Monk fruit has increased in popularity over the past couple of years.
We dug into the science to answer your questions.
Monk fruit has increased in popularity over the past couple of years.
Photo: ThamKC / Getty Images
What is Monk Fruit?
The juice is then dried into a concentrated powder and used to sweeten several foods and beverages.
Monk fruit contains naturally occurring sugars, mainly fructose and glucose, but it is much sweeter than sugar.
The sweetness comes from mogrosides, which can make monk fruit sweetener up to 250 times sweeter than sugar.
There are zero calories, carbohydrates and fat per teaspoon, according to theUSDA.
Health Benefits
Besides being an alternative sweetener, monk fruit contains several health benefits.
Just be sure to choose monk fruit products that don’t include any added sugars.
Just because sweeteners are calorie- and sugar-freethat doesn’t mean you should add them to everything you eat.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Experiencing any issues with inflammation?
Monk fruit may be able to help with that.
Possible Drawbacks
More research is needed to determine any long-term health impacts of monk fruit.
Monk fruit also isn’t as bitter as many other sugar substitutes.
(Learn sweeteners do in your body.)
And since monk fruit sweeteners are heat-stable, they are safe to use in baked goods.
Monk fruit sweeteners can be used to sweeten a variety of foods and beverages.
And because these sweeteners are heat-stable, they can be also used in baking.
When shopping for monk fruit products, be sure choose products that don’t include any added sugars.
