Puzzle of why very similar sugars can taste much sweeter than others solved

Sugars that form shorter and stronger hydrogen bonds with neighbouring water molecules taste sweeter, chemists from Italy and the UK have discovered. Understanding how chemical structure relates to sweetness could help scientists create better artificial and non-caloric sweeteners.

Humans recognise sweet tastes thanks to receptors in their taste buds that interact with saccharides. But although all monosaccharides have similar molecular structures, fructose is perceived as sweeter than glucose, while mannose is almost tasteless with a bitter aftertaste.