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Trick your tongue

Gymnema sylvestre, an Ayurvedic medicinal plant, contains compounds that block sweet taste receptors on your tongue, making sugary treats lose their appeal for about an hour. When adults sucked on a lozenge containing an extract of gymnema leaf (sold as Sweet Defeat) before they were offered their favorite candy, they ate 44 percent less of the candy, compared with people given a placebo lozenge. Note that gymnema also may reduce blood sugar, so use it only with a doctor’s guidance if taking diabetes medication.