The Monk Fruit Story
Health benefits.
How it's grown, farmed & processed.
How Monk Fruit Was Originally Discovered
Luo han guo (Monk Fruit’s native name) is a small round fruit that was originally discovered by the Buddhist Monk’s thousands of years ago in the mountains of the Guilin area, Southern China. The monks believed that the sweet tasting fruit would heal people also bringing long life, so it became known as the ‘longevity fruit.’
Monk Fruit Health Benefits
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
These anti-inflammatory properties have been found to decrease the risk of cancers, digestive problems (e.g. IBS), help relieve coughs & sore throats*
Source of Antioxidants
MogrosideV (the super sweet elements of Monk Fruit, more below), provide us with these antioxidant properties*.
Diabetic Friendly
Zero glycemic index, zero calories + zero net carbs. Won't spike blood glucose so a perfect sugar alternative for diabetics and keto followers**.
Reduces Bloodsugar Levels
Studies have shown blood sugars are lower when substituting with Monk Fruit extract. Good cholesterol rates also improved**.
How Monk Fruit Is Grown
The Mountains Of Guilin
With its dense, steep mountains and optimal sunlight, the Guilin area is the perfect environment for the Monk Fruit to grow as it thrives in climates of about 60-80% humidity. Today the fruit is still grown in Guilin by the local farmers. The mountainous range is about 2 hours away from the nearest city which helps to avoid city pollution. Workers make the 45 min walk from the nearest villages to the plantation; amazingly, each plant requires a human hand to pollinate and enable it to grow.
3D Video Available HERE
Pesticide-Free Farming
During the year, each plant is carefully tended and maintained to ensure the fruits grow nice and big and become a lovely dewy green colour. The farmers use natural techniques such as netting and bottle traps to stop bugs from damaging the fruits – the same pesticide-free technique used for centuries.
How many monk fruits in Buddha Fruit products?
Each 1 fruit contains only 0.5% of MogrosideV, so, if you work it out, our Golden Lo Han Guo contains about 50 of the melon-type fruits and Lo Han Guo about 80 – that’s a lot of Monk Fruit’s packed into our 20g packets!
Sustainable Harvesting & Field Cycling
Around September/October, the fruits have matured and are ready to be harvested. Once picked, they’re transported to the nearby factory where they are inspected for size, ripeness or mould. Any that pass inspection are then washed, crushed and steeped in water; the fruit’s go through a filtration process which also separates the pulp and mogrisides. Any waste is used by the farmers as compost.
To ensure the soil stays fertile for optimal fruit growth, the plantation sites are rotated every 5 years. So, for 3 years the area will only grow Monk Fruit. Then after 3 years, the farmers remove the poles and netting to plant saplings, which then re-grow into a forest enabling wildlife and ecosystems to flourish once again in their natural habitat.