Concerns about sugar consumption are leading more and more people to look for sugar substitutes with fewer calories. The problem with that is, sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners can also be filled with other harmful chemicals and ingredients, and despite what many believe, some even contain calories and affect sugar levels. This isn't the case with monk fruit extract. This sweetener has been celebrated as a revolutionary way to sweeten foods and drinks without the harmful effect of traditional sugar and certain sugar substitutes. Considered 200-300 times sweeter than regular cane sugar, monk fruit sugar has no calories and no effect on blood sugar.
If you are new to monk fruit, it's a small, green fruit that is a member of the Cucurbitaceae plant family. It was named after monks that harvested the fruit in southern Chinese mountains as early as the 13th century. Throughout history, the extract of the monk fruit was used medicinally as an expectorant, cough remedy, treatment for constipation and as a remedy for cleaning heat/fevers from the body. Today, sweet extracts of natural plants such as stevia and monk fruit are considered by experts attractive alternatives to sugar.
You can find monk fruit extract available in several forms such as liquid extract, powder and granules (like cane sugar). Technically speaking, monk fruit contains a very small amount of calories and carbohydrates, just like other fruit and vegetables. However, the fruit is not commonly consumed fresh because it starts to taste rotten quickly after harvesting, and when dried, its sugars break down. In its fresh form, monk fruit has about 25%-38% carbohydrates, as well as come vitamin C. After drying, the trace amount of fructose, glucose and other components are considered insignificant, so it's typically counted as a zero-calorie food.
Benefits of Monk Fruit Sweetener
Antioxidants that Fight Free Radicals
The monk fruit's mogrosides ( the compounds that give it its intense sweetness) are also powerful antioxidants. Oxidative stress plays a major part in many diseases and disorders, and choosing high-antioxidant foods is essential to reducing free radical damage in the body. Research has shown that mogrosides have the ability to inhibit reactive oxygen species and DNA damage. Considering the fact that the same monk fruit ingredients that provide antioxidants also provide a no-calorie sweetener, this makes it nothing less than a superfood.
Lower Risk of Obesity and Diabetes
It's estimated that we consume about 60 kilos of sugar per year, as opposed to our ancestors in the early 1800s who average about 5 kilos. This sure in sugar intake has increased obesity rates as well as cases of diabetes.
Studies have reported that substituting sweeteners with non-nutritive sweeteners may aid in glycaemic control and bodyweight management. In the studies, non-nutritive sweeteners included aspartame, monk fruit and stevia, which are found to contribute substantially less to total daily energy intake, insulin release, and postprandial glucose compared with sucrose-sweetened beverages.
Monk fruit, especially, has shown to improve insulin response and doesn't affect blood sugar levels the way natural sugars do. This means it can give you the sweet flavour you crave without the negative side effects.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Ancient Chinese used to drink tea made from the boiled monk fruit to cool the body from ailments, including fever and heat stroke. The reason why this method works is thanks to the monk fruit's mogrosides, which have natural anti-inflammatory effects.
How to Choose and Use Monk Fruit Sweetener
Due to its short shelf life, the only way to try fresh monk fruit would be to travel to Southeast Asia and buy one fresh off the vine, which is obviously unrealistic to many people. The next best way to try monk fruit extract is to buy it in dried form. When shopping for monk fruit powder, look for one that is at least 80% pure extract, which means that it contains a high proportion of the mogrosides that give it sweetness and antioxidant-boosting power.
Note that monk fruit powder is extremely potent, with a small spoonful providing an equivalent amount of sweetness as a cup of sugar. When it comes to ways to use monk fruit powder to replace sugar in your diet, consider the following:
- Breakfast Sweetener: If you tend to crave an extra boost of sweetness in your morning oatmeal or yogurt, stirring this sweetener into your morning meals will feel indulgent without packing on the excess sugar. You can also use monk fruit sweeter on your coffee or tea.
- Baking sugar substitute: Like with stevia, baking with monk fruit powder may take a bit of trial and error as the volume of monkey fruit sweeter needed is so much less than table sugar. Start by cutting the sugar quantity in half and adding an equivalent amount of mont fruit sweeteners - by sweetness, not by volume. Keep in mind that 1tsp of the sweetener equals 1 cup of sugar.
- Blended Into Your Smoothie - Add a sprinkle of monk fruit sweetener to your favourite smoothie and it'll taste much better.