What Does Monk Fruit Do to Your Body?

Monk fruit is a small, round, sub-tropical fruit that is native to Southern China. Monk fruit prevents oxidative damage, reduces blood sugar, boosts immunity, and provides other benefits.

Monk fruit is a small, round, sub-tropical fruit that is native to Southern China. It is known as luo han guo or lo han guo in China and is also called the swingle fruit. The Monk fruit is named after the Buddhist monks who first grew the fruit in the remote mountains of China over 800 years ago.

Monk fruit may not look very appealing, but it is a natural sweetener. It also has healthy nutrients.

Here’s everything you need to know about the health benefits of monk fruit and how to include them in your diet.

Monk fruit belongs to the gourd family: Cucurbitaceae. Its scientific name is Siraitia grosvenorii. It grows on a vine. Traditionally, it is grown in orchards on steep mountains with forests. Asian growers harvest monk fruits, dry them, and distribute them in local and global markets. It has been used for centuries to make sweet, low-calorie food and drinks.

According to the U.S. FDA, monk fruit is Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). This means it is safe for eating and doesn’t have any serious side effects. 

Monk fruit is known for its delicious, sweet taste that comes from natural antioxidants such as flavonoids and mogrosides. It is currently gaining popularity as a natural, low-calorie sweetener.

Monk fruit or swingle fruit extract has varying levels of non-nutritive molecules called mogrosides. They are responsible for the monk fruit’s sweetness. Based on the amount of mogrosides present, monk fruit extract can be 100 to 250 times sweeter than powdered sugar. Also, monk fruit juice is 15 to 20 times sweeter than other fruit juices.

In other words, you need very little monk fruit extract to sweeten foods and beverages. Add half a teaspoon of concentrated monk fruit juice instead of 5 teaspoons of sugar in a cup of yogurt. This’ll help you effectively reduce your sugar intake by 50%.

Monk fruit extract has been used in traditional medicine for centuries due to the following potential health benefits:

Prevents oxidative damage

Studies in rats and mice have shown that monk fruit antioxidants have protective effects. Monk fruit contains several antioxidants such as flavonoids and mogrosides. They prevent the formation of free radicals, harmful ions that can damage your cells. The antioxidants also get rid of existing free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to your cells, especially in organs like the liver.

Reduces blood sugar levels and prevents diabetes

Research suggests that flavonoids and mogrosides in monk fruit can reduce blood sugar levels. According to a study, monk fruit extract can reduce inflammation, repair damaged cells in the pancreas, and relieve symptoms in mice with diabetes. In another animal study, rats with type 2 diabetes were given mogrosides for 13 weeks. The rats showed improved insulin activity and reduced blood sugar levels. The mogroside extract helped prevent complications in the rats with diabetes. 

Monk fruit extract may also be able to repair a damaged pancreas, improve insulin production, and reduce oxidative damage. It also improves good cholesterol levels and promotes helpful antioxidant enzymes in the liver, which can help prevent complications like diabetic neuropathy. This makes monk fruit potentially safe for consumption if you have diabetes.

Prevents obesity 

Mogrosides present in monk fruit improve the activity of enzymes that break down fat. Research shows that eating mogrosides helps suppress fat and cholesterol levels and reduce body weight in mice with obesity. Within 1 to 3 hours of eating mogrosides, the fat content in mice blood was seen to decrease. 

A lab study also showed that mogrol, a form of mogrosides from monk fruit, decreased fat accumulation in rat cells. However, more studies are needed to assess these anti-obesity effects in humans.

Boosts immunity

Monk fruit polysaccharides can increase the activity and function of immune system organs like the thymus and spleen in mice. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties. They can also improve immune function in immunocompromised mice or mice with poor immunity. This suggests that monk fruit can have similar effects on humans.

Reduces cough

Mogrosides in monk fruit have anti-tussive effects in mice. This means that they can reduce the frequency of cough and mucus production. 

Research also shows that mogrosides may have protective properties that can potentially prevent some respiratory problems like asthma.

Protects the liver

Monk fruit can protect the liver and even repair liver damage. S. grosvenorii contains mogroside V, which has liver-protecting effects. In mice with liver injury, mogroside V reduced oxidative damage in liver cells. 

Research also shows that mogrosides suppress the activity of enzymes that can cause oxidative damage in liver cells. They also remove lactic acid from blood and improve the liver’s antioxidant capacity to protect it.

Kills bacteria and fungus

Fruit extracts of luo han guo have strong antibacterial effects. Studies show that monk fruit extract can weaken or kill microbes like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Streptococcus mutans. This suggests that monk fruit has potential antimicrobial effects.

Fights cancer

Animal and lab studies have revealed that monk fruit seems to have cancer-fighting properties.

Reduces tiredness

Monk fruit can treat fatigue or tiredness. A study showed that monk fruit extract had anti-fatigue effects in mice that were tired after exercising. Monk fruit extract increases the level of glycogen in the liver and muscles without increasing lactic acid levels in mice, so having monk fruit can likely reduce tiredness after activity.

Add monk fruit to your diet to enjoy its natural sweetness and low-calorie goodness. You can enjoy monk fruit as it is or have monk fruit juice instead. 

Monk fruit extract is commonly used to make sweeteners. It is also used to sweeten packaged foods and drinks. Monk fruit sweeteners are made by removing the skin and the seeds of the fruit and crushing it. The crushed fruit is then filtered, and the sweetness is extracted in liquid or powder form. 

Monk fruit sweeteners are a great sugar substitute. You can easily add them to your favorite meals, desserts, and beverages.

Ensure that you eat monk fruit in moderation. 

If you have a monk fruit allergy, contact your doctor before consuming monk fruit sweeteners.