Monk fruit is a fruit native to southeast Asia and a member of the gourd (Cucurbitaceae) family. It is named after the Buddhist monks who first cultivated the fruit nearly 800 years ago.
It contains powerful antioxidants called mogrosides that are 250 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose) [1].
For this reason, its extract has been traditionally used as a natural, non-caloric sweetener to replace sugar [2].
Monk fruit has:
Monk fruit contains mogrosides, antioxidants that decrease blood vessel leakiness (permeability), inhibit histamine release from mast cells, and prevent inflammatory damage.
Mogrosides are saponins, chemicals that prevent the excess leakiness of cell membranes (membrane hyperpermeability), which protects mitochondria and DNA from oxidative damage [17, 18, 19, 20, 17, 2, 21].
Mogrosides also protect DNA by increasing the production of PARP1, p53, and MAPK9 [2].
Mogrosides have anti-cancer effects by:
Mogrosides also decrease inflammation by:
Mogroside extract improves glucose and fat metabolism by [24, 25]:
Monk fruit contains compounds that have antibacterial activity. In the lab, beta-amyrin, aloe-emodin, sitosterol, and daucosterol inhibited the growth of Streptococcus mutans, Actinobacillus, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Candida albicans [26].
Cancer may occur due to a variety of environmental factors. Chronic oxidative damage, carcinogens, nutrient deficiency, and an inadequate supply of oxygen to tissue (respiratory perfusion) all contribute to the initiation and progression of cancer by causing genetic stress [27, 28, 29].
Monk fruit contains a variety of compounds that have anti-cancer effects:
Selective mutations allow limitless replication and evasion of programmed cell death (apoptosis) by cancerous cells.
DNA repair is crucial in warding off these mutations. Mogrosides increase protective genes involved in DNA repair, genomic stability, and apoptosis (PARP, p53, and MAPK9) [2].
Furthermore, a key signature of cancer cells that differentiates them from healthy cells is how they burn fuel to create energy (ATP).
Healthy cells use oxygen in their mitochondria to produce more energy than burning glucose alone (fermentation).
In contrast, cancer cells have increased glucose metabolism as a result of insufficient mitochondrial respiration (even in the presence of oxygen) [31, 32].
Because of this, promising therapies are being produced to target the metabolic parameters of cancer cells, including limiting their fuel by restricting sugar intake [33, 34].
If used as a replacement for sugar, monk fruit may have synergistic anti-tumor effects. It limits the fuel (blood glucose) cancer needs to thrive and protects the genes that initiate cancer cell death (p53) [35, 36, 37].
A diet high in simple sugars and deficient of essential nutrients can lead to cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal irritability, and allergies. Chronic inflammation is at the root of the most prevalent diseases [37, 38, 39].
In mouse cells, monk fruit extract inhibited the production of inflammatory molecules (COX-2 and IL-6) [2].
Administering monk fruit extract before exposing mice to a carcinogen blocked the induction of inflammation [23].
Histamine increases blood vessel leakiness, which enhances inflammation, to allow immune cells to engage pathogens in infected tissue.
After repeated administration, both monk fruit extract and mogrosides inhibited the release of histamine in mice (mast cell-dependent) [40, 41].
Free radical damage alters the cellular environment. Excessive damage leads to tissue destruction (necrosis) and eventually organ dysfunction.
In the lab, mogroside V exhibited inhibitory effects on superoxide, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl radicals, as well as protection against DNA oxidative damage (based on chemiluminescence) [10].
Mogroside treatment of a mouse pancreatic tumor decreased the intracellular concentration of reactive oxygen species [42].
During type II diabetes, inflammation damages the cells of the pancreas, impairing insulin secretion. As blood sugar rises, the kidneys get damaged, releasing greater amounts of albumin out through urine. This is known as diabetic nephropathy.
The therapeutic effects of monk fruit on diabetic rabbits was studied by administering an extract for 4 weeks.
It significantly decreased sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the blood, while increasing HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol, which is inversely correlated with hardening of the arteries) [43].
Monk fruit extract prevented the rise of blood sugar in mice when given 3 minutes before administering maltose [36].
It also reduced blood sugar and urinary albumin levels in diabetic rats, indicating that it can improve kidney damage caused by diabetes [35].
