Ingredient monographNo. 15 / 15

Monk Fruit Extract (Luo Han Guo)

What is monk fruit extract? Monk fruit extract is a sweetener made from the fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii, also called luo han guo, a vine native to southern China. Its sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides, and depending on their content the extract is 100 to 250 times sweeter than sugar.[1][2] FDA has not questioned its GRAS status.[3]

Class
Sweetener
Form in Replenish
Siraitia grosvenorii fruit extract (mogrosides)
Dates
Published · Last reviewed

What it is

Luo han guo is a perennial vine in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae; its botanical synonyms include Momordica grosvenorii.[2] The extract is made by extracting the fruit with water and purifying it. Its main sweet components are mogrosides, glycosides built on a core called mogrol, and the principal one is mogroside V. Commercial extracts differ in how much mogroside V they contain.[2]

Like steviol glycosides, mogrosides are broken down by gut bacteria, which strip off sugar units and release mogrol. Unlike them, mogroside V is absorbed to some extent and reaches the bloodstream, which matters for how regulators judge the safety data.[2]

FDA lists monk fruit extract among three plant- and fruit-based high-intensity sweeteners it has evaluated through GRAS notices, with steviol glycosides and thaumatin.[1] In Replenish it sits alongside Reb M and erythritol.

Official reference values

Monk fruit extract is not a nutrient, and no regulator has set a numerical acceptable daily intake for it. Its status differs sharply between the US and the EU.

Monk fruit extract: official reference values and regulatory status
Authority Value or status Notes
US FDA, 2010 onward GRAS notices answered "no questions" First notice GRN 301 (2010), for use as a sweetener and flavor enhancer and as a tabletop sweetener; several more since, including GRN 706 (2017)
EFSA (EU), 2019 Could not conclude on safety as a food additive Toxicity data judged insufficient; no ADI set
JECFA (FAO/WHO) Not evaluated; no ADI Placed on the 2016 agenda, then removed because no data were submitted

Sources: FDA GRAS Notice Inventory;[3][4] EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings, Safety of use of Monk fruit extract as a food additive in different food categories, 2019, which also reports the JECFA history.[2] ADI = acceptable daily intake. GRAS = generally recognized as safe.

Replenish lists monk fruit extract under Other Ingredients, which carry no declared amount.

A GRAS conclusion is tied to the intended conditions of use described in each notice; FDA's letters say it has no questions about the notifier's conclusion for those uses.[1] EFSA's 2019 opinion answered a different question, an application to authorize the extract as a new food additive in the EU, and it also noted that monk fruit was not used as a food in the EU before May 1997 and had not been assessed as a novel food.[2]

What the evidence says

Why EFSA could not conclude. EFSA's panel found that extracts with 25% and 55% mogroside V were negative in standard tests for gene damage, but that the lab tests did not adequately cover the compounds gut bacteria produce from mogrosides, including mogrol.[2] In a 90-day rat study of an extract with 52% mogroside V, lower testis weight with tissue changes was seen, and the panel said the adversity of that finding could not be ruled out. A reproductive screening study found no effects, but it did not expose male rats for a full cycle of sperm production.[2] Because mogroside V reaches the bloodstream, EFSA's guidance called for long-term toxicity and cancer studies, which had not been provided.[2] This is a finding of missing data, not evidence of harm in people.

What FDA reviewed. FDA notes that the extract has been the subject of published subchronic, clinical and genotoxicity studies, and it has not questioned the GRAS conclusions submitted to it.[1]

Blood sugar. Human data are thin. In a randomized crossover study in 30 healthy men, a monk fruit-sweetened drink caused much smaller glucose and insulin rises than a sucrose drink in the first hour. The men then ate more at lunch, glucose and insulin after lunch were higher than with sucrose, and total responses over 3 hours did not differ.[5] Stevia and aspartame drinks behaved the same way. It was a single-day study.

WHO guidance. WHO's 2023 guideline suggests that non-sugar sweeteners not be used as a means of weight control or of reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases. Its definition covers all synthetic and naturally occurring non-nutritive sweeteners that are not sugars; its list of common examples names stevia but not monk fruit.[6] The guideline is conditional, is not a safety assessment, and does not apply to people with existing diabetes.[6] How sweeteners fit into choosing a drink mix is in the best electrolytes for a GLP-1.

Safety and interactions

In the US, monk fruit extract is used under GRAS notices that FDA has not questioned.[3][4] In the EU, its safety as a food additive remains unresolved for lack of long-term data.[2] Both positions can be true at once: one reflects the evidence submitted for specific US uses, the other EFSA's data requirements for a new EU food additive.

We found no labeled drug interactions for monk fruit extract in the sources we used.

If you take prescription medicine, ask your pharmacist or prescriber before adding a supplement.

In Replenish

Replenish uses monk fruit extract with Reb M and erythritol to sweeten a lemon-lime mix that supports hydration.† It appears under Other Ingredients, which carry no declared amount. See Replenish, and the other ways to keep fluids up in what to drink on a GLP-1 besides water.

Frequently asked questions

Is monk fruit the same as luo han guo?

Yes. Monk fruit and luo han guo are common names for Siraitia grosvenorii.[1][2]

Is monk fruit extract safe?

FDA has not questioned GRAS notices for it since 2010.[3] EFSA could not conclude on its safety as an EU food additive in 2019 because long-term toxicity data were missing and a rat testis finding was unresolved.[2]

How sweet is monk fruit?

Between 100 and 250 times sweeter than sugar, depending on its mogroside content.[1]

Does monk fruit raise blood sugar?

A monk fruit-sweetened drink caused a much smaller glucose rise than a sugar drink in the first hour in one crossover study, though total responses over 3 hours, including lunch, were similar.[5]

Is monk fruit allowed in Europe?

EFSA's 2019 opinion could not conclude on its safety as a food additive, and it noted monk fruit had not been assessed as a novel food in the EU.[2]

References

  1. US Food and Drug Administration. Aspartame and Other Sweeteners in Food. fda.gov. fda.gov. ↩︎
  2. EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF), Younes M, Aquilina G, et al. Safety of use of Monk fruit extract as a food additive in different food categories. EFSA J. 2019;17(12):e05921. Full text. PMID: 32626208. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5921. ↩︎
  3. US Food and Drug Administration. GRAS Notice No. 301: Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle (Luo Han Guo) fruit extract (SGFE). FDA GRAS Notice Inventory. 2010. hfpappexternal.fda.gov. ↩︎
  4. US Food and Drug Administration. GRAS Notice No. 706: Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle (Luo Han Guo) fruit extract. FDA GRAS Notice Inventory. 2017. hfpappexternal.fda.gov. ↩︎
  5. Tey SL, Salleh NB, Henry J, et al. Effects of aspartame-, monk fruit-, stevia- and sucrose-sweetened beverages on postprandial glucose, insulin and energy intake. Int J Obes (Lond). 2017;41(3):450–457. PubMed. PMID: 27956737. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2016.225. (abstract read) ↩︎
  6. World Health Organization. Use of non-sugar sweeteners: WHO guideline. World Health Organization. 2023. (Recommendation and supporting information) who.int. ↩︎

General information, not medical advice. Corrections: support@zornava.com.