The Dr. Hirsch Diet

The Hirsch Diet was launched in 2008 under the name "Sensa Sprinkle Diet." However, Dr. Hirsch has been touting the weight-loss benefits of smells from decades. In his 1997 book, "Dr. Hirsch's Guide to Scentsational Weight Loss," Hirsch points out that certain smells, like sweet candy, spearmint or apple, might help control food cravings and reduce appetite.

Background

The Hirsch Diet was created by psychiatrist and neurologist Dr. Alan Hirsch, the director of Chicago's Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. Here, medical experts study the sense of smell and how it affects not only physical but also emotional and psychological reactions. During his research, Dr. Hirsch realized that certain smells affect hunger and feelings of satiety or cravings. Based on his discovery, he developed a diet in which you can lose weight by using certain smells to help you change your reaction to foods.

Diet Principles

The Hirsch diet is also known as the Sensa Diet. The diet doesn't ban any foods or give you a specific menu to follow. The key to the Dr. Hirsch Diet is to buy "Sensa Crystals." The crystals come in small packets, which you're supposed to sprinkle on top of anything you eat. Although the crystals are tasteless, they are supposed to produce an olfactory response which signals your brain and causes you to feel full much quicker than normal. A major concern with the program is that you can eat as much junk food as you want as long as you sprinkle the crystals on top. No foods are banned.

Expert Insight

According to registered dietitian Janet Helm on her website Nutrition Unplugged, the main problem with the diet is that there doesn't seem to be any scientific backing to its claims. The crystals themselves are made with a mixture of corn starch, tricalcium phosphate --an anticaking agent-- and artificial and natural flavors and colorings. While corn starch seems to be slightly filling, Helm doesn't believe it would have enough of an impact to cause significant weight loss.

Crystal Effects

The crystals used in the diet come in a variety of smells. Once sprinkled on top of food, Hirsch says that they shouldn't affect the flavor of your dish. You should be able to smell them as you eat, however, and that is what will cause you to feel full. Crystals are sold in one-month packs. Each pack contains both sweet and salty options. The sweet crystals smell candy-like, while the salty crystals smell spicy. Dr. Hirsch conducted his own study that showed people using the crystals lost an average of more than 30 lb. over a period of six months. However, no outside studies exist to support this.