African organic plants show potential to combat obesity and address taste disorders

At BioFach 2023, African herbs and fruits were highlighted for their nutritional density while also being able to regulate insulin levels, blood sugar levels or modify taste receptors through sweetness enhancement, as reported by NutritionInsight.

DMB (dried miracle berry), which is made using the “miracle berry” from West Africa, can modify taste perception and serves as a natural sweet enhancer to reduce overall sugar intake.

“As we know, obesity and overweight are skyrocketing, and many alternatives are entering the market to reduce sugar intake, and DMB is one of them,” said Bensadon.

Another area that could be greatly benefited by these plants is in taste disorders, particularly post-COVID-19, when many people’s lives are still being impacted. The same is true with dysgeusia – a taste disorder – which is a common side effect of cancer treatment that has been largely neglected.

“We see good results from our clinical trial in Madrid. After the pandemic, people have become more aware of taste disorders, which has increased the demand for such products. It has also increased for natural sweeteners compared to artificial sweeteners, which has demonstrated a detrimental effect on the microbiota and is not as healthy as promoted,” said Bensadon. 

Another superfruit is baobab, which is the only fruit that is naturally dry on the tree and comes out as a powder that is very nutrient dense and high energy. Studies have shown that baobab contains twice the level of prebiotics of inulin.