Review of Satise, Fat Burner & Appetite Suppressant
Note: Satise is discontinued. Those interested in trying a Slendesta-based product, however, can experiment with Swanson’s Slendesta Potato Protein Extract.
Satise is a product marketed on the Canadian market that claims to encourage weight loss by decreasing hunger and increasing satiety. According to Satise advertising…
1 capsule, taken 60 minutes prior to your main meals, is enough to significantly decrease your food intake (and therefore calorie consumption). As a result you eat less, and lose weight.
Of course, this very simplified approach to weight loss is extremely flawed, regardless of the merits of the product. You may eat less, but if you eat low-fiber, high-calorie meals, you may still be consuming far more calories than you require. So you may still not lose weight. No, you just might not gain it as rapidly.
So the advertising is misleading and flawed… that much is certain.
On the other hand, let’s look at the product itself. What is Satise all about?
Well, it is not a fiber supplement. Satise actually contains a proteinase inhibitor isolated from the common potato. Known commercially as “Slendesta,” this inhibitor is thought to increase the effects of a certain peptide hormone called cholecystokinin(CCK). CCK increases feeling of satiety (i.e., “fullness”), and has been effective in the short-term reduction of food intake.
So how does this magic potato extract increase the effects of CCK? Good question. It does it by blocking the protein-digesting enzymes that break down the signalling peptides that stimulate CCK release. Less enzyme activity equals more CCK. In turn, more cholecystokinin translates into greater satiety and less desire to eat.
Of course, there is one problem with all this. Solid clinical data validating the effect of the potato-derived protein on CCK is in rather short supply. For example, this report produced by Kemin, the manufacturer of Slendesta, states…
“PI2, the active component in Slendesta Potato Protein Extract 5% Powder, has been shown to be effective in 11 clinical trials to date.”
Yet very few of the references cited are to peer-reviewed, published studies. Rather, the majority of papers on the product are “in-house” studies produced by contract laboratories – so the details are known only to the manufacturer.
So while the theory is plausible, it’s by no means a “slam-dunk.”
That makes the bottom line recommendation on this product an easy one…
More independent research has to be done to validate the effectiveness of Slendesta (and the products based on it, like Satise) for weight loss. Until such time, Satise and other products like it remain a bit of a gamble.
