This West African Berry Alters Taste-Buds!

Mixing different combinations of flavors can be exciting for chefs all over the world, but the ingredient of miracle berries can actually alter one's taste-buds' shapes to enjoy certain ingredients in a brand new way. The ingredient is known as "Miracle Berries." The berries grow on a shrub named "Synsepalum Dulcificum."

"Whoa!" One might say, "I'm not sure if altering the shapes of my taste-buds is safe or something I would want to try!"

However, there's no reason to worry at all! There are no chemical side-effects in these because these berries are 100% natural. They grow from plants in West Africa, and they coat the tongue in a substance known as miraculin [see Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Horticultural Crops: (pg. 1660)]. This substance is completely natural, and is the component that attaches to the taste-buds and alters their shape temporarily. The effects will kick in after about a half hour from consumption at most, and they could last for about two hours afterwards, when saliva finally washes the compound out of your mouth. There's no danger in their consumption at all.

Many people have tried these out and experimented with eating lemons or drinking apple cider vinegar, and they discover that they love the taste. If you have to eat something for medical reasons that normally would be sour, such as bitter gourd juice for gout or diabetes, or other such sour-tasting medications, ingesting a tablet beforehand could aid in making the taste not only more bearable, but actually pleasant. This could be a new method for doctors everywhere to give children some sort of remedy they usually abhor with ease.

Now, there is the possibility of capsules as opposed to the raw medicines, but these are still not good enough for picky children. According to PubMed.gov, "Encapsulation of the medicine in pill or tablet form, an effective method for adults to avoid the unpleasant taste, is problematic for children. Many children cannot or will not swallow solid dose forms".

Another benefit of these miracle berries is the prospect of a healthier diet. Many know of the benefits of drinking raw apple cider vinegar, but most rarely do due to the sour taste. However, taking a tablet of miracle berry extract would make the drink something to look forward to every day. Imagine how many more of our children would actually start eating all of their healthy vegetables they are disgusted with if they were given one of these miracle berries beforehand.

This miracle berry doesn't have to be for just fun and novelty, but could actually be used to promote a healthier lifestyle in just these two ways.

The FDA is currently undergoing tests on the berry to possibly incorporate it as a sweetener as well. There is a report on the proposition here.

If this could be used as a natural sweetener it could replace Aspartame. There is some controversy over whether or not Aspartame really causes harsh, adverse effects. Still, the facts are that Aspartame is a chemical compound manufactured in a lab rather than a natural, growing plant. Now, these chemicals are actually natural in their base states of course, but the chemicals become some mutated Frankenstein-chemical of nature after their alterations. Why risk potentially unknown adverse effects, which just have possibly not even been discovered as of yet, when a natural solution is available? I'm not attempting to scare anyone away from Aspartame but smoking was recommended by doctors for years as something actually good for one's lungs before it was discovered to have adverse effects. Just check out these advertisements to smoke procured by Time Magazine.

One might have noticed me using the word "tablets" up there from time to time. Well, this is because a miracle berry probably would only last a few days for its shelf-life. However, there are companies out there that have made miracle berries in the form of tablets, which retain the miraculin, and they can still generate the same taste-bud altering effects. These tablets can last on shelves for nearly a year. If you would like to try these, the tablets are pretty reasonably priced and can be found on common shopping sites such as Amazon. There are many different options here. You could get the berries raw, which is a little more expensive and they don't have as long of a shelf-life, but they yield the most true form of the product. You could also get a single ten-pack of tablets, you could get two ten-packs at a discount, or you could even get a plant and grow them yourself to yield a continuous crop if you take care of it correctly.

You might also be able to find them in your local whole foods markets if you are lucky.

Will these miracle berries be the first step in raising up a new generation of healthier children? Will they eventually replace Aspartame?

Thanks for reading!