Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHealth BenefitsSide EffectsComparison to SteviaDaily ServingAlternative Sweeteners
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Health Benefits
Side Effects
Comparison to Stevia
Daily Serving
Alternative Sweeteners
Monk fruit, known asSiraitia grosvenoriiorluo han guo, is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family of gourds. It is native to Southern China and is mainly used for its fruit extract, taken from the fruit, which is sweeter than sugar, after it has been dried.
Monk fruit is often considered a healthier alternative to sugar or artificial sweeteners. Evidence suggests it may be an excellent sugar substitute because it can positively affect one’s health. This article discusses the possible health benefits and side effects of consuming monk fruit.
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It’s Not Sugar, but Is Monk Fruit Healthy?
Monk fruit can be an excellent alternative to sugar because some research has found that it may offer several health benefits when consumed regularly. Some possible health benefits include:
Though some studies have found monk fruit to be a good sugar alternative, more research is necessary to determine the long-term effects of monk fruit consumption and how the compounds of the fruit work in the body to provide these health benefits.
What Makes Monk Fruit Healthy?The benefits attributed to monk fruit stem from its compound, mogroside IVe. It is a type of triterpenoid glycoside that can be extracted from monk fruit and other sweet fruits. Triterpenoid glycosides are bioactive plant compounds that can have different effects on human health.
What Makes Monk Fruit Healthy?
The benefits attributed to monk fruit stem from its compound, mogroside IVe. It is a type of triterpenoid glycoside that can be extracted from monk fruit and other sweet fruits. Triterpenoid glycosides are bioactive plant compounds that can have different effects on human health.
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Side Effects of Monk Fruit
Monk fruit is considered a food additive, which is any substance or chemical added to food during the preparation process. As a food additive, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates it.
The FDA has recognized monk fruit as generally regarded as safe (GRAS). This means that they have investigated its good and bad effects and found that it is a safe alternative to sugar. It is regulated based on its mogroside V content.
Research has determined that there are no potential adverse effects associated with consuming monk fruit sweeteners, and children and those who are pregnant are also safe to consume the product. That said, because its popularity is relatively new and human research studies on its effects are lacking, the safety of long-term use has yet to be determined.
Animal Studies and Monk Fruit SafetyThe research surrounding the side effects of monk fruit is limited. However, an older animal study published in 2006 found that, even when consumed in large amounts over the course of a month, there are no known side effects associated with monk fruit consumption.
Animal Studies and Monk Fruit Safety
The research surrounding the side effects of monk fruit is limited. However, an older animal study published in 2006 found that, even when consumed in large amounts over the course of a month, there are no known side effects associated with monk fruit consumption.
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Monk Fruit vs. Stevia
Stevia is another sweetener extracted from a plant. It is made from stevia plant leaves. Though monk fruit and stevia are considered natural sweeteners, they are not the same. Aside from the noticeable differences, such as which part of the plant is used to make the sweetener, the compound also differs. In monk fruit, it is mogrosides, whereas stevia contains a different type of glycoside known as steviol glycosides.
The chart below compares the two sweeteners based on their:
Though there is no daily recommended intake for monk fruit, research has found that people should not consume more than 12 milligrams of stevia extract per kilogram of body weight daily. This number may vary slightly depending on a person’s weight. Regardless of how much a person consumes, they should always reach for the highest-quality sweetener.
No/Low Sugar WarningMany health food products will maintain they are sugar-free or have very little sugar but may add other artificial sweeteners to make up for it. Those can include sugar alcohols or natural sweeteners. It’s important to read the label of these types of food because sugar alcohols and some artificial sweeteners are detrimental to your overall health.
No/Low Sugar Warning
Many health food products will maintain they are sugar-free or have very little sugar but may add other artificial sweeteners to make up for it. Those can include sugar alcohols or natural sweeteners. It’s important to read the label of these types of food because sugar alcohols and some artificial sweeteners are detrimental to your overall health.
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Monk Fruit Daily Serving
There is no official recommendation for daily servings of monk fruit. According to the FDA, monk fruit likely doesn’t require a daily recommended intake because consuming excessive amounts of the sweetener have yet to show any ill side effects or adverse health events.
