The scoop on the miracle fruit

by Stefani Pollack, Posted May 29th 2008 @ 11:30AM

My grandmother likes to tell a story about how she was hypnotized in a stage show. Under hypnosis, she ate a lemon and thought it was an apple. It's hard to imagine doing that and not noticing the difference. However, with the miracle fruit, we all could be eating slices of lemon for dessert.

Slashfood blogger Emily Matcher wrote yesterday about the New York Times article on the miracle fruit. If you missed it, the miracle of the fruit is not that it cures cancer or creates world peace - it makes sour foods taste sweet.

As described on Wikipedia, "when the fleshy part of the fruit is eaten, this molecule [miraculin] binds to the tongue's taste buds, causing bitter and sour foods (such as lemons and limes) consumed later to taste sweet. This effect lasts between thirty minutes and two hours."

The miracle fruit is by no means a new discovery. It has been eaten for centuries in West Africa. Back in 2005, The Guardian wrote about a cafe in Japan where diners start the meal with a single miracle fruit and then proceed to eat dishes with 100 calories or less and love them!

Why haven't we seen the miracle fruit in diet products everywhere? The facts aren't clear. However, there is a BBC article that describes how an attempt to bring miracle fruit products to the US market was surprisingly and suddenly shut down by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Want to try one? Miracle Connect sells the berries! They cost $24 for six. They recommend two per person for a dinner party.

Miracle Fruit(click thumbnails to view gallery)

Are you interested in trying miracle fruit?
Nope, I like my tastebuds just as they are, thank you!	708 (12.4%)
I'm curious, but I'd need to know more.	2729 (48.0%)
Sign me up, I'm always game for a little flavor tripping!	2136 (37.5%)
Miracle fruit? I tried that last year.	116 (2.0%)

Filed Under: Food News, Ingredients
Tags: featured, fruit, miracle fruit, MiracleFruit

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Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)

5-30-2008 @10:51AM onchiota said... Of course it is not FDA approved! It must be good for you. Read the book, Murder by Supermarket. You will learn how the FDA, the USDA, and the AHA, are all in bed together with the drug companies. America will never be healthy until we stop eating factory food which is killing us, and making us dependent on the drug companies, making them richer! FDA employees own stock in drug companies. People, go to Amazon and read what the people who read this book have to say. Eat organic, raw, clean, and home made, and save your health and the future generations. Go to the farmers market this weekend, and throw out the crap in your cupboards! Murder By Supermarket.

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5-30-2008 @10:56AM dawn said... This was on a show a few months ago...the two host tried it and the guy said it worked the girl started freaking out because her toung went numb and they both said it was horrible and looked like they were going to throw up.It was very amusing.Aol always rewrites storys someone else studied and wrote and its always late and only half,just think of how good it could have been if you actually researched and tried the products you try and write about
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5-30-2008 @10:59AM onchiota said... Correction,

Death by Supermarket!!!

On Amazon
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5-30-2008 @11:24AM niceperson said... albert is young, and he needs to work on communication skills and attitude! He communicates like a lot of college kids do today...just look on facebook! He is right about the tremendous benefit of exercise, and the advantage of having greater muscle mass. He is wrong in thinking you can't maintain a healthy weight w/o vigorous exercise...it's just a lot harder. It is still possible with some smart nutritional support and careful core strength-building! Talk to a good chiropractor whose patients have exercise limitations...they will have great, helpful input. There is hope!
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5-30-2008 @11:15AM GRIZZBOCK said... Albert,

A triple major! Yet you still can't spell! It is chemistry!
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5-30-2008 @11:24AM mj said... Martha Stewart has had this on several times. A company called Logees has them.
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5-30-2008 @11:24AM dewcros said... I think "albert,,, Mr triple major" was typing in the dark!!! Or,, maybe he's full of BS??? maybe BOTH?
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5-30-2008 @11:50AM ISABEL DIAZ said... miracle fruit look like crandberry shape..... i never see that....
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5-30-2008 @3:08PM Dorn Wenninger said... We carry Miracle Fruit for sale. We are one of the largest distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables in the New York Metropolitan area. Contact us if you are interested in purchasing the fruit www.katzmanproduce.com

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5-31-2008 @3:20AM Joe B said... Although reading the BBC article I can understand why the initial attempts were halted by the FDA, I have a hard time understanding why 1) the company, with its big money investors didn't try to take the product elsewhere (as the first commenter on the BBC website pointed out) or 2) why no one since 1974 has bothered to actually do the trials necessary for it to gain approval. It wasn't banned, it was just labeled an additive that required additional testing. While I do not doubt the fruits affects, I have trouble believing that even though it had major financial backers originally and is not as exotic as it seems, that no one would try to pursue the trials needed to get FDA certification.
I certainly can't contest feelings physically endangered as a reason to stop research, but even if the original team was unwilling or unable, it seems like their research could have been sold to a pharmaceutical company or an artificial sweetener company. It seems that if a relatively cheap (as compared to years worth of research for artificial measures) solution for suggesting sweetness is available, someone with a large enough profile would want to acquire the rights.

Even if the current FDA file is unusually blacked-out, the original team still has their basic field research. I find it hard to believe that in over 30 years, no one has even bothered asking (let alone licensing) that to create a better diet supplement or diabetes treatment. Even if a large industry blocked it before (whether sugar or artificial sweeteners), it seem like there are a number of other related industries just as large that would be interested...
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6-02-2008 @1:14AM dewcros said... Hoping carol reads this... "what is the flat belly" diet?? Is that the preferred name or maybe I could just do a search to find it?? I could use a 7 pound drop myself!! Or 15 to 20 maybe!! I purchased a Total Gym but need a good diet of some sort.

Thanks,,, Dewey
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