MOST people find sugar hard to resist, and with good reason. Our big brains need lots of energy and sugary foods provide plenty of it. But when calories are too readily available, it is easy to overdo it.
There has been no shortage of research on sugar substitutes that trigger a sweet sensation without the calories, such as aspartame and sucralose, but these compounds also taste slightly bitter for many people. What鈥檚 more, evidence from animal and human studies has linked some to glucose intolerance and weight gain.
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One promising alternative is found in the fruit of Synsepalum dulcificum (pictured), a plant native to West Africa. These so-called miracle berries don鈥檛 taste sugary themselves, but if you try听something sour afterwards, it听will听taste .
In Benin, where it is known as the sisr猫 berry, the fruit is eaten fresh and is mostly used as a sweetener to have with sour foods听and drinks, says at the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin. 鈥淭he berry is very appreciated by local consumers, especially the kids and people with diabetes who use it as a substitute for synthetic sugar.鈥�
The chemical responsible, a protein named miraculin, and a team at the University of Tokyo . At neutral pH, miraculin is an antagonist to our sweet taste receptors, meaning it听blocks the taste of sweetness. But听in the presence of an acid, miraculin changes shape and is听able to activate the receptors.
Despite the miracle berry鈥檚 promise as a sugar substitute, it is only produced on a smallish scale and isn鈥檛 available worldwide. The berries don鈥檛 travel well and the plant is slow to grow and mature.
To create an alternative source of miraculin, researchers at the University of Tsukuba in Japan have , but this isn鈥檛 necessary, says Tchokponhou茅. His team is working on agronomic practices and breeding to help scale up production of miracle berries in听West Africa. Earlier this year, a听team at Hainan University in China , which may help.
Spanish start-up Ba茂a Food has听plans to in Ghana and market the dried berries as a听food supplement. Last year, the European Food Safety Authority the safety of dried miracle berries and found them safe to use in food supplements at levels of up听to 0.7 grams per day, for adults who aren鈥檛 pregnant or lactacting.
You can order tablets of freeze-dried miracle berries online, but they are pricey, costing around 拢18 for a pack of 10. If you can afford it, the berry鈥檚 taste-twisting power is fun to try at home. Let the tablet dissolve on your tongue, then try tasting acidic foods such as lemons. The effect should last between 15 minutes and 1 hour.
What you need
Miracle berries
A selection of sour foods, such as lemons, pickles and yogurt
Sam Wong is assistant news editor and self-appointed chief gourmand at New 杏吧原创. Follow him @samwong1
For other projects visit听newscientist.com/maker
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