What Is Monk Fruit Sweetener, and Is It Keto?

When you give up sugar, that doesn’t mean you have to give up sweet treats. You can find natural ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without spiking your blood sugar, and that doesn’t mean you have to resort to dangerous artificial sweeteners. Monk fruit is a keto community favorite ingredient to sweeten recipes, but what exactly is it, and where does it come from? Is there any research behind monk fruit? And how do we compare the various formulations next to each other in the supermarket aisle? Let’s break this down.

What Is Monk Fruit?

We’ve covered stevia, yacon syrup, allulose, and Swerve, but what about another popular choice in the growing selection of natural sweeteners — monk fruit? Known as Luo Han Guo in its native southern China, monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii) first found acclaim in the records of 13th century Luo Han Buddhist monks. The monks valued the natural sweetness of the fruit and made it their mission to cultivate the vines through the centuries. Today, most monk fruit cultivation still occurs in the misty mountains of China’s Guangxi provincehttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-012-6693-0‘>² called mogrosides, with mogroside V having a sweetness 250 times that of table sugar.³ To put that sweetness in perspective, most people consider just 1/64 of a teaspoon of monk fruit extract to taste as sweet as a full teaspoon of table sugar.

But to get this natural “zero calorie” sweetener, much of the natural compounds in the fruit are lost. Most producers treat “pure” monk fruit sweeteners  to remove off-flavors, then they dry it to remove other sulfurous volatiles. Finally, it gets homogenized and pasteurized. The resulting extract is very different from its original state, slightly undermining its purported status as a natural sweetener.

Other less processed natural monk fruit sweeteners provide a more wholesome version of the original fruit, but with the arguable downside of containing a small amount of glucose and fructose. More carbs also tend to mean fewer mogrosides, and hence a lower relative sweetness.

Pure Monk Fruit Sweetener vs. What’s On Grocery Shelves

Contrary to what people might claim, fresh, unprocessed monk fruit is not sugar-free. It varies between cultivar and growing region. Still, fresh monk fruit is typically one-third carbohydrate, composed of a mix of fructose and glucose.

After you extract the juice, much of those carbs are left behind. At this point, a minimally-processed monk fruit extract sweetener might only contain small amounts of sugars in the form of fructose or glucose. At this point, it becomes a low-calorie natural sweetener. A half teaspoon serving of monk fruit juice powder, for example, is made up of 10% sugar, and the rest of the carbs presumably come from of mogrosides and other indigestible sweet-tasting compounds.

At the other end of the scale, pure monk fruit extracts are zero-calorie sweeteners, with no carbs and no sugar. Manufacturers are sometimes hesitant to sell straight monk fruit extract, however, because it’s easy to overdo it when you mix it into recipes. To add bulk, manufacturers will mix in small amounts of other sweeteners like erythritol or xylitol. It’s not uncommon to find sucrose or dextrose lurking on the ingredients list of so-called natural monk fruit sweeteners, but the amounts would be pretty minimal. Check labels to be sure.

While monk fruit contains several different mogrosides, https://academicjournals.org/journal/AJPP/article-abstract/088D6DA28337‘>⁵ Another study showed that obese mice fed mogrosides from monk fruit had significantly reduced body and liver weights compared to control mice.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/mnfr.200500252‘>⁷

In another study, diabetic rats were fed monk fruit extract for 13 weeks. Those rats fed the monk fruit extract showed improved insulin response, reduced blood sugar levels after glucose administration, and reduced oxidative stress caused by diabetes. What’s more, the monk fruit group also showed signs of lowered kidney damage, a common symptom of advanced diabetes.https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/21351724‘>⁹

You get the idea. Once again, more studies in humans are needed to make any definitive conclusions.

Here are some tested and true recipes that use monk fruit:

Keto Angel Food Cake

Keto Sugar Cookies

Low-carb Fudgy Brownies

Possible Anti-cancer Benefits of Monk Fruit

While research is very much in its infancy regarding the link between monk fruit and cancer, there’s likely to be more on the horizon. A 2016 study https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf0206320‘>¹¹ showed that a range of triterpenoids (including several mogrosides) isolated from monk fruit showed “potent inhibitory effects” on Eppstein-Barr Virus-induced tumor growth.

It makes plenty of sense, as multiple studies have highlighted the antioxidant ¹² powers of mogrosides found in monk fruit sweeteners.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Monk Fruit

A 2011 study indicated that mogrosides administered to mice significantly reduced inflammation by quieting genes that trigger inflammation and up-regulating anti-inflammatory genes.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13880209.2013.867451‘>¹⁴ Researchers have shown that monk fruit extracts reduce physical fatigue in mice (allowing them to swim for longer).http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-YYXX200603010.htm‘>¹⁶ At the end of the trial, both mogroside groups (but particularly the low-dose group) showed significant protection against diabetes-induced immune dysfunction. Interestingly, this immune-bolstering effect was only apparent in immune-suppressed diabetic mice, suggesting it plays a vital role in restoring homeostasis in the body.

Specific monk fruit isolates’ anti-bacterial properties http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-AHNY201403050.htm‘>¹⁸ That said, the use of highly concentrated monk fruit sweeteners is very much in its infancy. Moderation is a safe bet.

Tips For Buying and Using Monk Fruit Sweeteners

Which product you choose will depend on your preference. Those who prefer an entirely non-caloric formulation will want to go with pure monk fruit extract. Or you may prioritize less-processed versions, which might contain a small amount of simple sugars and a little less mogroside.

At the other end of the spectrum, those who have a hard time measuring pure monk fruit, or want to cut down on the aftertaste might opt for a blended product that includes erythritol, xylitol, and stevia.

While most people enjoy the taste of monk fruit, it’s not necessarily for everyone. Taste descriptors vary markedly from person to person, with some noting it tastes like caramel or molasses, others more like sweet licorice. Keep in mind that the more refined the monk fruit sweetener, the more it loses its butterscotch character, and the sweeter it will taste.

And speaking of sweetness, remember that mogroside V, the key ingredient in most monk fruit sweeteners, is up to 250 times sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. Most labels provide a sugar substitution guide for recipes.

How to Use Monk Fruit Sweetener

How you use monk fruit sweeteners will also depend on your taste preferences. Some common uses include:

• Baked goods
• Sauces and salad dressings
• Teas
• Fruit/vegetable-based drinks
• Smoothies
• Asian dishes that call for a dash of sweetness

That’s just the beginning. Experiment, and see how it might work for you and your family.

Thanks for stopping by, folks. Have you used monk fruit as a sweetener, or would you consider trying it? Be sure to share your thoughts below.

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