NutriDex

The Supplement Research Compendium
🍈

Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo)

Siraitia grosvenorii

Zero-calorie sweetness from a Chinese melon, via mogroside glycosides

Moderate evidence 🍬Sweeteners & Additives

✚ Updated · How we grade evidence

Evidence tier
Moderate
Research weight
Citations
11 verified / 11
Classification
Sweeteners & Additives
❝
What the evidence says. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent.

What is Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo)?

Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) (Siraitia grosvenorii) is a sweetener or food additive used for zero/negligible calories — mogrosides are largely not absorbed in the small intestine and contribute no usable energy. NutriDex grades the human evidence as Moderate. Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii, luo han guo) is a southern-Chinese cucurbit whose sweetness comes from cucurbitane glycosides called mogrosides (mogroside V is the major one), making the extract roughly 100-250x sweeter than sucrose with negligible calories. In the US it is sold under FDA "no questions" GRAS letters (e.g. GRN 627, 629, 706) and is widely used in tabletop blends and "natural" reduced-sugar products, often combined with erythritol; it is not authorized as a food additive in the EU. Human evidence is limited but reassuring: small RCTs and a 2025 systematic review show no meaningful rise in postprandial glucose or insulin and no consistent adverse effects, while regulators (EFSA) flagged gaps in the long-term animal toxicology dataset rather than any demonstrated human harm.

Purported Benefits

✓Zero/negligible calories — mogrosides are largely not absorbed in the small intestine and contribute no usable energy
✓Intense sweetness (~100-250x sucrose), so tiny amounts replace sugar
✓No meaningful postprandial glucose or insulin spike in human trials — suitable for diabetes and low-carb/keto diets
✓Heat-stable, suitable for baking and cooking unlike some sweeteners
✓No tooth-decay (non-cariogenic) and no dental erosion
✓Mogrosides have antioxidant activity in vitro; often blended with erythritol to mask aftertaste and add bulk

Dosing & Compounds

Typical Dose
US: FDA-reviewed GRAS with "no questions" letters for Siraitia grosvenorii extract/concentrate (GRN 301, 522, 556, 627, 629, 706); no numerical ADI set — FDA does not require one for GRAS sweeteners. EFSA (2019): could NOT establish an ADI and judged the toxicity database insufficient; monk fruit extract is therefore not approved as a food additive in the EU. JECFA/Codex: mogroside V / monk fruit extract was on the evaluation agenda (CCFA, 2025) but had no completed JECFA ADI at that time. WHO 2023 non-sugar-sweetener guideline did NOT include monk fruit in its scope.
Active Compounds
No EU E-number (not authorized as a food additive in the EU)Common brands/blends: Lakanto, Monk Fruit In The Raw, Splenda Monk Fruit, Whole Earth, Pure Monk; frequently sold as monk-fruit + erythritol blendsFound in tabletop sweeteners, 'no/low sugar' sodas and flavored waters, protein bars, yogurts, sauces and keto/'natural' baked goodsSold as fruit extract standardized to mogroside V (typically 25-55%), fruit juice concentrate, and dried fruit (used in traditional Chinese teas/decoctions)

Safety & Cautions

No adverse effects have been attributed to monk fruit mogrosides in the published human literature or FDA's voluntary reporting database, and US regulators accept it as GRAS. Human exposure data are thin (mostly small, short RCTs), which is the main caveat. EFSA's 2019 opinion declined to set an ADI because the animal dataset was incomplete — notably testicular effects seen in a 90-day rat study (with 52% mogroside V) that could not be dismissed, and the absence of chronic/carcinogenicity studies; this is a data-gap flag, not evidence of human harm. Genotoxicity assays (Ames, chromosomal) on 25% and 55% mogroside V extracts were negative. Most commercial products are blended with erythritol, so GI/laxative or (per the disputed Witkowski 2023 work) erythritol-cardiovascular signals reflect the erythritol component, not monk fruit. No specific population is told to avoid pure monk fruit; people sensitive to sugar alcohols should check for erythritol/other polyols in blends. Educational only — always check with your doctor or pharmacist before combining Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) with any medicine.

