TruMonk Leaf touched Hands Image

Why Monk Fruit

This mountain-grown superfruit may have more benefits for the body than just about any other sweetener, and it won’t throw your gut out of balance.

What is monk fruit?

Monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, is a small fruit grown in southern China. The region’s Luo Han monks discovered the nutrient-dense superfood more than 1,000 years ago. These renowned healers believed it promoted longevity, and modern science may soon prove them right.

Monk fruit thrives in high-elevation, high-humidity conditions. Local farmers cultivate it as they have for centuries, hand-pollinating each fruit, using only natural pest control, and hand-harvesting at peak ripeness. The fruit is packed with compounds called mogrosides, which give it both its intense sweetness and its antioxidant properties.

Monk Fruit Extract Powder

Monk fruit extract is a powder made by crushing the fruit and filtering out its juice to remove sugars. The pulp and mogrosides are then dehydrated and turned into a powdered sweetener. The concentration of mogrosides dictates how sweet the product will be. For example, TruMonk has a 25% concentration of mogrosides, making it 140 times sweeter than sugar, while a 50% concentration is 300 times sweeter.

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TruMonk 140X sweeter than sugar decorative image table

A superfood with super health benefits

TruMonk™ - our organic monk fruit extract powder - is a wholly natural, plant-based sweetener with just one ingredient, no additives, and multiple health promoting benefits:

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Health Benefits of TruMonk™

Low Glycemic Index

Unlike added sugars and high calorie sweeteners, TruMonk™ has a glycemic index score of zero and does not raise or spike blood sugar levels.

Health Benefits of TruMonk™

Zero Calories

Monk fruit extract has no calories, so it doesn’t increase your calorie consumption, making it ideal for people managing their caloric intake.

Health Benefits of TruMonk™

Antioxidant Properties

The mogrosides in monk fruit are antioxidants, which means they protect cells from harmful free radicals that cause damage to DNA.

Health Benefits of TruMonk™

Anti-Inflammatory

Oxidative damage from free radicals is a type of inflammation; as antioxidants, mogrosides help
prevent this type of inflammation.

Health Benefits of TruMonk™

Cancer & Diabetes Prevention

Recent studies suggest that monk fruit extracts like TruMonk™ may reduce blood sugar, stimulate insulin production and even inhibit cancer cell growth. More testing is needed to confirm, but the results are promising.

Not all sweeteners are created equal.

We all know that we need to limit our added sugar intake. But many alternative sweeteners can have their own negative impacts.

Monk Fruit

Includes: Monk Fruit Extract Powder and Liquid

Pure monk fruit extract has zero calories and does not raise blood sugar. It has no known side effects, and the FDA has deemed it “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” for everyone, including children and those who are pregnant. While scientific studies on monk fruit extract are limited, they’ve so far shown antioxidant properties and potential for other health benefits. The flavor of monk fruit extract is quite sweet, so a little goes a long way, but many people prefer it to sweeteners with a bitter aftertaste.7
Monk Fruit Extract Powder and Liquid Image
Added Sugars

Includes: Cane Sugar, Corn Syrup, Honey, Maple Syrup

Added sugars should be less than 10% of your diet.1 They are considered high glycemic index, meaning they raise blood sugar, and consuming too much can lead to weight gain or even type 2 diabetes. They can also increase blood pressure and chronic low-grade inflammation, which is linked to many illnesses from heart disease to Alzheimer’s.2
Honey Mapple Syrup image
Sugar Alcohols

Includes: Erythritol, Xylitol, Sorbitol, Maltitol

Sugar alcohols are low calorie and don’t spike blood sugar because your body can’t fully absorb them. Instead, bacteria break them down in your large intestine, which can cause bloating, gas, upset stomach, and laxative effects. A recent study also found that erythritol is closely associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke.3
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Artificial Sweeteners

Includes: Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin, Acesulfame-K

These commercially produced sweeteners contain zero calories, so they don’t raise blood sugar. However, they have been linked to a number of health concerns, including increased appetite, weight gain, and dysbiosis, an imbalance of gut bacteria that has been associated with numerous physical and mental health issues.4
Sweetener packages in a glass cup
Agave

Includes: Agave Syrup, Agave Nectar

Agave is known as a low glycemic index sweetener because it’s low in glucose, but that’s because it’s 85% fructose. Fructose can only be metabolized in the liver, so consuming too much can lead to metabolic issues and other health problems, including high LDL (bad) cholesterol, increased belly fat, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.5
Agave syrup nectar in a glass cup
Stevia

Includes: Powdered Stevia, Crystal Stevia, Liquid Drops

Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener made from the glycosides of the stevia plant. The FDA has recognized these glycosides as safe, but not the raw stevia leaf, in part due to concerns about kidney, reproductive, and cardiovascular harms. Some people also find stevia’s taste unpleasant, so manufacturers may use additives like dextrose and erythritol to mask it. Finally, stevia may cause allergic reactions in people who are allergic to Asteraceae plants such as ragweed, daisies, and sunflowers.6
Powdered stevia drops in a transparent cup

The sweet truth at a glance

The weet truth at a glance table image
  1. CDC. Get the Facts: Added Sugars
  2. Harvard Health Publishing. The Sweet Danger of Sugar
  3. Cleveland Clinic. What To Know About Sugar Alcohols.
  4. GoodRX Health. What Are Artificial Sweeteners, and Are They Bad For Me?
  5. Healthline. Agave Nectar: A Sweetener That’s Even Worse Than Sugar?
  6. Healthline. Monk Fruit vs. Stevia: Which Sweetener Should You Use
  7. Healthline. Why Everyone’s Going Mad for Monk Fruit