Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Health and Fitness

    Flavour-boosting crystals spark new diet trend

    The latest scientific way to diet is to sprinkle flavour-boosting powder on your food that make you want to eat less

    By Marie Claire
    Published 8 November 2010 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Marie Claire news: Eating disorders
    Marie Claire news: Eating disorders
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    The latest scientific way to diet is to sprinkle flavour-boosting powder on your food that make you want to eat less

    Flavour-boosting crystals are the new scientific way to fight the flab. Sprinkle them on your food before eating it and apparently you will have the urge to eat less.

    Scientists have sparked adiet trend with the new ‘Sensa Tastant’ powder, said to enhance the flavour of the food significantly by conning you into thinking you've eaten more than you have.

    The crystals have already been tested in the U.S. as part of a weight-loss regime and they are set to hit Britain next year. Initial trials involving 1,400 people showed that the flavour-enhancing crystals may act as an appetite suppressant. In scientific tests, obese participants who used the crystals lost an average of two stones in six months. Others lost an average of just two pounds.

    Dr Alan Hirsch, a neurologist at the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, said aroma makes up between 75% and 90% of what we experience as food taste.

    ‘The scientific principle behind Sensa is remarkably simple,’ he said. ‘As you eat, smell and taste receptors send messages to your brain which release hormones that tell your body it’s time to stop eating.

    ‘By enhancing smell, Sensa Tastants were designed to help speed up the process and trigger your ‘I feel full’ signal, so you eat less and feel more satisfied.’

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    What do you think? Too good to be true, or an exciting new diet development? Let us know your thoughts below.

    CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH NEWS

    Marie Claire
    Social Links Navigation

    The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.

    Latest in Health and Fitness
    A woman working out in the gym and drinking a green juice
    Nutrition GLP-1s Could Change More Than Your Appetite: What We Know About Their Impact on ADHD, Brain Health and Libido
    A woman stretching, dry brushing, and taking supplements at home
    Wellbeing Meet the AI Wellness Influencers Making Dubious Health Claims—and What Their Boom Means for Women’s Health
     
     
    Health freelancer Ash S journaling the everyday delights she experienced when focusing her wellbeing on them for a month
    Wellbeing I Tried Keeping an "Everyday Delights" Journal for a Month—It Changed the Way I See My Life
    Woman stretching and practicing basic Pilates moves at home
    Fitness Everyone's Talking About These Basic Pilates Moves RN—So I Asked a Trainer to Rank the Most Effective
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Poppy Wang
    Fashion 5 Experts Explain the Nuances of the ‘Mandarin Jacket’ Trend
    Erborian Triple Care BB Milk
    Skincare I Thought My Dull, Lifeless Skin Needed More Actives—This Milky Essence Was Actually the Solution
     
     
    A woman working out in the gym and drinking a green juice
    Nutrition GLP-1s Could Change More Than Your Appetite: What We Know About Their Impact on ADHD, Brain Health and Libido
    Autumn Nail Trends 2026
    Nails From Fawn Print to Milky Matcha—These Are Autumn 2026’s Defining Nail Trends
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.