Doctor Huynh Tan Vu, lecturer of Traditional Medicine Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, shared that miracle fruit is often called "miracle fruit" or "miracle berry". Miracle fruit has created magic for those who enjoy it, which is the ability to "deceive the taste buds".
Research shows that the miracle fruit flesh contains essential oils, carotenoids, phytosterols, fatty acids, flavonoids, polyphenols, organic acids, steroidal saponins, reducing sugars, and uronic compounds.
The biochemical composition of the miracle fruit flesh includes: Water 68.9%, soluble sugar 2.385%, reducing sugar 0.404%, protein 0.104%, nitrogen 1.918%, minerals 0.998%,...
Miracle fruit contains miraculin - essentially a glycoprotein, which has the ability to turn sour taste into sweet taste after chewing this fruit.
"Miraculin is a flavor enhancer that holds great promise for the future. When eating fresh, ripe miracle fruit, miraculin attaches to the receptors on the tongue (taste buds), stimulating the taste buds on the tongue and making sour and bitter foods and drinks sweet. This feeling lasts 15 - 60 minutes, but if eaten or drunk with hot foods, it will quickly lose its effect," Dr. Vu shared.
In many countries, the miracle fruit is extracted by pharmacists into miraculin pills to be enjoyed before eating sour and spicy foods such as lemon, vinegar, radish, pickles, chili sauce, beer, etc. during parties or festivals to experience the change in taste.
Miraculin after purification is noted to have the ability to make citric acid as sweet as sucrose solution.
Miracle fruit is red when ripe
Support diabetics to avoid sugary foods
Doctor Vu said that the miracle fruit itself contains very little sugar. Miraculin can be used as a substitute for sugars that contain a lot of energy or artificial sweeteners. After eating the miracle fruit, the miraculin makes otherwise non-sweet foods become delicious but with little or no energy, thereby not causing weight gain or increasing blood sugar.
Therefore, it can help diabetics who have to diet to use low-calorie substances instead of high-calorie sweeteners such as sugar, starch, etc. to avoid complications caused by eating too many sweet foods. It can help people who want to lose weight reduce the amount of calories they take in.
Support patients to take bitter medicine easily
If a patient has to take medicine that is unbearably bitter, he can eat a miracle fruit before taking the medicine.
Improve taste for cancer patients
Cancer patients during or after chemotherapy and radiotherapy may have their sense of taste affected, they may feel a metallic or bitter taste in their mouth or have a loss of appetite, which can affect their health recovery and treatment process. Eating miracle fruit helps change the taste of food into a sweet taste, which will help eliminate unpleasant tastes, help patients eat more deliciously, and help their health recover faster.
Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
Active ingredients in miracle fruits such as polyphenols, beta-carotene, flavonoids, etc. have antioxidant properties, protect immune cells, and can prevent the activity of disease-causing free radicals, helping to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and circulatory problems.
Dr. Vu shared that Japan is a miracle fruit juice for people with diabetes and those who want to diet and lose weight, in the form of smoothies, bottled and canned juices and miraculin pills.
"Miracle fruit is used to help improve the diet of obese and diabetic patients. However, miracle fruit itself cannot cure diabetes and does not have a weight loss effect. Patients who want to use miracle fruit to treat their illness should consult their doctor for instructions on how to use it appropriately for their health condition," Dr. Vu noted.
In addition, Dr. Vu also recommends not to abuse the miracle fruit by eating too much sour fruit because it will harm the stomach, oral mucosa, throat...
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