The Benefits and Effects of Monk Fruit, Who Should Avoid It, and How to Brew It in Water

The start of autumn has just passed, and the dry autumn season will soon arrive. At this time, brewing a cup of monk fruit tea is just perfect. Monk fruit is a traditional Chinese medicine, but what many people do not know is that its greatest benefit is reducing internal heat. So besides reducing internal heat, what other benefits does monk fruit have? Below, the editor will introduce the benefits and effects of monk fruit and who should avoid it.

1. What is monk fruit?

Monk fruit is one of the famous specialty products of Guilin City, Guangxi, China, known as one of the “Three Treasures of Guilin.” Commonly called the “immortal fruit,” it is a perennial vine of the Cucurbitaceae family. The leaves of monk fruit are heart-shaped. It blooms in summer and bears fruit in autumn, and is native to southern China and northern Thailand. The most precious part of monk fruit is its sweet fruit, which is used both as medicine and as a sweetener. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to treat coughs and sore throats, and in southern China it is considered a longevity aid. The fruit is generally sold in dried form and is traditionally used in herbal tea or soup.

2. The benefits and effects of monk fruit and who should avoid it

1. Nutritional components of monk fruit

As one of the first medicinal and edible Chinese herbal medicines announced by the Ministry of Health, monk fruit has very high fruit nutritional value. The specific nutritional components are as follows:

(1) Nutrient content of 100 grams of monk fruit

(2) Nutritional elements contained in monk fruit

① Monk fruit contains mogrosides, which are 300 times sweeter than sucrose; it also contains fructose, amino acids, flavonoids, and more. The non-sugar sweet components in the fruit are mainly triterpene glycosides: mogrosides V and IV. The sweetness of mogroside V is 256-344 times that of sucrose, and the sweetness of mogroside IV is 126 times that of sucrose; without mogroside IV, it does not taste sweet. A secondary component is D-mannitol, whose sweetness is 0.55-0.65 times that of sucrose.

② Monk fruit also contains a large amount of glucose, with fructose accounting for 14%.

③ Monk fruit contains 26 inorganic elements including manganese, iron, nickel, selenium, tin, iodine, and molybdenum, as well as protein, vitamin C, and more.

④ Monk fruit seed kernels contain 41.07% oil, among which the fatty acids include: linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, palmitoleic acid, myristic acid, lauric acid, and capric acid.

2. The benefits and effects of monk fruit

(1) Medicinal value:

Nature, flavor, and meridian entry: sweet, cool. Enters the lung and large intestine meridians.

Functions and indications: clears heat and moistens the lungs, lubricates the intestines and promotes bowel movements. Used for dry cough due to lung fire, sore throat and loss of voice, and constipation due to intestinal dryness.

Usage and dosage: decoct in water or brew for drinking; or grind into powder or prepare as a formulation for oral use; it can also be chewed directly. The dosage is about 9-15 g.

Storage and shelf life: store in a dry place, protect from mold and insects.

(2) Dietary therapeutic effects:

Benefit 1: Treating scurvy

Monk fruit is rich in vitamin C as well as glycosides, fructose, glucose, protein, lipids, and more, and has a certain therapeutic effect on scurvy.

Benefit 2: Lowering blood lipids and preventing and treating high blood lipids

Monk fruit contains a large amount of crude fiber and multiple unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid and linoleic acid, which can effectively lower blood lipids and reduce fat deposition in blood vessels, and has a certain effect on preventing and treating hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.

Benefit 3: Relieving cough and pharyngitis symptoms

The D-mannitol contained in monk fruit has a very good effect on lung heat and cough, and can be used for people with cough and yellow thick phlegm, whooping cough, acute and chronic tonsillitis, and acute and chronic pharyngitis. It is the preferred beverage for many teachers and singers. We live in different environments every day, so dry throat and cough are unavoidable, but cough is also the most uncomfortable and has the greatest impact. At this time, drinking more monk fruit tea can reduce the frequency of coughing, make your throat feel very comfortable, and is very effective in treating cough.

Benefit 4: Preventing colds

Fresh monk fruit also has a good therapeutic and preventive effect on influenza. As long as fresh monk fruit and ginger are boiled together in water every day and drunk as a beverage, it not only tastes good, but can also effectively prevent colds. In the early stages of a cold, it can better control and cure it.

Benefit 5: Slowing skin aging

While preventing colds, monk fruit also contains protein components that can help remove accumulated waste from the body and slow skin aging.

Benefit 6: Assisting people with diabetes

The sugar contained in monk fruit is a monosaccharide, which not only does not adversely affect the condition of people with diabetes, but also has a certain auxiliary therapeutic effect on diabetes.

Benefit 7: Lowering fat and aiding weight loss, moistening the intestines and promoting bowel movements

Monk fruit is cool in nature and sweet in flavor, and has the benefits of lowering fat and aiding weight loss, moistening the intestines, and promoting bowel movements. Women all love beauty. Monk fruit is rich in crude fiber. Having a cup of monk fruit tea in summer can stimulate intestinal peristalsis, promote digestion, relieve constipation and improve appearance, and help with weight loss.

