Wonderful berries: unusual fruits that can make any food sweet

The fruits of this shrub are the dream of any sweet tooth, while they themselves are completely devoid of taste. The thing is that magical effect that occurs after their reception. And this is really incredible: after several berries of this plant, a person who eats, for example, lemon, feels a pleasant sweetness and no acid. Miracle? No, it's all about a chemical called miraculin.

A plant called puteria sweetish (lat. Pouteria dulcifica) wild grows in several countries in West Africa. It was here that he was first discovered by European researchers, who were struck by the strange customs of local tribes. The inhabitants of the tropics knew about the unusual properties of the berries of this shrub and often used them in food in order to “embellish” the taste of cooked food. The second name of this plant is wonderful berries. Later, scientists managed to find out that the main active substance of this magical process is the miraculin protein.

Despite the fact that unusual berries fell into the hands of scientists back in the first half of the 18th century, it was possible to isolate pure miraculin from the fruits of the tremens only in the 60s of the last century. This substance acts on the human body as follows. Once in the tongue, miraculin acts on the taste buds in such a way that they become hypersensitive to the sweet taste. But this magic happens only in an acidic environment. Therefore, a slice of lemon, in which in small amounts, but still there is natural sugar, once in the mouth, is perceived as very sweet, and the acid does not manifest itself in any way. As for sweet foods, their taste does not change. Sweet sensations occur about an hour after taking the berries, and this magic lasts for 1-3 hours.

The unusual properties of the protein, of course, were of interest to pharmacists and representatives of the food industry. In the second half of the last century, the United States even had plans for the widespread introduction of miraculin-containing supplements as substitutes for high-calorie sweet foods that would give a feeling of sweetness and contribute to weight loss. Also considered options for the use of this substance in nutrition for patients with diabetes, where miraculin would act as a substitute for sweets. But due to bureaucratic difficulties, miraculin did not receive due recognition and widespread use.

But the story of the unusual substance did not end there, as scientists continue to look for its original application. For example, with the help of drugs with miraculin, it is possible to normalize the work of taste buds, disrupted as a result of taking medications. Great prospects are also opening up in the treatment of diabetes and obesity.

Today, the fruits of the tripium containing miraculin are of interest not only to scientists. For example, in the United States, the so-called taste parties are very popular, the participants of which, after tasting several berries of the tripii, begin an exciting journey into the world of unexplored taste sensations. Guests of the event try dishes familiar to them, which, under the influence of miraculin, acquire completely unusual, and sometimes unexpected, taste shades.