The Miracle of Miracle Fruit

 The Miracle fruit plant (Synsepalum dulcifolium) is amazing. Not only is it a neat, small, evergreen shrub that thrives in our frost-free subtropics, its miraculous secret is the ability of the fruit to change all acidic or bittere flavours to sweet. You can grow it too.

 Research:

It is being investigated by researchers in Japan and USA as an alternative to artificial and natural sweeteners and as a potential taste-modifying plant. Miracle fruit may be used in future for treatment of diabetics as it has the ability to improve insulin sensitivity.  Ref:  Phytotherapy Research ISSN 0951-418X ; 2006, vol. 20, no11, pp. 987-992 [6 page(s) (article)] (25 ref.). Authors: CHEN Chang-Chih (1) ; LIU I.-Min (2) ; CHENG Juei-Tang (3).

It’s a potential sugar and calorie-free alternative for diabetics.

 Fruiting and growing:

Our little bush is about 17 years old now and has fruited happily from the age of about 3 or 4. It is prolific in its fruiting habits, so much so that we cannot eat all the fruit. It loves the warm weather, producing fruits repeatedly over the spring, summer and autumn months.

Grow from seed or buy a plant from nurseries selling fruit trees.

They prefer a frost–free protected area. Ours is against a north-facing wall. They will grow in poor clay and shallow soils, but do best in a soil enriched with compost and dosed with some organic manure once or twice a year. Water occasionally to prevent drying out.

 Use them:

Chew the whole fruit for 30-40 seconds, spitting out the skin and seed after chewing. After this, everything will taste sweet for up to an hour.

It has been used by children and adults taking foul-tasting medicines like pancreatic enzymes to sweeten the taste.

It is available over the internet as drops or tablets and is very expensive. The fresh fruit has the best effect.