The Monk Fruit Story
Health benefits.
How it's grown, farmed & processed.

How Monk Fruit Was Originally Discovered

Monk Fruit Origins

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!

lo han guo - buddha fruit
monk fruit extract healing cancer properties

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.

lo han guo - buddha fruit

What Makes Monk Fruit Sweet

Mogroside V

The sweetness of Monk Fruit is derived from Cucurbitane Glycosides. Cucurbitane Glycosides are the main components of the fruit. Collectively these Glycosides are renowned as Mogrosides. To be a little more specific, MogrosideV is what gives us that super sweet taste. And to put it simply, a higher percentage of MogrosideV will mean the extract will be sweeter.

Take for instance our Golden Lo Han Guo (25% MogrosideV) and Lo Han guo (40% MogrosideV) extracts. Our Golden Lo Han Guo has a lower amount of MogrosideV than Lo Han Guo which means it will not be as sweet. Golden Lo Han Guo will be a golden colour whereas Lo Han Guo is an almond white. Some say the Golden Lo Han Guo preserves that fruity taste too.

Monk Fruit extract richer in MogrosideV is accomplished via additional purification steps. Each of the fruits contain around 0.5% MogrosideV. So to achieve 25% MogrosideV, around 50 monk Fruits will be purified. Nearby 80 Monk Fruits will be cleansed to achieve 40% MogrosideV.

The Final Result

1:1 Sugar Replacement
75 servings per 300g pouch
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100% Monk Fruit Extract | 25% Mogroside V
150-200x Sweeter Than Sugar
322 Servings Per 20g Pouch
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100% Monk Fruit Extract | 40% Mogroside V
200-300x Sweeter Than Sugar
356 Servings Per 20g Pouch
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