Tag: Sweet taste receptors

Over 40% of Americans regularly consume sugar substitutes to reduce calorie or sugar intake. But the real question is, how do these compounds deliver a sweet flavor without the calories or sugar? The answer lies in the intricate molecular and biological mechanisms that trick our brains into perceiving sweetness.

Did you know that functional sweet taste receptors are expressed not only on your tongue but also in various other parts of your body, including your gastrointestinal tract? The perception of sweet taste is a complex sensory process governed by specific molecular mechanisms that extend far beyond what we perceive in our mouth.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a product can be labeled "zero sugar" if it contains less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving. So why are zero sugar drinks still sweet? The answer lies in the complex world of non-nutritive sweeteners, which are far sweeter than sugar and engage the same taste receptors in our mouths.

According to the Coca-Cola Company, beverages with sugar substitutes can be several hundred times sweeter than sugar. So, **why does zero sugar still taste sweet**? The answer lies not in sugar itself, but in a clever deception of your taste buds by alternative sweeteners, which activate the same sweet receptors as sugar.

According to a 2022 study by Duke University School of Medicine, the gut can actively sense the difference between real sugar and artificial sweeteners. This goes beyond the simple flavor on your tongue and reveals how your body registers and reacts to fake sugar versus its caloric counterpart.

Over centuries, the West African native miracle fruit, *Synsepalum dulcificum*, has been used to sweeten notoriously sour foods and beverages. This unique effect is caused by a single protein, so understanding how does the miracle fruit work can unlock new, healthier eating habits.