That said, you should consume everything in moderation, and if you notice any changes after consuming a lot of monk fruit, contact a healthcare provider. Research surrounding the extract is still limited in humans.
Possible RecipesMonk fruit can be used anywhere a person would typically use sugar, such as:Baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, muffins, or cupcakesBeverages, including coffee or tea and homemade lemonades or sweet teaAdded to fruits or other dairy products such as yogurt to make them sweeter
Possible Recipes
Monk fruit can be used anywhere a person would typically use sugar, such as:Baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, muffins, or cupcakesBeverages, including coffee or tea and homemade lemonades or sweet teaAdded to fruits or other dairy products such as yogurt to make them sweeter
Monk fruit can be used anywhere a person would typically use sugar, such as:
Alternatives to Monk Fruit
There are many other sweeteners that you can use in place of monk fruit if you don’t like it or it doesn’t work for you based on cost or availability.
That said, most other alternatives will contain some calories, carbs, and sugar, so they will have some effect on blood sugar levels. Some possible alternatives include:
Choosing the right sweetener for you will depend on your current health status, goals, and personal preferences.
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Summary
Though research in humans is limited, the studies examining monk fruit so far have found that it is a safe and viable sugar substitute. It may also provide several health benefits for those who consume it regularly, such as weight management, and anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.
The chances of experiencing adverse effects are low, so enjoying monk fruit as a sugar alternative can be a great way to limit sugar intake while still enjoying your favorite sweet foods and beverages.
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13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Di R, Huang MT, Ho CT.Anti-inflammatory activities of mogrosides fromMomordica grosvenoriin murine macrophages and a murine ear edema model.J Agric Food Chem.2011 Jul 13;59(13):7474-81. doi:10.1021/jf201207mLiu C, Dai L, Liu Y, et al.Antiproliferative activity of triterpene glycoside nutrient from monk fruit in colorectal cancer and throat cancer.Nutrients.2016 Jun 13;8(6):360. doi:10.3390/nu8060360Ban Q, Cheng J, Sun X, et al.Effects of a synbiotic yogurt using monk fruit extract as sweetener on glucose regulation and gut microbiota in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus.J Dairy Sci.2020 Apr;103(4):2956-2968. doi:10.3168/jds.2019-17700Tey SL, Salleh NB, Henry J, Forde CG.Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake.Int J Obes (Lond).2017 Mar;41(3):450-457. doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.225U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Additional information about high-intensity sweeteners permitted for use in food in the United States.Qin X, Xiaojian S, Ronggan L, et al.Subchronic 90-day oral (Gavage) toxicity study of a Luo Han Guo mogroside extract in dogs.Food Chem Toxicol.2006 Dec;44(12):2106-9. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2006.07.023Shannon M, Rehfeld A, Frizzell C, et al.In vitro bioassay investigations of the endocrine disrupting potential of steviol glycosides and their metabolite steviol, components of the natural sweetener Stevia.Mol Cell Endocrinol.2016 May 15;427:65-72. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2016.03.005Arumugam B, Subramaniam A, Alagaraj P.Stevia as a natural sweetener: a review.Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem.2020;18(2):94-103. doi:10.2174/1871525718666200207105436Peteliuk V, Rybchuk L, Bayliak M, et al.Natural sweetener Stevia rebaudiana: functionalities, health benefits and potential risks.EXCLI J.2021 Sep 22;20:1412-1430. doi:10.17179/excli2021-4211Lenhart A, Chey WD.A systematic review of the effects of polyols on gastrointestinal health and irritable bowel syndrome.Adv Nutr.2017 Jul 14;8(4):587-596. doi:10.3945/an.117.015560Shivani, Thakur BK, Mallikarjun CP, et al.Introduction, adaptation and characterization of monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii): a non-caloric new natural sweetener.Sci Rep.2021 Mar 18;11(1):6205. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85689-2Ashwell M.Stevia, nature’s zero-calorie sustainable sweetener: a new player in the fight against obesity.Nutr Today.2015 May;50(3):129-134. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000094Ismail IT, Fiehn O, Elfert A, et al.Sugar alcohols have a key role in pathogenesis of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in whole blood and liver tissues.Cancers (Basel).2020 Feb 19;12(2):484. doi:10.3390/cancers12020484
