Monk fruit (luo han guo)
Siraitia grosvenorii · 罗汉果
Fruits. Chinese Medicine and Modern nutrition.
Also called Luo han guo, Buddha fruit, Luo han
Pinyin: Luó Hàn Guǒ
A round fruit from southern China. Its extract is a popular low-calorie sweetener, and it is used in Chinese medicine for cough and sore throat.
Did you know? Its sweetness comes from mogrosides, compounds that can taste up to about 250 times sweeter than sugar.
What it may help, and how strong the proof is
- Sore throat & cough. Used for sore throat and cough in tradition. Human proof is limited.Traditional proof
- Blood sugar. Used as a sugar substitute. Its sweeteners are not absorbed like sugar, but human trials on blood sugar are few.Traditional proof
- Weight. Weight-loss claims are popular, but there is no good human proof for them.Not supported
Parts of the body
Mouth & throat, Lungs, Pancreas & blood sugar, Energy & metabolism
Traditional use
Chinese medicine uses luo han guo to moisten the lungs, ease cough and sore throat, and loosen stools. It is often brewed as a tea.
How it is classified
- Herbal actions
- Antitussive, Laxative, Demulcent. Energy: cooling.
- Chinese medicine
- 罗汉果 Transform phlegm & stop cough. Nature: cool. Flavour: sweet. Enters the Lung and Large Intestine channels.
How people take it
As a sweetener, use it as the package says. For tea, steep one dried fruit or a small piece in hot water.
Tea, food and powder.
Where to get it
Grown in southern China and sold as whole dried fruit, tea, and mogroside extract in sweetener blends. Pure extract is much more concentrated than the fruit.
Be careful
Generally low risk. Sweetener blends often contain sugar alcohols or other sweeteners, so read the label. Large amounts may cause loose stools.
Mixing with other things
- Works well together
Often blended with monk fruit in tabletop and drink sweeteners.
The honest take
Monk fruit sweetener is a useful sugar substitute and is generally considered low risk. Its traditional use for cough has little human proof. Health claims beyond sweetening are mostly marketing.