The fruit of Synsepalum dulcificum, a plant native to West Africa, doesn’t taste sugary on its own, but any sour food you eat afterwards will turn miraculously sweet
Humans 31 August 2025
By Sam Wong
Wirestock, Inc./Alamy
MOST people find sugar hard to resist, and with good reason. Our big brains need lots of energy and sugary foods provide plenty of it. But when calories are too readily available, it is easy to overdo it.
There has been no shortage of research on sugar substitutes that trigger a sweet sensation without the calories, such as aspartame and sucralose, but these compounds also taste slightly bitter for many people. What’s more, evidence from animal and human studies has linked some to glucose intolerance and weight gain.
One promising alternative is found in the fruit of Synsepalum dulcificum …
