Monk fruit is also known as Luo Han Guo or “Buddha Tree”. It is a small round fruit grown in Southeast Asia.
This fruit has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, but was only approved as a sweetener by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2010.

The sweetener is obtained by removing the seeds and skin of the fruit and crushing it to collect the juice, which is then dried into a concentrated powder.
Monk fruit contains natural sugars, mainly fructose and glucose.

Monk fruit sweeteners come in many forms: liquid extract, powder, and granules (like cane sugar).

Monk fruit technically contains a very small amount of calories and carbohydrates, just like other fruits and vegetables. However, it is not usually consumed fresh (as the fruit begins to rot quickly after harvesting) and its sugars break down when dried.

When eaten fresh, monk fruit contains about 25 to 38 percent carbohydrates and some vitamin C.

Because of its short shelf life after harvest, the only way to enjoy fresh monk fruit is to visit Asian regions. Therefore, it is often dried and processed.

After drying, the residues of fructose, glucose and other components are considered insignificant, so it is usually considered a zero-calorie food.

What does Monk Fruit taste like and why is it so sweet?

Many users of Monk Fruit sweeteners report that the taste is pleasant and, unlike some other sugar substitutes, there is little or no bitter aftertaste.

It is not sweet because of the natural sugars like most fruits. It contains powerful antioxidants called mogrosides, which the body metabolizes differently than natural sugars.

Therefore, despite their very sweet taste, these fruits contain practically no calories and do not affect blood sugar.

Mogrosides offer different levels of sweetness, with the type called mogroside-V being the highest and also the one with the most health benefits. Some products made from monk fruit can be intensely sweet, but can be trimmed and used in moderation.

Why is Monk Fruit useful?

1. Safe for diabetes- Does not raise blood sugar- keeps blood sugar fluctuations under control.

Monk Fruit gets its sweetness from natural compounds called mogrosides. It is generally safe for diabetics as it does not raise blood sugar. However, foods and beverages sweetened with monk fruit (as well as some monk fruit sweetener mixes) may contain added sugars and other ingredients that increase carbohydrate and calorie counts or affect insulin sensitivity. Be careful, not all Monk Fruit monk fruit products are carb and sugar free.