In a cell model, monk fruit stimulated insulin secretion and inhibited triglyceride accumulation[44, 24].
Mogroside antioxidants protected the kidney and pancreas from free radical damage (lipid peroxidation) [35].
Components of monk fruit prevent fat cells from maturing. Mogrol suppresses fat production (adipogenesis) by inhibiting the enzymes that convert stem cells to fat cells (adipocytes) [24].
Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to many diseases of aging (cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s). The most widely studied aspect of senescence is an increase in systemic inflammatory cytokines [45].
Mogrosides decreased blood markers associated with lower grip strength and gait speed in older adults [46].
These effects may be due to its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity [10, 2, 23].
Mogrosides are part of a class of compounds called saponins. Saponins act as natural surfactants [47, 48, 49].
Surfactants decrease surface tension and play a major role in preventing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and cystic fibrosis [50, 51, 52].
Mogroside IIIE possesses anti-fibrotic faculty, which decreases cell surface tension and prevents pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting inflammation and extracellular matrix deposition (by lowering myeloperoxidase, TGF–beta, and MMP9) in mice [12].
Accumulating LDL cholesterol in macrophages contributes to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of heart disease, while HDL cholesterol levels are inversely correlated with hardening of the arteries and heart disease [53].
Administering mogroside extract to diabetic mice for over 4 weeks significantly decreased total cholesterol and increased HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) [54].
Monk fruit extract decreased physical fatigue in mice in a dose-dependent manner. The treated mice had extended swimming times compared to the control group [55].
The extract also enhanced endurance by increasing liver and muscle glycogen, while decreasing blood lactic acid and serum urea nitrogen (SUN).
Monk fruit extract also stimulated the production of new mitochondria (by increasing PGC-1ɑ activity) [56].
Liver inflammation slows down bile flow, which is detrimental to fat metabolism and the excretion of cholesterol, drugs, and toxic metabolites. Disrupting bile acid metabolism clogs the gallbladder (cholestasis) and causes fatty liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes [57].
Mogroside helps break down cholesterol and protect the liver from oxidative damage. In diabetic mice, mogroside treatment reactivated liver antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase), which play a critical role in detoxification [15, 57, 54].
The fruit has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat a sore throat and cough.
A compound of monk fruit extract called siraitiflavandiol is antimicrobial against the growth of Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Candida albicans in cell culture [26].
In the lab, components of monk fruit prevented the growth of oral bacteria and fungal species[58].
After repeated administration, monk fruit extract prevented allergic symptoms (nasal rubbing or scratching) in mice. The mogrosides and extract inhibited the release of histamine from mast cells [41].
Mogrosides significantly enhanced cellular immunity in immunosuppressed mice (by promoting phagocytosis and T lymphocyte proliferation) [59].
A meta-analysis on monk fruit found that extracts and individual compounds in monk fruit are non-toxic according to existing research [15].
Monk fruit juice concentrate is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Association as an ingredient in conventional food and infant and toddler foods, as stated on the FDA website [60].
Both are zero-calorie, high-intensity sweeteners [2].
Although monk fruit and stevia are increasingly used as sweeteners, the number of studies on their health effects are limited [61].
By Randa Laouar, BS (Biochemistry & Physiology) Reviewed By Dr. Evguenia Alechine, PhD (Biomedical Sciences)
Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii), or Luo han guo, is a fruit native to southeast Asia and a member of the gourd (Cucurbitaceae) family. It is a natural sweetener with many health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer effects, promoting heart and liver health and reducing fatigue. Read more to learn about the benefits and side effects of this fruit.
Monk fruit extract is derived from the pulp of the fruit and is used to sweeten foods and beverages without the calories of sugar. In addition, the extract appears to lower both blood sugar and blood lipids in experimental models of animal diabetes. [2] The active sweet substances appear to be the mogrosides which are about 2- 300 times the as sweet as table sugar. The mogrosides also function as antioxidants, potentially limiting the oxidative damage caused by high levels of blood glucose.
Along with its magical sweetening powers, monk fruit has long been regarded as the “longevity fruit” thanks to its high antioxidant levels. Throughout history, it was also used medicinally as an expectorant, cough remedy and for help with other respiratory ailments.
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