Ever wondered what it would be like if lemons tasted sweet instead of sour? Well, in 1725 an explorer called Des Marchais found a plant in West Africa that was named Synsepalum Dulcificum, but more commonly known now as the Miracle Fruit plant.

It produces berries that contain an active glycoprotein molecule caled miraculin. When eaten, the molecule binds to the tongue’s taste buds and temporarily changes our sense of taste for up to two hours, causing bitter and sour foods to taste sweet!

This is amazing in itself, but potentially there is also a very useful medical application for this fruit. Chemotherapy patients often experience a nasty side effect of their treatment that causes them to develop a metallic taste in their mouth so that normal food tastes awful. Some cancer patients have found that this effect is temporarily helped by eating some miracle fruit, allowing them to enjoy normal tasting food once more.

You can find out more information, order berries or even buy seedlings so you can grow your own plant at the Miracle Fruit website.

Tags: cancer, chemotherapy, miracle fruit