Toward a Universal Treatment to Perceive Sweetness from Refined Starches

Refined starches are organoleptically bland despite being polymers of glucose. However, humans can detect sugars released during oral starch hydrolysis, and sweet taste cells on the tongue express disaccharidases and glucose-sensing machinery. Building on this evidence, this preprint outlines a translational framework for a universal treatment that allows people to perceive the latent sweetness of refined carbohydrates in situ, without adding sugar. The approach combines: (i) oral delivery of food-grade amylolytic enzymes to accelerate maltose and glucose release during mastication; (ii) positive allosteric modulation of the human sweet taste receptor (T1R2/T1R3) to amplify sweetness at low sugar concentrations; and (iii) optional cross-modal augmentation with sweet-congruent aromas. We review relevant enzymology, receptor pharmacology, and sensory science, propose proof-of-concept study designs, and discuss safety, regulatory, and ethical considerations. This applied concept aims to reduce added sugars while maintaining palatability by unlocking the natural sweetness of starch.