Monk Fruit
- Monk fruit is a sweet fruit that has been used for centuries for its healing ability. It is also know as “Luo Han Guo” and dates back to the 13th century monks living in the steep mountain region of Southern China.
- The fruit was named after advance Buddhist practitioners, called “luohan”. It is also known as the longevity fruit; many of the population live to be over a hundred in this region of China.
Contents
Uses
- Monk fruit is used as a natural sweetener. The companies that use an all-natural process to capture the mogrocides, and make it into a find powder are usually health minded. The powder has a low Glycemic Index and, and has sweetness approximately 170 times sugar. Since Monk fruit has been used as remedy for coughs, colds, fever, lung diseases and digestive disorders for centuries – it is considered one of the safest non-sugar sweeteners.
- It is used in formulas to promote and maintain a healthy weight, and is considered good for diabetics and hypoglycemic individuals. Since it isn’t a sugar alcohol it doesn’t leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
- Look for this sweetener in grass fed whey products, health giving green drinks, and as a sweetener for beverages that are aimed at the nutritional conscious consumer.
Benefits
- Organic luo han guo supports the immune system, digestive tract, glands and respiratory system – which is why it is used in China for medicinal purposes. From allergy to cancer, this fruit holds the promise that it can help eliminate and defend against many health-related problems…
- It has been found that luo han guo extract has a powerful effect on diabetes. The extract has been shown in animal studies to decrease blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglycerides and improve liver function. In addition, it increased the HDL (“good” cholesterol) while protecting the antioxidants in the animals livers.
- In the British Journal of Nutrition, it was reported that not only was there a reduction in sugar levels, but also there was evidence of lower lipid peroxidation or cell damage and urinary albumin levels in the rats receiving luo han guo – which indicates it is also protective of the kidneys from diabetic damage.
- Conquer allergies, cancer, heart disease (and more) – naturally
- Luo han guo has been shown to have an antihistamine effect in mice given the extract. The extract seems to counter an allergic response by calming the mast cells that release the chemicals such as histamine – which is associated with both allergies and asthma.
- Japanese laboratory studies found that mogrosides from luo han guo showed extraordinary effects against skin cancer in mice. This is note worthy since research supports the idea that sugar consumption elevates the risk of cancer. Perhaps it’s the type of sweetener, since the sweet Monk fruit seems to be able to elicit the opposite response.
- Lo han guo seems to show promise at preventing cholesterol from oxidizing, and since this plays a role in the formation of plaque buildup in the arteries – it may translate to a decreased risk of heart disease and strokes.