Surprising Health Benefits Of Monk Fruit

When monk fruit is fresh, the skin is green. Once the fruit is dried, however, the skin becomes brown. With that, monk fruit is said to have an extremely sweet taste. Evidence suggests the monks began using the fruit during the 13th century. From then, monk fruit was widely used in medical terms. Due to its low-calorie content, the herb is also used as a sugar alternative in beverages. Throughout its period of usage, monk fruit has been reported to have various healthful properties. In addition, some of the properties are backed by research. Here are numerous health benefits of monk fruit.

Safe For Diabetes Patients

In broad terms, monk fruit is considered safe for diabetes patients. In diabetes patients, blood glucose levels are abnormally high. Since it is non-glycemic and contains very few calories, it is unlikely to cause a spike in blood glucose.

Several studies suggest some monk fruit effects are due to active components in the fruit called mogrosides. In one 2009 study, mogroside V alone is shown to stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells. These effects are also shown in a 2008 study with alloxan-induced diabetic mice, who were supplemented with mogrosides for four weeks. Researchers saw a reduction in levels of total cholesterol, hepatic malondialdehyde, triglycerides, and glucose. A review for the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition suggests mogrosides can act as antioxidants. It is revealed mogroside V, along with 11-oxo mogroside V, demonstrated protective effects against DNA oxidative damage in a study. According to further research, DNA oxidative damage may play a role in diabetes.

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