The sprinkle diet involves sprinkling a product called Sensa Tastants onto your food. These scent-based particles are purported to deliver satiating flavors and aromas that decrease appetite, allowing you to eat all your favorite foods and still lose weight, explains the Mayo Clinic. This likely sounds appealing, but there's little evidence the product works.
Dr. Hirsch
Sensa Tastants were developed by neurologist and psychiatrist Dr. Alan Hirsch who is the neurological director of the Smell and Taste Research and Treatment Foundation in Chicago. Hirsch is a faculty member at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, as well as at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center. A product similar to Sensa Tastants developed by Hirsch and released in 2004 was soon discontinued, according to ABC News.
Ingredients
The Tastant particles come in six different scent and flavor combinations that stimulate the brain to make you feel full. Despite the scent and flavor, Tastants are not supposed to change the taste or smell of your food. The primary ingredient is maltodextrin, a common food additive made from starch, and in the case of Sensa Tastants, from corn starch. The Tastants also contain tricalcium phosphate, silica, soy, milk and natural and artifical flavors.
Method
The Sensa system provides two shakers for the Tastants, one for salty food and one for sweet food. You sprinkle the tiny flakes on food right before eating it, evenly spreading the product over the entire surface of the food. The product is not effective in liquids, including soup, unless the soup is hearty such as chili or more like a stew.
Time Frame
The sprinkle diet involves using two sets of Tastants per month for six months. Each month has different sets, because the body can acclimate to the product, making it less effective if you use it longer than 30 days. You can continue beyond six months by starting the system over again from the beginning.
Research
Hirsch conducted a clinical study of the sprinkle diet with more than 1,400 participants. They lost an average of 30.5 lbs. in six months without changing their usual diet or exercise routines, according to the Tastant website. The study has not been published. Pamela Peeke, clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland, told ABC News in 2008 there is no scientific proof that Sensa works. The Mayo Clinic notes that Hirsch's research did not investigate whether participants gained any weight back after the study. The sprinkle diet also does not address the problem that many people eat whether or not they feel hungry.
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