Monk Fruit – A Comprehensive Overview and Interesting Facts

What is Monk Fruit?

Monk fruit happens to be a small, melon-like fruit that has been cultivated in southern China for hundreds of years now. This fruit is named after the early Buddhist monks, who cultivated it centuries ago. Also known as lo han guo or Swingle fruit, monk fruit belongs to the same family like that of melon and pumpkin. Packed with medicinal properties, it has long been used in the eastern countries for helping a number of health issues.

Monk fruit is a natural sweetener with the sweetness coming from the antioxidants present in the fruit. Monk fruit extract is produced through 4 common steps:

• Monk fruit is crushed and the juice is released.
• Next, it is added to hot water and filtered out thoroughly for the fruit infusion to reveal.
• This sweet infusion is then dried to produce a powder, which is otherwise known as monk fruit sugar.

Benefits of Monk Fruit Sweetener

• It Does Not Contain Calories, Sugar, and Carbohydrates
Monk fruit sweetener does not contain any calories, carbohydrates, or sugar. This implies that consuming monk fruit extract will not affect the blood sugar levels and is also safe for people taking keto or low-carb diet.

• It Does Not Have any Side Effects
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), monk fruit sweeteners are generally safe. There is not any evidence suggesting monk fruit sweeteners have any potential side effects.

• It Is Available in Many Forms
Monk fruit sweeteners are available in the market in the form of liquids, powders, and granules. Certain products are easy to carry along and use.

• It Is Packed with Antioxidants
A number of studies have brought to light that mogrosides extracted from the juice of monk fruits have significant antioxidant properties.

Nutrition Facts About Monk Fruit Sweetener

• Calories: 0
• Carbohydrates: 0.8g
• Sugar: 0g
• Fat: 0g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sodium: 0g
• Protein: 0g

Interesting Facts About Monk Fruit Sweetener

• The Sweetness of Monk Fruit Does Not Come from Glucose or Fructose
It is a matter of fact that the sweetness of monk fruit is not the outcome of the presence of glucose or fructose. To produce monk fruit extract, the skin and seeds of the fruit are removed and it is crushed thoroughly. The pulp is then eliminated and the juice is processed to extract the antioxidant mogrosides. The intense sweetness of the fruit is credited to this antioxidant.

• It Has Been Named after Monks
Appearing similar to that of a melon, monk fruit is native to Thailand and China. This small gourd was named after the Buddhist monks of 13th century, who used it for making medicinal tea.

• It is 150 to 200 Times Sweeter Than Sugar
Though not as stevia, yet monk fruit is very sweet. Monk fruit extract is believed to be about 150 to 200 times sweeter in comparison to sugar.

• It Has No Carbs and Calories
Since the mogrosides are separated from the juice during its processing, monk fruit extract does not have any carbs and calories. This makes monk fruit sweetener a safe choice for diabetic people and people following a low-carb diet.

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