It must work, because otherwise the company making them for Sapien Medicine wouldn’t be able to produce it. My best guess is it would just be less effective than the actual item itself.
It would not hurt the creators, it just wouldn’t support them. I am not giving you $500 right now, you haven’t even noticed. There are many people who can not afford this item, but since when did spiritual growth become a rich mans game?
Were you intermittent fasting before or is that a change in routine? Could the weight loss be attributed to the fasting? Would this still be effective without a change in diet/routine?