Cancer patients are turning to an unusual ally to make meals bearable again: a red berry nicknamed "miracle fruit." The berry, formally known as Synsepalum dulcificum, temporarily rewires taste buds so that sour and bitter foods come across as sweet for about half an hour, easing the "chemo mouth" metallic taste some patients develop during treatment, reports CBS News. Oncologist Mike Cusnir of Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, who is among the first to study the fruit's impact in cancer care, stresses it's no cure, but a tool that may help patients keep eating and stay on treatment.
"When I tried the miracle fruit for the first time, my whole life changed," lymphoma patient Julie Ascen tells CBS. The berry is native to West Africa, and its taste-altering properties have long been known to Indigenous populations, notes a previous story at Chemical & Engineering News. Its use for chemo patients is a relatively new turn, with the National Institutes of Health and Memorial Sloan Kettering among those studying it.
The main source of the berry in the US is Miracle Fruit Farm in Florida. Owner Erik Tietig has been growing the trees since 2012 in the Miami area, and he tells CBS the region "is really the only perfect place" in the nation for them. The C&EN post notes that the berry, whether imported or grown in Florida, has a less serious claim to fame as well: It's been used for "flavor-tripping parties," where guests eat one, then sample other foods to see the effect.
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