10 Health Benefits of Monk Fruit
Monk fruit grows on a vine and belongs to the gourd family, which also includes melons and cucumbers. Monk fruit’s vine reaches a top length of about five meters. Native to Northern Thailand and Southern China, monk fruit is a small melon named after the monks who cultivated it centuries ago in the East.
While it is not as physically appealing as many other fruits, monk fruit is a storehouse of nutrients. It also contains a rich array of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds. The monk fruit is also known as the longevity fruit because of its potential to improve quality of life by improving the health status of those who consume it regularly.
Monk fruit has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries due to its many benefits. This article looks at 10 of those benefits.
Monk Fruit Benefit #1: Fights Fatigue
If you are prone to getting tired or losing attention as soon as you embark on an activity, consuming monk fruit regularly can help you get rid of this state. Studies have shown that monk fruit increases the amount of glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is the form in which the body stores glucose for later use.
When required, the glycogen is broken down to provide glucose, which is then broken down to generate energy. In an experiment carried out in mice, extracts of monk fruit were found to increase the activity of mice under study for endurance when swimming. This effect was greater with higher doses. Moreover, monk fruit extract increases the number of mitochondria, which are the energy-generating compartments within cells.
Monk Fruit Benefit #2: Antioxidant
When your body processes the food that you eat, it ends up producing various other substances, among them harmful ones that are not readily removed from the body. Some of these substances, known as free radicals, are very reactive and can attack your normal cells. This leads to cell damage, which diminishes the capacity of cells to function properly. Ideally, the body should detoxify these free radicals by using antioxidants.
However, when the body’s natural reserve of antioxidants is depleted or overwhelmed, there is real danger of developing diseases and conditions like cancers, high blood pressure, and diabetes due to the buildup of free radicals. The monk fruit has powerful antioxidant properties that prevent damage to cells and protect against diseases.
Monk Fruit Benefit #3: Reduces Inflammation
When the body is exposed to irritants, it elicits a reactionary response to attempt to keep off the substance or destroy it. One major sign of such a response is inflammation often characterized by swelling in the affected areas. This series of allergic responses is caused by the release of some chemical substances, mainly histamines. These chemicals lead to the signs of inflammation that appear.
The monk fruit has been shown to have the ability to reduce the intensity of these inflammatory reactions. It does this by hindering release of histamines from mast cells where it is usually stored. Taking monk fruits can, therefore, provide the much-needed relief from allergic reactions, including in asthmatic patients.
Monk Fruit Benefit #4: Helps with Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most challenging health conditions of modern times. The condition arises due to problems with insulin production or the response of cells to the action of insulin. Insulin is the chemical, or hormone, that directs the cells of our bodies to take in glucose that the cells need for the production of energy for various cellular functions.
For diabetic patients, strict sugar control is key to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and thereby avoiding the complications that high sugar levels would cause. Thus, refined sugar is unadvisable among these patients as this would cause spikes in their blood sugar level. Natural sugar, such as that found in monk fruit, is a recommended alternative for such patients.
Monk Fruit Benefit #5: Lowers Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an important biological chemical that serves as a component of cell membranes and as a precursor for the synthesis of several important chemical substances in the body. However, when present in very high amounts in the bloodstream, cholesterol, particularly low-density lipoprotein or LDL, poses cardiovascular health risks. Therefore, proper control of cholesterol using exercise and dietary precautions is necessary to avoid blood circulation complications.
Monk fruit has been shown to possess the potential to lower LDL, also called bad cholesterol, while increasing HDL, or good cholesterol. In a study conducted on mice, mogrosides extract from the monk fruit, administered for four weeks, was shown to decrease the amount of total cholesterol in diabetic animals while elevating the amount of HDL.
Monk Fruit Benefit #6: Antifibrotic
Another interesting benefit of the monk fruit is its potential to control fibrosis. Fibrosis is a condition in which normal tissues become hardened due to deposition of substances produced as a result of chronic inflammation. One example of fibrosis is pulmonary fibrosis that affects the tissues of the respiratory system responsible for intake of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide. When these lung tissues have hardened, the process of gas exchange is compromised.
The antifibrotic activity of monk fruit is associated with a chemical constituent of the fruit known as mogroside IIIE, which is believed to act by modulating inflammation. Regular intake of monk fruit can, therefore, provide the much-needed relief and health benefits in conditions characterized by fibrosis such as the one described above.
Monk Fruit Benefit #7: Antimicrobial
The monk fruit has demonstrable capabilities to kill disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Unlike sugars that often provide a conducive environment for the growth of these microorganisms, the monk fruit contains substances that inhibit their growth. As such, taking monk fruit can be beneficial in maintaining the right balance of microorganisms in the gut and thereby promote gut health and digestion.
Besides, extracts of the fruit and its leaves have been shown to be active against candida, a type of fungi responsible for mouth infections and infections in and around the vagina. Additionally, studies have revealed that the extracts can kill streptococcus bacteria that causes gum disease.
Monk Fruit Benefit #8: Anti-Aging
Aging, although a natural process that occurs with the passing of the years, can be accelerated by derangements in the body’s metabolic processes. Some of the factors associated with premature aging include inflammation and accumulation of substances that impose oxidative stress in the body. The powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds in monk fruit can lower the rate of aging such that you look younger and stronger for longer.
The mogrosides, chemical substances found in the fruit, have been shown to reduce the blood levels of substances associated with poor grip and gait. Moreover, the chemicals, owing to their anti-inflammatory and oxidant properties, slow down development of diseases associated with aging such as Alzheimer’s.
Monk Fruit Benefit #9: Anticancer
The benefits of eating monk fruit go beyond its nutritional value. Monk fruit can provide important protective roles against diseases including many cancers. In addition to the described effects on modulating inflammation and controlling the levels of free radicals, monk fruit has direct effects on some cancer cells.
Various studies have found that extracts from the fruit can inhibit growth of cancer cells obtained from the breasts and skin. Similarly, tests carried out in mice have revealed the potential of monk fruit to inhibit growth of pancreatic cancer cells as well as those of colorectal cancer cells. Mogroside V is the chemical substance that is attributable to the anticancer property displayed by the fruit.
Monk Fruit Benefit #10: Protects the Liver
The liver is the second largest organ in the body after the skin, and is the largest internal organ. Among the many functions of the liver, it is involved in making proteins and in detoxification so that the body is kept healthy and free from toxins. When the liver is damaged, many things can go wrong, among them the inability to carry out metabolism of both natural chemical substances produced by the body and medicines and other ingested chemicals.
By helping to break down cholesterol, mogrosides from monk fruit protect the liver from inflammation and accompanying damage. In animal-based experiments, monk fruit extracts were found to restore the antioxidant capabilities of the liver by improving the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, which are enzymes that play a vital role in detoxification.