Key Studies ★ 11 studies

systematic review Kaim & Labus 2025, Nutrients 17(9):1433 ✓ Full text
PRISMA systematic review of 5 RCTs: monk fruit extract reduced postprandial glucose by ~10-18% and insulin responses by ~12-22% versus sugar, with no consistent adverse metabolic effects.
regulatory WHO 2023 guideline on non-sugar sweeteners ✓ Source
WHO advised against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight control, but its scope (acesulfame-K, aspartame, advantame, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia) did NOT include monk fruit mogrosides.
regulatory Codex CCFA55 working doc (CX/FA 25/55/10, 2025) ✓ Source
Monk fruit extract / mogroside V appeared on the Codex Committee on Food Additives agenda for JECFA evaluation, indicating an international safety assessment was still in progress without a finalized ADI.
Agency / regulator Foods 2025 ✓ PubMed
Regulatory analysis documenting that as of October 2024 only one specific aqueous monk fruit extract is EU-authorised (Regulation (EU) 2024/2345), while highly purified mogrosides remain unapproved as the EFSA risk assessment is paused due to missing toxicological data.
RCT Smeets 2026 ✓ PubMed
Randomized crossover study of brain and physiological responses to flavored waters sweetened with different sweeteners.
regulatory FDA GRAS Notice GRN 627 (2016) ✓ Source
FDA issued a 'no questions' letter for Siraitia grosvenorii (Luo Han Guo) fruit juice concentrate as GRAS for use as a sweetener/flavor, consistent with earlier monk-fruit notices.
regulatory EFSA ANS Panel 2019 (EFSA Journal 17(12):5921) ✓ Full text
EFSA could not establish an ADI and judged the toxicity database insufficient to conclude on safety, citing unresolved testicular effects in a 90-day rat study and lack of chronic/carcinogenicity data; monk fruit extract is not authorized in the EU.
RCT Tey et al. 2017, Int J Obes (PMID 27956737) ✓ PubMed
Randomized crossover RCT in 30 healthy men: monk-fruit-, stevia- and aspartame-sweetened beverages produced no postprandial glucose/insulin spike (unlike sucrose) and no significant difference in total daily energy intake.
RCT Tey 2017 (IJO) ✓ Source
Randomized crossover trial in 30 healthy men found monk fruit-sweetened beverages produced no significant difference in 3-hour glucose or insulin area-under-the-curve versus stevia or aspartame, and lower than sucrose, while compensatory energy intake at a subsequent meal was similar across sweeteners.
Review Manolis 2026 ✓ PubMed
Sugar and artificial sweeteners and risk of cardiovascular disease
review IFIC / monk fruit safety overview ✓ Source
Industry-science review summarizing that mogrosides are largely unabsorbed (non-caloric), the extract is ~100-250x sweeter than sucrose, and no adverse events are attributed to it in FDA's voluntary reporting database.
11 sources cited · 11 verified Search all studies on PubMed ↗

Common questions about Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo)

What is Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) used for?

Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) is most often taken for Zero/negligible calories — mogrosides are largely not absorbed in the small intestine and contribute no usable energy, Intense sweetness (~100-250x sucrose), so tiny amounts replace sugar, No meaningful postprandial glucose or insulin spike in human trials — suitable for diabetes and low-carb/keto diets, Heat-stable, suitable for baking and cooking unlike some sweeteners. Zero-calorie sweetness from a Chinese melon, via mogroside glycosides

Does Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) work — what does the evidence say?

Moderate evidence. Several controlled trials; effects real but modest or context-dependent. Monk fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii, luo han guo) is a southern-Chinese cucurbit whose sweetness comes from cucurbitane glycosides called mogrosides (mogroside V is the major one), making the extract roughly 100-250x sweeter than sucrose with negligible calories. In the US it is sold under FDA "no questions" GRAS letters (e.g. GRN 627, 629, 706) and is widely used in tabletop blends and "natural" reduced-sugar products, often combined with erythritol; it is not authorized as a food additive in the EU. Human evidence is limited but reassuring: small RCTs and a 2025 systematic review show no meaningful rise in postprandial glucose or insulin and no consistent adverse effects, while regulators (EFSA) flagged gaps in the long-term animal toxicology dataset rather than any demonstrated human harm.

What is the typical dose of Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo)?

US: FDA-reviewed GRAS with "no questions" letters for Siraitia grosvenorii extract/concentrate (GRN 301, 522, 556, 627, 629, 706); no numerical ADI set — FDA does not require one for GRAS sweeteners. EFSA (2019): could NOT establish an ADI and judged the toxicity database insufficient; monk fruit extract is therefore not approved as a food additive in the EU. JECFA/Codex: mogroside V / monk fruit extract was on the evaluation agenda (CCFA, 2025) but had no completed JECFA ADI at that time. WHO 2023 non-sugar-sweetener guideline did NOT include monk fruit in its scope.

Is Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) safe? Any cautions or side effects?

No adverse effects have been attributed to monk fruit mogrosides in the published human literature or FDA's voluntary reporting database, and US regulators accept it as GRAS. Human exposure data are thin (mostly small, short RCTs), which is the main caveat. EFSA's 2019 opinion declined to set an ADI because the animal dataset was incomplete — notably testicular effects seen in a 90-day rat study (with 52% mogroside V) that could not be dismissed, and the absence of chronic/carcinogenicity studies; this is a data-gap flag, not evidence of human harm. Genotoxicity assays (Ames, chromosomal) on 25% and 55% mogroside V extracts were negative. Most commercial products are blended with erythritol, so GI/laxative or (per the disputed Witkowski 2023 work) erythritol-cardiovascular signals reflect the erythritol component, not monk fruit. No specific population is told to avoid pure monk fruit; people sensitive to sugar alcohols should check for erythritol/other polyols in blends.

How many studies support Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo)?

NutriDex cites 11 sources for Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo), graded "Moderate".

Cite this page
APA

Peh, D. (2026). Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) (Siraitia grosvenorii): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects & Evidence. NutriDex — The Supplement Research Compendium. Retrieved 16 Sept 2026, from https://nutridex.info/s/monk-fruit

BibTeX
@misc{nutridex_monk_fruit,
  author       = {Peh, Daryl},
  title        = {Monk Fruit (Luo Han Guo) (Siraitia grosvenorii): Benefits, Dosage, Side Effects \& Evidence},
  year         = {2026},
  howpublished = {NutriDex --- The Supplement Research Compendium},
  url          = {https://nutridex.info/s/monk-fruit},
  note         = {Reviewed by Dr Daryl Peh, MBBS Singapore, MMed FM. Accessed 2026-09-16}
}

For medical claims, citing the underlying primary studies linked above is preferred. NutriDex is an educational reference, not medical advice.

← Back to the full dex · All substances