| The miracle fruit. Is it a label, an actual plant or | | | | University study that discovered the anthocyanins |
| just another myth spread by the organic/green | | | | that give blueberries their deep blue color, |
| health food crowd? The answer depends on who | | | | recommends that people add half a cup of the |
| you ask. | | | | berries to their diet every day. Last year it was |
| To the botanist (or well informed green grocer), | | | | acai berries from the Amazon rain forest, the |
| Synsepalum dulcificum is the scientific name of an | | | | region suspected to have all sorts of |
| African berry known as the Miracle Fruit or Miracle | | | | undiscovered herb vitamins and plants with |
| Berry Plant. In this case, miracle fruit gets its | | | | potential pharmaceutical applications. At other |
| name from an unusual ability to block sour tastes | | | | times the headlines have urged people to eat |
| thanks to a compound it contains called miraculin. | | | | grapefruit, kiwi fruit and cranberries. |
| People who eat this miracle fruit can then eat a | | | | So, with all the headlines and ongoing studies, is it |
| lemon and it will taste sweet, not sour. A | | | | possible that the concept of a miracle fruit is |
| miracle? | | | | basically an urban myth? Well, it might be better |
| Scientific studies that identify new qualities in a | | | | to think of it that way. Certainly there are many |
| wide range of already known plants and | | | | fruits that have benefits as part of your diet, but |
| accompanying news headlines have created the | | | | to claim that any one of them has super powers |
| concept of a “miracle fruit” in the press. | | | | is likely an exaggeration or based on results |
| The problem is the actual fruit changes from year | | | | unlikely to be duplicated outside of a laboratory. |
| to year and the definition of miracle is a moving | | | | The safe bet is to eat a balanced diet and include |
| target. One of the current owners of the crown | | | | a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. One |
| is the familiar blueberry, long considered to be | | | | saying goes that if you eat a plate of food |
| part of a healthy diet but now credited with | | | | that’s as colorful as possible, it will maximize |
| extraordinary dietary benefits due to its high | | | | the healthy benefits to your body. Colorful |
| concentration of antioxidants that studies suggest | | | | certainly includes room for blue. While you’re |
| might fend off the damaging effects of free | | | | at it, cover all the bases and include a rounded |
| radicals. The scientist, who headed up the Tufts | | | | dose of vitamins and supplements as well. |