Simple Cracker Test Shows If You’re Likely to Gain Weight from Carbs

Why do some people gain weight despite eating the same foods as everyone else? With just a cracker, you can easily find out if you’re prone to gaining weight.

The so-called “cracker test,” developed by American geneticist Dr. Sharon Moalem, involves chewing a plain cracker for a specified duration to observe when you start to taste sweetness, which results from saliva breaking down the starch in the cracker. Start timing as soon as you notice any sweetness. If you don’t detect any sweetness after 30 seconds, conclude the test. Repeat the process twice and calculate the average time to understand your sensitivity to this enzymatic action better.

Tasting the sweetness within 14 seconds means you fall into the “full” category. This means that even if you snack a lot, you can metabolize carbs and not gain as much weight as others.

Tasting sweetness between 15 and 20 seconds falls into the “moderate” category. This means you’re more likely to gain weight from snacking but gain energy from a balanced intake of carbs, fats, and proteins.

Tasting sweetness after 30 seconds, your calorie type is “restricted.” This means that, compared to other types, fats are the primary energy source over carbs.

Suppose you fall into the “restricted” category and consume a lot of carbs. In that case, there’s a high chance that what you don’t metabolize will remain in your body and accumulate as body fat, increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes.

This simple test will help determine how well your body utilizes carbs for energy. Tasting sweetness quickly indicates that you have a high amount of amylase, an enzyme that breaks down carbs, in your mouth.

Crackers are made up of starch, a series of connected sugars. We taste sweetness when amylase breaks down these connections.

Although your calorie type is “full,” tastes sweetness quickly, and easily metabolizes carbs, overeating carbs is not advised. Despite having the ability to use carbs as an energy source more than others, excess carbs from overeating can accumulate as body fat.

Dr. Moalem explained that individuals with numerous amylase-producing genes can efficiently metabolize carbohydrates for energy. As a result, they are less likely to gain weight, even if they snack more frequently than others.