weed called Cleavers (or Clivers).

Together they combine to raise the body's metabolism which in turn burns more calories naturally.

Seaweed is a trendy health food for celebrities including Victoria Beckham and Madonna. And Cleavers, which has the nicknames goosegrass and sticky willy, has been used in health recipes dating back to Roman time.

The combination became popular 100 years ago when Scottish herbalist William Box created his Slimwell Anti-Fat Slimming Tablets.

A spokesperson for Quantrim said: "Quantrim is a safe, natural weight-loss aid that will enable everyone to achieve their ideal weight, with less struggle than dieting alone."