Why You May Want To Avoid Monk Fruit Sweetener - Tasting Table

"Many folks have a love-hate relationship with sugar, resulting in a roaming eye for viable substitutes. Some alternatives don't tickle the tastebuds, while others fail to match lifestyle standards. Then there's a somewhat mysterious stranger called monk fruit sweetener, which seems like a promising candidate. It's super sweet, has zero calories, doesn't raise blood glucose, and harbors something called mogrosides that are said to be anti-inflammatory. It also comes with two cool nicknames: luo han guo and swingle."

"First are issues with availability and cost. The fruit grows in limited areas, mostly southern China for commercial use, and it requires careful harvesting and extraction of the crucial mogroside compounds, which is where most of the sweet stuff resides. This makes the cultivated product more expensive and harder to find than other types of sweeteners. If the goal is to broadly replace cane or granulated sugar in your household, monk fruit sweeteners aren't necessarily a practical choice."

"Then there are the potential issues with taste and additives. While some people note the fruity, warm, and sweet flavor of monk fruit extract, others describe a bitter or metallic aftertaste. Even more concerning for people seeking natural sweeteners is that many monk fruit-based products are not pure monk fruit extract but blends, which can contain other sweeteners or sugar alcohols that potentially bring negative health effects, according to Healthline."

Monk fruit sweetener provides intense sweetness with zero calories, no blood glucose rise, and contains mogrosides that may have anti-inflammatory properties. Commercial production is limited to certain regions, primarily southern China, and requires careful harvesting and extraction, making the product more expensive and less available than common sweeteners. Flavor varies among individuals, with some noting fruity warmth and others reporting bitter or metallic aftertastes. Many products are blends rather than pure extract and can include other sweeteners or sugar alcohols with possible negative health effects. The sweetener holds GRAS status, but long-term safety studies remain limited and inconclusive.

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