Could cutlery trick our taste buds and help us eat healthier? That’s what researchers in the US are hoping, who have designed a spoon that they believe could make food sweeter — without adding sugar.
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In theory, this would mean we wouldn’t have to look for sugary options including sweeteners, which could now be shown to be linked to changes in our gut microbiome (the colony of microbes increasingly linked to immunity).
How does it work?
The spoon, which is in the early stages of development, would have bumps on the bottom to increase the surface area that makes physical contact with the taste buds on our tongue.
Basically, these bumps would be covered by a layer of molecules called ligands. A ligand is a chemical that interacts with specific receptors on cells to elicit a physiological response. They have specific shapes and properties that allow them to bind to a specific receptor like pieces of a puzzle.
In this case, the researchers say, the binding agent used is taken from the sugar and sticks to the spoon. As a result, the spoon would stimulate sweet receptors on the taste buds without us having to ingest sugar.
“It’s a great idea,” says Dr. Carl May, a research associate in biochemistry at the University of Bristol who was not involved in the project. “This spoon will trick our brain into thinking we’re eating sweet food. After all, the tongue can detect sugar, but the “sugar” — the binding agent — sticks to the spoon, not the food we eat.”
confectionery
The American designers, who named the spoon Sugarware, recently won the Student RunnerUp Award in the Biodesign Sprint 2022 competition, which showcases new ideas in biotechnology.
Carolyn Chiu, a member of the Sugarware team and a student at the University of California, Davis, told the judges that their target audience is people with diabetes or people looking to reduce their sugar intake.
Without further ado, check out the spoon image:
Sugarware, spoon that promises to sweeten without sugar