You may not have heard of monk fruit before, or if you have, you might not have any idea what it looks or tastes like.

It may not look as impressive and delicious as other fruits, but monk fruit is becoming more popular due to its incredible health benefits. In particular, it has caught the attention of those in the diabetes community for a number of reasons.

Monk fruit is a small green melon that is native to China. Its name is derived from the monks who first cultivated it years ago. It was used in Ancient Chinese medicine and has been used ever since.

Monk fruit sweetener can be produced by drying the fruit and extracting the resulting product. It is around 200 times sweeter than standard table sugar, but has no calories and no carbohydrates.

This means it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels when ingested. This is unlike traditional sugars and artificial sweeteners that significantly raise your blood sugar.

Now you know a little more about what monk fruit is, here are three of the incredible health benefits that it provides. 

No Effect On Blood Sugar

Monk fruit has an extremely sweet taste, but its sweetness comes from the natural compounds it contains called mogrosides. These compounds do not cause a rapid rise in your blood sugar levels like many other sweet compounds. This makes it safe for those with diabetes.

Many foods that contain monk fruit sweeteners also contain other sugars that do cause a spike in your blood glucose concentrations or affect insulin sensitivity.

For this reason, it’s important that if you’re diabetic, you check the nutrition labels on sweet foods so you are aware of the potential sugars that it contains.

Helpful for Weight Loss

If you have a sweet tooth, it can be difficult to reduce your sugar intake and cut the calories. But because it contains no calories and no carbohydrates or fat, monk fruit can be beneficial for those who are looking to lose weight.

Monk fruit provides a sweeter-tasting alternative to sugars like sucrose that do contain calories. It can be used to sweeten a number of things, including hot tea or coffee, breakfast cereals, yogurts, and baked goods.

As mentioned above, always check the labels of any products that contain monk fruit so you aren’t accidentally consuming added calorie-containing sugars.

Reduced Inflammation

Monk fruit has been used for years to soothe a sore throat and reduce phlegm production, but it is now recognized as an effective substance in the treatment of several different health conditions. This is because of the mogrosides contained within the monk fruit.

Mogrosides are thought to have some anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Since inflammation is a key contributor to conditions including heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and cancer, regular consumption of monk fruit may reduce your risk of developing these diseases.

John M