<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  For the last two years, American dieters eager for rapid results have been sprinkling mysterious crystals over their fries, hot dogs, and cookies, in hopes of shedding pounds while still enjoying the foods they love. Now those crystals, called Sensa Tastants , are about to be introduced to chips, bangers, and biscuits. The Daily Mail reports that the tiny crystals, which are designed to make users feel fuller faster, will be making the jump across the pond early next year, and heading to Germany, Canada, and Mexico as well. The crystals, developed by Dr. Alan Hirsch, a neurologist and psychiatrist, who runs the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, work by enhancing the aromas of the foods you eat. &amp;quot;As you eat, smell and taste receptors send messages to your brain which release hormones that tell your body it&amp;#039;s time to stop eating,&amp;quot; Hirsch told the Mail. &amp;quot;Sensa Tastants were designed to help speed up the process and trigger your &amp;#039;I feel full signal, so you eat less and feel more satisfied.&amp;quot; Hirsch first tested the Tastant crystals with 1,436 patients who weighed on average 208 pounds at the start of the study. After six months, those who used the crystals lost an average of 30.5 pounds, while those in the control group lost an average of 2 pounds. That study, along with regular infomercials on HSN (featuring former Extra host Dayna Devon) and a new celebrity spokeswoman the Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger, have earned Sensa legions of fans, who call themselves &amp;quot;Sprinklers.&amp;quot; On Facebook, Sprinklers post encouraging messages to each other and revel in their successes - &amp;quot;Been on Sensa 2 weeks and lost 6.5 lbs!! Love it!&amp;quot; There are six flavors each of the savory and sweet satiety-inducing crystals, and each month dieters receive a new set. Though the site doesn&amp;#039;t reveal the flavors of these crystals, The New York Times reported that the savory flavors involved in the initial study included cheddar cheese and ranch dressing, while cocoa and banana scented crystals were used to enhance sweeter foods. For 30 days, dieters sprinkle those crystals on everything they eat, before moving on to a new blend the next month. After six months on the weight loss system, dieters can start over again at month one. According to the Sensa site, this monthly change is necessary because, &amp;quot;your body can become accustomed to the Tastants and they will not be as effective if you use them for longer than 30 days. Dr. Hirsch has specifically developed new and different Tastants for each month to ensure that you continue losing weight.&amp;quot; While many Sprinkler fans insist on the efficacy of the system, the company&amp;#039;s Facebook page has its share of dissatisfied customers (&amp;quot;This is the beginning of my sixth week and I haven&amp;#039;t lost any weight,&amp;quot; lamented one.&amp;quot;) And on both sides of the Atlantic, some scientists are skeptical of the product&amp;#039;s claims. Dominic Dwyer, a neuropsychologist at Cardiff University, told the Daily Mail, &amp;quot;The principle of the idea makes sense. If you increase the intensity of a food taste or smell it makes more of an impact on feelings of satiety.&amp;quot; But he added,&amp;quot; A mouthwatering smell from food can simply make us eat more. This stuff would have to be very carefully used.&amp;quot; "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/cooking/nutrition/news/a14537/sensa-tastant-weight-loss-crystals/>