What is it?
Monk fruit is a small green melon native to southern China and northern Thailand. Owing to its name, this fruit has been discovered and grown by Buddhist monks for centuries. It is said to be able to increase one’s chi and well-being, which is why it is also known as the immortal fruit.
Monk fruit sweetener which is made from this legendary fruit is as sweet as the usual table sugar and is zero-calorie, zero-glycemic, zero-fat, and zero-sodium. Its sweet taste comes from the unique antioxidant, mogroside, which is extracted from the fruit’s natural sugar compound glycoside. And the best part is: It is able to replace your normal sugar in 1:1 ratio! This means for every one teaspoon of table sugar consumption, you just need one teaspoon of monk fruit sugar. Also, it does not cause bloating or nausea issues which are common side effects of other sweeteners.
Health Claims
- Blood sugar control: Since monk fruit does not have any carbs or calories, it would not raise blood sugars and is considered safe for diabetic patients.
- Weight loss: There always seems to be claims of weight loss when speaking about low to zero-calorie sweeteners. To date, however, there have been no scientific studies that have looked at the relationship between monk fruit and weight. One might assume though if a person is cutting back on total calories from sugary foods, it may result in some weight loss.
- Anti-inflammatory: Antioxidants overall are known to have anti-inflammatory properties, which may help boost the immune system, decrease risk for heart disease, and improve joint pain. However, again the research here is limited. One study though, conducted on mice, found that mogroside IVE, the main compound isolated from mogroside, provided protection against liver fibrosis (a formation of scar tissue).
Why is Monk Fruit always combined with Erythritol?
The simple reason being is that monk fruit extracts in pure form are extremely sweet! A good rule of thumb is just 1/64 of a teaspoon of monk fruit extracts could be as sweet as 1 teaspoon of sugar. This means that even with a very tiny amount, the taste would be super sweet already. Due to its tiny volume and weight, this sugar substitute often needs fillers or bulking agents to have an overall resemblance to table sugar. The most common bulking agent in monk fruit sweeteners is erythritol. Other agents include glucose, maltodextrin, inulin, allulose, and tagatose. Bulking agents not only improve the taste of monk fruit extracts but also make it easier for you to measure the sweeteners at home. Instead of having to measure or weigh minuscule amounts, you can use the measuring tools you have in your kitchen.
Monk Fruit Vs Stevia
Similarities:
- Available in liquid, powder, and granule forms.
- Contain zero calories.
- Equally doing a great job in sweetening.
Differences:
- Monk fruit contains antioxidants and other vitamins which confer a variety of health benefits.
- Monk fruit would not cause side effects like bloating and nauseous which are associated with stevia.
- Monk fruit does not have licorice and bitter aftertaste like stevia.
- Monk fruit does not cause several possible allergic issues associated with stevia, including plants from the Asteraceae family like sunflowers, daisies, ragweed, or chrysanthemums.
Wide-Range Applications
-
Monk fruit sweetener can be used in various food-making including baked goods, beverages, cereals, confections, dairy, desserts, ice-cream, dressings, sauces as well as processed fruits.
How to Use It
-
Try replacing the amount of regular sugar you use with about a third (1/3) of monk fruit sweetener. If you were to use it in baking, it is recommended to use half (1/2) the amount you would for sugar.
Prepared by: Chew Ee Wei, a HTM Pharmacist.
For further inquiry/ one-to-one consultation with our pharmacist, feel free to whatsapp📱
Pharmacist service is available from Monday to Friday (9am-6pm).