Science and Research

The táami berry (sometimes known as miracle fruit, miracle berry, magic berry, asaa and ledidi) is an extremely effective all-natural sweetener because of its active ingredient, Miraculin. Studies have proven Miraculin to be a completely safe, and remarkably effective alternative to sugar, high fructose corn syrup and unhealthy artificial sweeteners.

Miraculin

The táami berry’s pulp contains a glycoprotein called Miraculin, a name that was derived from the seemingly miraculous affect that it has on one’s palate. When consumed, the amino acids and carbohydrates in Miraculin gently bind to tongue’s taste buds stimulating a remarkable transformation in the way acidic flavors are perceived. Acidity in food and drink is generally perceptible as sourness and bitterness, but when combined with Miraculin, the signal sent to our brains is that of sweetness. Thus, for anywhere from 20 minutes up to 2 hours, anything containing acidity such as lemons, limes and many other tart fruits will be made to taste significantly sweeter. Because glycoproteins are sensitive to heat, Miraculin loses its ability to modify flavor perceptions after it has been heated over 100° Fahrenheit. This has the massive benefit of not having any of the negative attributes of almost all commonly used sweeteners including sugar itself.

The táami berry doesn’t have the calories associated with sugar, or the detrimental side effects of artificial sweeteners. Furthermore, with just one táami berry (or one serving of the crushed táami powder) your palate will be sweet for up to two hours. This means you don’t need to sweeten each cup of tea or coffee!

According to studies performed by Harvard Graduate students in Boston, children actually preferred lollypops that were coated with crushed táami berry and contained no sugar over the ones that were coated with real sugar. When consuming sour, tart, and bitter flavors, scientists estimate that Miraculin is about 3000 times sweeter than regular sugar.

Miraculin has also been found to combat urges for real sugar. Even if very few foods are eaten, the urge to consume sweets dissipates much faster than when eating normal high-calorie sweets.