Monk fruit sweeteners: everything you need to know

There is no doubt that people love to eat. Enjoying a good meal in good company is one of life’s great pleasures. However, not taking care of our diet can contribute to the development of diseases such as obesity and diabetes. That is why beneficial foods have emerged to replace those that harm us, such as monk fruit sweeteners.

Replacing foods and beverages that are high in calories and added sugars with ones with less sugar is an excellent option to reduce excess calorie intake. In turn, this can help reduce the risk of obesity and related chronic diseases.

This group of low-calorie sweeteners are used in foods and beverages as a way to reduce the intake of added sugars and, at the same time, provide the satisfaction of enjoying something sweet.

What are Monk Fruit Sweeteners?

Monk fruit, also known as Io han guo or Siraitia grosvenorii , is a small round fruit native to southern China. It has been used for centuries in Eastern medicine to treat colds and promote digestion. And now it is also used to sweeten foods and beverages.

Monk fruit sweeteners are made by removing the seeds and skin from the fruit, crushing the fruit, and collecting the juice. The fruit extract, or juice, contains zero calories per serving. The FDA permits the use of monk fruit sweeteners in foods and beverages.

What gives the monk fruit its sweet taste?

The compounds that give sweetness to ripe monk fruit are called mogrosides. These consist of a main structure called mogrol with attached glucose or glycoside units.

Mogrosides are not absorbed in the upper gastrointestinal tract and do not contribute calories to our diet. When they reach the colon, the gut microbes separate the glucose molecules and use them for energy. Mogrol and some metabolites are mainly excreted from the gastrointestinal tract, while minor amounts are absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted in the urine.

200 times sweeter than traditional sugar

Monk fruit sweeteners are 150-200 times sweeter than sugar and add sweetness to foods and beverages without adding calories. Monk fruit sweeteners are used in beverages and foods such as soft drinks, juices, dairy products, desserts, sweets, and condiments.

Like all low calorie or no calorie sweeteners, only very small amounts of monk fruit sweetener are needed to achieve the same sweetness of sugar. To facilitate measuring and pouring, they are typically mixed with approved common food ingredients. This is why a packet of sweeteners made from monk fruit looks the same in quantity as a packet of table sugar, for example.

Is it safe to consume monk fruit sweeteners?

Yes. Monk fruit sweeteners have been permitted as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA since 2010. GRAS is a category that requires expert consensus to approve that a food ingredient is safe for consumption.

The governments of Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, and Canada have also concluded that monk fruit sweeteners are safe for the gene