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9 Benefits of Monk Fruit Extract (Luo Han Guo sweetener)

6 min read time Jul 20, 2022

Description

Description

If you haven’t heard of monk fruit extract, then you are about to discover how this unique substance can positively impact your life.

Also known as Luo Han Guo, this natural sweetener is loaded with amazing benefits.

What are the benefits of monk fruit extract?
Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) contains substances called mogrosides, which are responsible for the health benefits. Mogrosides are naturally much sweeter than sugar, but are non-caloric and do not affect blood sugar levels. This makes monk fruit a great alternative for those looking for a healthy sugar substitute.

A cousin of the cucumber, monk fruit is a hard, greenish-brown shell covered with fine soft hairs. Monk fruits are commonly dried to get the final extract, which can be processed into powder form.

For many years, monk fruit extract has gained popularity as a sugar substitute because of the mogrosides, its sweetness and healthy ingredients.

Now let’s look at some of the remarkable benefits of the monk fruit.

9 Incredible Benefits of Monk Fruit Extract

Monk fruit extract naturally contains mogrosides, which naturally makes it sweeter than sugar. This makes monk fruit extract a great sugar replacement because it contains no calories, and has no effect on blood sugar levels.

There are two main potencies of monk fruit extract;

The first contains 7% mogrosides, making it approximately 7 times sweeter than sugar, and
The second contains 25% mogrosides—making it approximately 80 times sweeter than sugar.

Here are some of the possible health effects of monk fruit, and more specifically, the mogrosides:

1. Monk Fruit extract is a delicious natural sweetener

Unlike artificial sugars that impair blood flow, the monk fruit extract is a natural sweetener that may support:

Healthy sleep
Hormone balance
A reduction in some depression symptoms

2. Monk Fruit extract is a great natural source of vitamins and minerals

The mogrosides compounds found in the monk fruit extract contain vitamins and minerals that may help your body support inflammatory responses. Also, this magnificent fruit produces vitamin C, which may stimulate the production of the white blood cells, and may boost overall immunity.

3. Monk Fruit extract may help with weight loss

Monk fruit sweetener has no calories, carbs, or fat, which is an ideal nutritional content combination for anyone watching their waistline. In fact, substituting monk fruit sweetener for table sugar can lead to modest reductions in body weight. This is because monk fruit reduces your overall calorie intake. Additionally, it’s an important reminder to consume monk fruit sweeteners that are 100% natural to avoid added sugars.

Using natural sweeteners is a great way to kick-start your weight loss journey. In fact, one study found people who consumed low-calorie, natural sweeteners tended to consume less added fat and sugar in general. This of course, is without reporting any differences in hunger levels.

4. Monk Fruit extract may help support healthy blood sugar levels

Monk fruit extract is a natural sweetener that may improve insulin secretion, and may protect your body from sugar-associated attacks.

Also, if you have preexisting diabetes conditions, monk fruit extract may be the perfect solution for consumption. This is because it contains mogrosides compounds that may support healthy blood glucose levels.

5. Monk Fruit extract may be a source of friendly gut bacteria

Monk fruit extract may support healthy bacterial balance in the gut due to its natural microbial agent and provision of friendly bacteria such as B. bifidum, L. acidophilus, L. salivarius, and L. casei.

The maintenance of bacterial balance may occur because of monk fruit’s possible ability to provide anti-microbial properties. When this happens, you’ll possibly prevent the growth of unwanted microbes within the body.

6. Monk Fruit extract may have anti-aging properties

During the aging process, you are likely to experience tissue breakdown, massive internal stress, and increased inflammation. For this reason, regular consumption of monk fruit extract may prove to be beneficial because:

The possible antioxidants in the mogrosides compounds could possibly control the degeneration and inflammation of the body cells.
It provides high energy levels that may support healthy aging.

