A  fresh tactic for shedding unwanted holiday pounds is to first season our food, take a sniff before biting and then chew well, suggests a new study that put the theory to the test. Researchers asked overweight and obese participants to sprinkle a variety of flavoring crystals—savory or sweet—on neutral-tasting foods before eating them. A control group was given crystals with no flavor.

Follow-up measurements of the volunteers’ weight and body mass index over a period of six months revealed that those using the flavored crystals lost an average of 30.5 pounds. The control group reported an average drop of just two pounds. The researchers theorize that flavorful food enhances our senses of smell and taste, helps us eat less, savor more and ultimately control our weight.

Source: The Endocrine Society, 2008