Miracle Fruit
Let me start with some background. I am a type 1 diabetic. The short explanation for what that means is that the organ in the body which should be producing insulin isn’t doing its job. Insulin is what the body uses to convert sugar in to usable energy. The body has to have energy to survive, and so instead of relying on a slimy organ in my gut, I have an external organ in the form of a shot that I take some half dozen times a day.
It’s not as bad as it sounds though. I’ve gotten used to it, and despite every carbohydrate I consume having to be metered out with medicine, I’ve coped quite well. That doesn’t mean that every little advantage I can find to catch up to my fully functioning fellow humans isn’t great though. It was in that pursuit that I found the Synsepalum dulcificum, or miracle fruit.
The miracle fruit plant is a slow growing, bushy tree native to Africa which produces small red berries with a most unique property. The fruit contains a chemical called miraculin, which besides having the most creative name ever and leading me to believe that whatever scientist named it may have been on more than miracle fruit at the time, has the effect of turning sour tastes sweet. This effect allows one to, for example, eat unsweetened lemons without puckering up.
This brings me full circle. Miracle fruit’s sweetening properties allow me to consume any sour food product without piling sugar on top of it, which would require me to take insulin or having to endure the poor substitute of most artificial sweeteners. Granted even lemons aren’t completely devoid of sugar; I think less is more when it comes to stabbing myself in the stomach.
Now that I have covered a bit of background, check this space later for further information about miracle fruit, its properties, and what can be done to take part in this truly unique experience. Even if one has a fully functioning body, it’s still a great life experience, easy on diets, and is fun for the whole family.
Can Miracle Fruit help mask a bitter taste? This is urgent.
Urgent huh? Well I don’t know what bitter taste has you on the run, but the short answer to your question is no. Bitter tastes persist, so you can still enjoy your morning black coffee the way nature intended.
Hi — I have 3 plants that are container grown. They are each about 20 inches tall and doing well. Look healthy. However, they produce little or no fruit even after blossoming extensively. Any idea how I can get those blossoms to turn into fruit? Many thanks for your time in replying.
Vince
There are a number of reasons why a miracle fruit plant might not be producing fruit. First of all they like their soil pH to be around 5. This can be accomplished by catching rain water in some areas, or if you are careful, adding a few drops of lemon juice to tap water. Soil additives are a possibility too, but it is far easier to cause more harm than good.
Another common issue people have is watering. Miracle fruit plants love water, and as long as they aren’t standing in water, it is hard to water them too much. Sometimes flowers on a miracle fruit plant will pollinate, but if the plant has had even slightly too little water, the fruit will dry out before it is even big enough to notice. Much worse is seeing a fruit the size of a grain of rice only to watch it turn brown and fall off. Watch new growth on your plant. If new stems are drooping even a little, it’s time to water, and quickly.
Have you considered any of the products derived from the Stevia plant? I wanted to reduce my sugar intake and started using Stevia in my coffee…in no time I started to like the taste better than sugar. I have found it in packets and in bulk at the grocery stores and on line.
I can’t say that I have tried Stevia yet. I will have to look for it the next time I am at the store. I am personally fond of sucralose based sweeteners such as Splenda.
Hi,
Thanks for the great information about Miracle fruit! I have a few seedlings and now I will make sure they are growing in the right media and environment. Can Miracle fruit be grown completely inside and still bloom and fruit?
Tomas
Yes, although it is more diffacult to maintain their favored temperatures and humidity, I have a fruiting tree growing inside right now that has gotten six feet tall. It is in far from ideal conditions too.