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Di R, Huang MT, Ho CT.Anti-inflammatory activities of mogrosides fromMomordica grosvenoriin murine macrophages and a murine ear edema model.J Agric Food Chem.2011 Jul 13;59(13):7474-81. doi:10.1021/jf201207mLiu C, Dai L, Liu Y, et al.Antiproliferative activity of triterpene glycoside nutrient from monk fruit in colorectal cancer and throat cancer.Nutrients.2016 Jun 13;8(6):360. doi:10.3390/nu8060360Ban Q, Cheng J, Sun X, et al.Effects of a synbiotic yogurt using monk fruit extract as sweetener on glucose regulation and gut microbiota in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus.J Dairy Sci.2020 Apr;103(4):2956-2968. doi:10.3168/jds.2019-17700Tey SL, Salleh NB, Henry J, Forde CG.Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake.Int J Obes (Lond).2017 Mar;41(3):450-457. doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.225U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Additional information about high-intensity sweeteners permitted for use in food in the United States.Qin X, Xiaojian S, Ronggan L, et al.Subchronic 90-day oral (Gavage) toxicity study of a Luo Han Guo mogroside extract in dogs.Food Chem Toxicol.2006 Dec;44(12):2106-9. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2006.07.023Shannon M, Rehfeld A, Frizzell C, et al.In vitro bioassay investigations of the endocrine disrupting potential of steviol glycosides and their metabolite steviol, components of the natural sweetener Stevia.Mol Cell Endocrinol.2016 May 15;427:65-72. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2016.03.005Arumugam B, Subramaniam A, Alagaraj P.Stevia as a natural sweetener: a review.Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem.2020;18(2):94-103. doi:10.2174/1871525718666200207105436Peteliuk V, Rybchuk L, Bayliak M, et al.Natural sweetener Stevia rebaudiana: functionalities, health benefits and potential risks.EXCLI J.2021 Sep 22;20:1412-1430. doi:10.17179/excli2021-4211Lenhart A, Chey WD.A systematic review of the effects of polyols on gastrointestinal health and irritable bowel syndrome.Adv Nutr.2017 Jul 14;8(4):587-596. doi:10.3945/an.117.015560Shivani, Thakur BK, Mallikarjun CP, et al.Introduction, adaptation and characterization of monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii): a non-caloric new natural sweetener.Sci Rep.2021 Mar 18;11(1):6205. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85689-2Ashwell M.Stevia, nature’s zero-calorie sustainable sweetener: a new player in the fight against obesity.Nutr Today.2015 May;50(3):129-134. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000094Ismail IT, Fiehn O, Elfert A, et al.Sugar alcohols have a key role in pathogenesis of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in whole blood and liver tissues.Cancers (Basel).2020 Feb 19;12(2):484. doi:10.3390/cancers12020484
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Di R, Huang MT, Ho CT.Anti-inflammatory activities of mogrosides fromMomordica grosvenoriin murine macrophages and a murine ear edema model.J Agric Food Chem.2011 Jul 13;59(13):7474-81. doi:10.1021/jf201207mLiu C, Dai L, Liu Y, et al.Antiproliferative activity of triterpene glycoside nutrient from monk fruit in colorectal cancer and throat cancer.Nutrients.2016 Jun 13;8(6):360. doi:10.3390/nu8060360Ban Q, Cheng J, Sun X, et al.Effects of a synbiotic yogurt using monk fruit extract as sweetener on glucose regulation and gut microbiota in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus.J Dairy Sci.2020 Apr;103(4):2956-2968. doi:10.3168/jds.2019-17700Tey SL, Salleh NB, Henry J, Forde CG.Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake.Int J Obes (Lond).2017 Mar;41(3):450-457. doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.225U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Additional information about high-intensity sweeteners permitted for use in food in the United States.Qin X, Xiaojian S, Ronggan L, et al.Subchronic 90-day oral (Gavage) toxicity study of a Luo Han Guo mogroside extract in dogs.Food Chem Toxicol.2006 Dec;44(12):2106-9. