Monk Fruit Sweetener: What Is It And Its Benefits

Know what is monk fruit sweetener, how is it extracted and what are its benefits

Monk fruit sweetener is a natural sweetener and you will be surprised to know that it is 100–250 times sweeter than sugar. It has zero calories and is rich in antioxidant properties. There is no doubt that people have begun to understand the disadvantages of refined sugar and try to exclude sugar from their diet as much as they can.

But no sugar doesn't mean that you have to avoid everything sweet, you just need to find the right alternative for sugar. For some, it may be honey, jaggery, dates, or stevia, and the new alternative getting popular is monk fruit sweetener, also called monk fruit extract.

Monk fruit sweetener has been around for decades but has recently become popular and today we will discuss more about this.

What is Monk Fruit Sweetener?

Monk fruit sweetener is extracted from monk fruit, also known as luo han guo or “Buddha fruit.” It is a small, round fruit that is grown in Southeast Asia. The fruit has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine but its uses as a food have only been known since 2010.

The sweetener is extracted by removing the seeds and skin of the fruit and then it is crushed to collect the juice. The juice is then dried and converted into a concentrated powder. Monk fruit contains natural sugars like fructose and glucose. Monk fruit gets its immense sweetness from unique antioxidants called mogrosides.

Monk fruit extract is used as a standalone sweetener, an ingredient in food and drinks, a flavor enhancer, and a component of sweetener blends.

4 Benefits Of Monk Fruit Extract

1. Monk fruit sweetener has been linked to weight loss since it has zero calories thus it can help reduce the total calorie intake. Studies indicate that it may help in modest reductions in body weight. Thus, it is always helpful to replace regular-calorie sweeteners with low-calorie versions to consume less added fat, sugar, alcohol, and other sources of empty calories.

2. Mogroside extracts from monk fruit sweetener have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as they have the ability to prevent the release of certain harmful molecules thus preventing damage to your DNA.

3. Few animal and test-tube research suggest that monk fruit extract helps reduce cancer cell growth but the exact mechanism is unclear. Studies showed that the mogrosides suppressed leukemia cell growth and had powerful inhibitory effects on skin tumors in mice.

4. As mentioned above, monk fruit sweetener has zero calories or carbs thus it does not raise blood sugar levels and is a good option for people with diabetes. Studies suggest that monk fruit extract may even reduce blood sugar levels and oxidative stress. The benefits are related to the mogrosides’ ability to stimulate insulin secretion in insulin cells.