{"id":3840,"date":"2013-08-20T22:50:36","date_gmt":"2013-08-21T02:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/national.cleanplates.com\/?p=3840"},"modified":"2021-05-26T16:59:33","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T20:59:33","slug":"the-new-sugar-monk-fruit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cleanplates.com\/everyday-cooking\/tips\/the-new-sugar-monk-fruit\/","title":{"rendered":"The New “Sugar”: Monk Fruit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Could an ancient fruit become the newest big thing to challenge sugar? Several companies are betting on monk fruit<\/strong> (called “luo han guo” in its native China, and named for the monks said to have once harvested it). As with the herb stevia, ultra-sweet compounds are extracted from the fruit, creating a sweetener that’s about 300 times more intense than sugar (monk fruit’s extracts are called “mogrosides” ). Unlike stevia, it is caloric, but since just a few grains are enough to sweeten a cup of tea, a serving contains negligible calories. The antioxidant-rich fruit\u2014not the extract\u2014is traditionally used to treat sore throats, coughs and gut problems, and mogrosides are being researched for potential to prevent certain cancers. Check out your choices, listed from the ones with the fewest potentially harmful additives to the most:<\/p>\n