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2006.07.023Shannon M, Rehfeld A, Frizzell C, et al.In vitro bioassay investigations of the endocrine disrupting potential of steviol glycosides and their metabolite steviol, components of the natural sweetener Stevia.Mol Cell Endocrinol.2016 May 15;427:65-72. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2016.03.005Arumugam B, Subramaniam A, Alagaraj P.Stevia as a natural sweetener: a review.Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem.2020;18(2):94-103. doi:10.2174/1871525718666200207105436Peteliuk V, Rybchuk L, Bayliak M, et al.Natural sweetener Stevia rebaudiana: functionalities, health benefits and potential risks.EXCLI J.2021 Sep 22;20:1412-1430. doi:10.17179/excli2021-4211Lenhart A, Chey WD.A systematic review of the effects of polyols on gastrointestinal health and irritable bowel syndrome.Adv Nutr.2017 Jul 14;8(4):587-596. doi:10.3945/an.117.015560Shivani, Thakur BK, Mallikarjun CP, et al.Introduction, adaptation and characterization of monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii): a non-caloric new natural sweetener.Sci Rep.2021 Mar 18;11(1):6205. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85689-2Ashwell M.Stevia, nature’s zero-calorie sustainable sweetener: a new player in the fight against obesity.Nutr Today.2015 May;50(3):129-134. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000094Ismail IT, Fiehn O, Elfert A, et al.Sugar alcohols have a key role in pathogenesis of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in whole blood and liver tissues.Cancers (Basel).2020 Feb 19;12(2):484. doi:10.3390/cancers12020484
Di R, Huang MT, Ho CT.Anti-inflammatory activities of mogrosides fromMomordica grosvenoriin murine macrophages and a murine ear edema model.J Agric Food Chem.2011 Jul 13;59(13):7474-81. doi:10.1021/jf201207m
Liu C, Dai L, Liu Y, et al.Antiproliferative activity of triterpene glycoside nutrient from monk fruit in colorectal cancer and throat cancer.Nutrients.2016 Jun 13;8(6):360. doi:10.3390/nu8060360
Ban Q, Cheng J, Sun X, et al.Effects of a synbiotic yogurt using monk fruit extract as sweetener on glucose regulation and gut microbiota in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus.J Dairy Sci.2020 Apr;103(4):2956-2968. doi:10.3168/jds.2019-17700
Tey SL, Salleh NB, Henry J, Forde CG.Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake.Int J Obes (Lond).2017 Mar;41(3):450-457. doi:10.1038/ijo.2016.225
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Additional information about high-intensity sweeteners permitted for use in food in the United States.
Qin X, Xiaojian S, Ronggan L, et al.Subchronic 90-day oral (Gavage) toxicity study of a Luo Han Guo mogroside extract in dogs.Food Chem Toxicol.2006 Dec;44(12):2106-9. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2006.07.023
Shannon M, Rehfeld A, Frizzell C, et al.In vitro bioassay investigations of the endocrine disrupting potential of steviol glycosides and their metabolite steviol, components of the natural sweetener Stevia.Mol Cell Endocrinol.2016 May 15;427:65-72. doi:10.1016/j.mce.2016.03.005
Arumugam B, Subramaniam A, Alagaraj P.Stevia as a natural sweetener: a review.Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem.2020;18(2):94-103. doi:10.2174/1871525718666200207105436
Peteliuk V, Rybchuk L, Bayliak M, et al.Natural sweetener Stevia rebaudiana: functionalities, health benefits and potential risks.EXCLI J.2021 Sep 22;20:1412-1430. doi:10.17179/excli2021-4211
Lenhart A, Chey WD.A systematic review of the effects of polyols on gastrointestinal health and irritable bowel syndrome.Adv Nutr.2017 Jul 14;8(4):587-596. doi:10.3945/an.117.015560
Shivani, Thakur BK, Mallikarjun CP, et al.Introduction, adaptation and characterization of monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii): a non-caloric new natural sweetener.Sci Rep.2021 Mar 18;11(1):6205. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85689-2
Ashwell M.Stevia, nature’s zero-calorie sustainable sweetener: a new player in the fight against obesity.Nutr Today.2015 May;50(3):129-134. doi:10.1097/NT.0000000000000094
Ismail IT, Fiehn O, Elfert A, et al.Sugar alcohols have a key role in pathogenesis of chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in whole blood and liver tissues.Cancers (Basel).2020 Feb 19;12(2):484. doi:10.3390/cancers12020484
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