Monk fruit has many other benefits and effects. For example, the root of monk fruit can also treat stubborn ringworm, carbuncles, sores, and boils. Simply mash its root and apply it to the affected area. Monk fruit can also be used in cooking, for making soups, and for making pastries, candies, biscuits, and more. Monk fruit can also be used for swelling from large-area burns and scalds. If you usually have some cough symptoms, you might as well brew monk fruit in water and drink it.

3. Who should avoid monk fruit

People who should avoid it:

Contraindication 1: Not suitable for people with a cold constitution

Generally speaking, monk fruit has very few side effects, and only a very small number of people cannot drink monk fruit water. For example, people with extremely sensitive constitutions or cold constitutions are not advised to drink monk fruit water. It is recommended that you first consult a traditional Chinese medicine doctor or nutritionist and adjust your constitution through dietary methods.

Contraindication 2: Not recommended for long-term use

The most common side effect of monk fruit is that it is too sweet. It is not suitable for long-term drinking, and gastrointestinal discomfort may very likely occur, harming the spleen and stomach. For wind-heat cough, it is best to drink less or combine it with other heat-clearing and cooling ingredients.

Contraindication 3: Not suitable for people with diarrhea, nocturnal emissions, or nighttime urination

Monk fruit has a diuretic and laxative effect, so eating it may worsen the condition of people with diarrhea, nocturnal emissions, or nighttime urination.

Suitable groups:

1. Suitable for people who often smoke and drink alcohol and need to clear the lungs, protect the liver, nourish the stomach, and cleanse the intestines of retained stool.

2. Suitable for actors, teachers, broadcasters, and others who need to protect their voices.

4. Suitable for people who sit in offices for long periods and cannot breathe fresh air, affecting lung function.

3. Suitable for people who work overtime late at night, are prone to internal heat, and have reduced detoxification ability.

5. Suitable for people who do outdoor activities, have a relatively large amount of exercise, and easily lose body moisture.

3. A small guide to taking monk fruit

1. Is monk fruit hot or cool in nature?

Traditional Chinese medicine and pharmacology believe that monk fruit is sweet, sour, and cool in nature, so it is a cooling food and is not suitable for people with a cold constitution.

2. How do you brew monk fruit in water to drink?

Combination 1: Monk fruit + Trichosanthes (Gualou)

When monk fruit and Trichosanthes are combined, both medicines can clear heat and relieve cough, moisten the intestines, and promote bowel movements. However, Trichosanthes is more inclined to clear lung heat and transform phlegm, and to regulate qi and relax the chest; monk fruit is more inclined to clear the lungs and relieve cough, and to promote fluid production and quench thirst. In addition, Trichosanthes enters the Yangming meridian to promote muscle growth and also has the effect of reducing swelling and treating carbuncles; monk fruit does not have this effect. 

Combination 2: Monk fruit + apricot kernel

Monk fruit and apricot kernel both have the effects of relieving cough and moistening the intestines to promote bowel movements. However, monk fruit is sweet and cool, more inclined to clear heat and relieve cough, and is suitable for phlegm-fire cough; while apricot kernel is pungent, bitter, and warm, more inclined to descend qi and relieve wheezing, diffuse the lungs and relieve cough, and is suitable for wind-cold cough. 

Combination 3: Monk fruit and persimmon cake soup

Monk fruit and persimmon cake soup: 30 g monk fruit, 15 g persimmon cake. Add water, decoct, and drink the soup. This formula has the effect of clearing heat and moistening the lungs, and relieving cough and soothing the throat. Used for whooping cough, cough with dry throat, and throat discomfort. 

Combination 4: Monk fruit pork soup

Monk fruit pork soup: 30-60 g monk fruit, 100 g lean pork. Break open the monk fruit, cut the pork into slices, add an appropriate amount of water, cook thoroughly, and add a little salt for seasoning before eating. This formula draws on the Record of Gathering Medicines in Lingnan, in which monk fruit clears the lungs and moistens dryness, and relieves cough, while lean pork tonifies deficiency and benefits the blood. Used for chronic cough with lung deficiency and heat, or cough due to pulmonary tuberculosis. 

3. Dosage of monk fruit

(1) Dosage for patients with mild pharyngitis: about one-tenth of a monk fruit per day, brewed with 1 L of boiling water.

(2) Dosage for ordinary pharyngitis: about one or half a monk fruit per day, brewed with less than 3 L of boiling water.

(3) Dosage for patients with a cold constitution: one-fifth of a monk fruit per day, brewed with an appropriate amount of boiling water.

4. Can pregnant women and children drink monk fruit brewed in water?

Monk fruit is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb. It is used to treat coughs and sore throats, and has very few side effects. As long as a person does not have a deficient-cold constitution, it can be taken. Therefore, pregnant women and children can drink it, but they should not drink it in large amounts over the long term. Long-term drinking will harm the spleen and stomach and lead to decreased gastrointestinal function.

Through the introduction in this article, everyone has presumably also learned about the benefits and effects of monk fruit. Although monk fruit is good, it is still a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, and it is best not to eat too much at one time. It is best to first consult a doctor or professional to choose the correct method of taking it and dosage.