By: Kathy Kendall

I was recently at a Women’s Health conference giving a talk on Healthy Eating with the new USDA MyPlate.  At the end of the talk I was asked some questions, many of which will be addressed in future blogs.  The question I found most challenging to answer dealt with a new product on the market called “Sensa”.  It is a product designed to suppress hunger and appetite by sprinkling “tastant” crystals on your food.  The company says that the product works by inhaling the odors of the crystals and having the odors trigger centers of the brain which control satiety.

After doing some research on the product I must say I am intrigued, but skeptical.  The Sensa website reports that a clinical study was carried out which showed that participants lost an average of 30 pounds in a month’s time using this product.  The study was not published in a peer reviewed journal which requires that a study meet certain criteria to be a valid study with reliable results.

An earlier study was conducted and published in a peer-reviewed journal by the same researcher, A.R. Hirsch, M.D. and R. Gomez showing a 2% weight loss using odorants which were inhaled.  At the end of a month SOME of the participants had lost 18 pounds by using the inhalants.  Those that lost significant amounts of weight, ie the 2% losers had these things in common:  good olfactory abilities (good sense of smell), used the inhalers frequently, ate only 2 to 4 times per day, felt bad about overeating, but generally felt good about themselves.

Looking at customer reviews of the product at Amazon.com, out of 11 reviewers 8 gave unfavorable reviews.  One 3 star rater reported only a 6 pound weight loss.

Bottom line:  This product appears to be safe, but is likely not to produce the desired 30 pound weight loss promised in most individuals particularly if your olfactory senses are not strong—meaning your sense of smell—and if you eat more than 2 to 4 times a day!

To really be successful at losing weight consult with a Registered Dietitian today.

Stay tuned for more questions and answers next time…Dietary Supplements –How to Know What You Need and How to Pick a Good One.