Monk Fruit
As the prevalence of diabetes and obesity continues to rise, more people are looking towards food and beverage products that contain little to no sugar. Products that contain little to no sugar are typically sweetened with either artificial (i.e. sucralose, Ace-K) or plant-based (i.e. stevia, monk fruit) sweeteners. Although artificial sweeteners like sucralose and Ace-K have been around for decades, plant-based sweeteners are making their mark. One of the newest plant-based sweeteners is monk fruit. Monk Fruit sweetener is derived from the fruit of the Lou Han Guo plant (Siraitia grosvenorii). This fruit is small, green, and melon-like that is cultivated in the Southern mountains of China. The name “Monk Fruit” is named after the Buddhist monks who started cultivating the fruit almost 800 years ago. It is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to clear heat and for providing digestive support and curing the cough and sore throat.
Monk fruit extract can be found in grocery stores under brands like Monk Fruit in the Raw®, SweetLeaf®, and Whole Earth®. These brands sell monk fruit for use in single serve packets and/or in bulk for low-sugar baking. Monk fruit is 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, so these products typically contain erythritol so that the sweetness intensity is comparable to sugar. Although erythritol is technically plant-based, it is known to cause gastrointestinal issues for some people. Monk fruit extract seen in food or beverages may or may not contain erythritol or other ingredients.
Monk fruit seen in food and beverage products is made by removing the seeds and skins and crushing the fruit. Hot water is then added to extract the sweet components (or mogrosides) from the fruit juice. The mixture is then filtered and standardized for its mogroside content. The resulting sweetener is either a liquid (monk fruit juice concentrate) or dried into a monk fruit extract powder.
The mogrosides in monk fruit extract are both sweet and have antioxidant properties. Mogrosides make monk fruit 150-200 times sweeter than table sugar, yet do not contain any calories or raise blood sugar. In fact, animal-based research has suggested that monk fruit might decrease blood sugar and improve overall glycemic control. Additionally, animal-based research has indicated that the antioxidant power of the mogrosides might have anti-cancer properties and help prevent oxidative damage (a major contributor to the signs of aging).
Although the United States and sixty other countries have approved the use of monk fruit, the European Food Safety Authority has not; citing insufficient evidence to monk fruit’s safety and risks. In the United States, long term safety studies do not exist since the ingredient has only been approved as “generally recognized as safe” in 2010. However, in order to achieve “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) status, studies need to be performed indicating the ingredient’s safety. These various studies led to a GRAS approval for use in all food and beverage products, except for meat, poultry, and infant formula. Please note, that an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of monk fruit has not been determined yet since the research around monk fruit’s safety is still relatively new.
What products do you see that contain monk fruit?