If you’re not too familiar with the name monk fruit, does the words luo han guo ring a bell? Yes, the dark coloured dried fruit that’s often boiled to a herbal drink and sold at coffee shops does more than hydrate your body.
Discover the amazing benefits of this fruit, how you could put it to good use (yes, you can enjoy it in many other ways and not just as a drink) as well as the downside to it.
#1
Monk fruit is naturally sweet thanks to a natural compound known as mogrosides. Hence, making this fruit generally safe for diabetics as it does not increase one’s blood sugar level.
#2
If you’re a huge fan of monk fruit, you’d be glad to know that this fruit has zero calories, carbohydrates and fat. So, the next time you’re craving for something sweet, perhaps reaching out for a cup of monk fruit herbal tea would be a better option than fizzy soda.
#3
Monk fruit has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries and there’s a good reason to this. A 2011 study found that monk fruit has anti-inflammatory properties and provides relief for sore throat.
#4
Monk fruits are available dried or processed to granules and sold as a sweetener.
#5
If you experience hives, swollen tongue, stomach pain or wheezing after consuming monk fruit, seek medical help immediately as you could be allergic to it.
#6
Besides a herbal drink, monk fruit can be enjoyed as a sweetener in coffee, cakes, smoothies, oatmeal as well as salad dressing.
