On Dr. Oz: Miracle Berry Aids Weight Loss

Wouldn’t it be great if you could make grapefruit taste more like candy? Actually, you can. The miracle berry, a fruit from West Africa, can make sour foods taste sweet, making it an effective diet aid.

The berry (aka miracle fruit) looks similar to a cranberry but contains a “miraculous” ingredient dubbed miraculin. This protein bonds to the sweet taste receptors on your tongue, changing the way you perceive tastes. Chew the berry slowly and swish it around your mouth to fully coat your taste buds. The effect will last for about an hour.

So how can you use the miracle berry to lose weight? Eliminate extra calories by tricking that sweet tooth of yours. Do you like sugar in your coffee? Are you hooked on sweetened cereal? Prefer your yogurt loaded with sugary fruit or honey? Switch to the unsweetened versions and eat a miracle berry before consuming them. You won’t miss the sugar.

Kick that soda habit to the curb by drinking seltzer water flavored with lemon juice. Pop a miracle berry, and you’ll get your sweet, fizzy fix.

Dr. Oz recommends trying foods that can help with weight loss that you would never dream of ingesting by themselves, like lemon juice and vinegar. Keep in mind that while the taste of the food is altered, the food’s chemistry is not, so don’t eat a bag full of lemons or swig a bottle of vinegar. Your tongue will be fooled, but your stomach will not be happy.

If you’re interested in trying miracle berries you can buy them online or through specialty nurseries and farms. Keep in mind that the berries have a short shelf life.

Have you tried the miracle berry? Tell us what your experience was like in the comment section below.

Join the largest health conversation in 140 characters or less! Tweet what you want to talk about to @SharecareNow and let’s start chatting!

File under: In the News