7. Monk Fruit extract may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits

A specific type of mogroside called mogroside V is the main component of monk fruit sweeteners. It gives the product its sweetness and may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

As a possible antioxidant, monk fruit sweetener might reduce oxidative stress in the body, thereby possibly preventing or slowing damage to cells caused by free radicals. Mogroside V, in particular, may be an effective free radical scavenger. As such, it might effectively reduce lipid peroxidation in the body, which has been linked to inflammatory diseases and atherosclerosis.

8. Monk Fruit extract may support a healthy heart

The monk fruit extract contains healthy mogrosides components that may possibly prevent your heart from oxidation of cholesterol in the arteries and blood vessels. This might help in lowering the risk of heart strokes and heart attacks.

Also, the mogrosides component may support healthy HDL cholesterol levels, which is a healthy component for cardiovascular function.

9. Monk Fruit extract may provide relief from seasonal allergies

Allergies in the human body are caused mostly by foreign stimuli, which initiate the histamine response.

Regular consumption of monk fruit extract has the potential to reduce the histamine response to allergies in the same way as the mass cells in your body.

Can Monk Fruit Replace Sugar in Baking?

Yes, monk fruit sweetener can replace sugar in baking. Monk fruit extract is relatively stable at high temperatures, making it just as effective as sugar in baking recipes. However, a recipe that uses monk fruit extract in place of table sugar may turn out slightly different. You see, sugar doesn't just add sweetness; it also adds volume and texture to recipes.

That said, monk fruit sweeteners can be used pretty much the same way as sugar. You can add the sweetener to beverages, smoothies, dairy products, desserts, candies, and condiments.

9 Benefits of Monk Fruit Extract (Luo Han Guo sweetener)

Strawberry-Vanilla Cashew Milk Smoothie (using Luo Han Guo):

Ingredients (1 Cup Smoothie):

2 tbsp Organic Creamy Vanilla Cashew Milk Powder
2 tbsp Organic Freeze Dried Strawberry Powder
1 tsp MCT Oil Powder
1/8 tsp Luo Han Guo Extract (25% Mogroside V) Powder
1/2 cup Ice
1/2 cup Water

Directions:

Add all of the ingredients to the blender.
Blend until smooth, about 1 minute on medium or medium-high speed.
Taste and adjust the sweetness as desired.
Enjoy right away!

Final thoughts

Monk fruit sweetener may be relatively new to the market, but it’s been used for hundreds of years.

Monk fruit extract may be one of the best natural sweeteners you can have to support healthy glucose levels. And unlike most artificial or natural sweeteners on the market, it’s a healthy alternative to sugar and has no side effects.

In referring to product cost, availability and other information regarding Monk Fruit Extract (Luo Han Guo), you can visit these product descriptions:

Monk fruit extract allows you to conveniently consume it as a flavor-enhancer, in food or drinks, or as a sugar replacement for baking.

REFERENCES

Pandey, A. K., and O. P. Chauhan. "Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii)—Health aspects and food applications." Pantnagar J. Res 17 (2019): 191-198.
EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), et al. "Safety of use of Monk fruit extract as a food additive in different food categories." EFSA Journal 17.12 (2019): e05921.
Tey, S. L., et al. "Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia-and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake." International journal of obesity 41.3 (2017): 450-457.
Miller, P. E., & Perez, V. (2014). Low-calorie sweeteners and body weight and composition: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 100(3), 765-777.
Drewnowski, A., & Rehm, C. D. (2014). Consumption of low-calorie sweeteners among US adults is associated with higher healthy eating index (HEI 2005) scores and more physical activity. Nutrients, 6(10), 4389-4403.
Liu, Can, et al. "Pharmacological activities of mogrosides." Future Medicinal Chemistry 10.8 (2018): 845-850.
Liu, C., et al. "A natural food sweetener with anti-pancreatic cancer properties." Oncogenesis 5.4 (2016): e217-e21
Safety of use of Monk fruit extract as a food additive in different food categories: https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5921