Monk Fruit Sweetener: What It Is, Why It's in Your ANOTHR, and Why Most Brands Don't Use It

April 9, 2026

If you read our breakdown of the 5 chemicals in diet soda, you probably had one question left.

"If not sucralose, then what?"

Fair question. The answer is monk fruit. A small green melon from southern China that Buddhist monks have been using for over 800 years. It's 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Zero calories. Zero glycemic index. And unlike the artificial sweeteners in your zero sugar cola, it doesn't wreck your gut bacteria.

ANOTHR uses monk fruit as its primary sweetener in every can of prebiotic cold drink we make. Alongside stevia, another natural sweetener.

Here's why. And why most brands don't.

Cheat Sheet

TL;DR for the skimmers:

Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) is a natural fruit extract, 250-300x sweeter than sugar, with zero calories and zero glycemic index
A 2025 systematic review of 5 RCTs (544 participants) found it reduced blood sugar spikes by 10-18% with zero adverse effects
A 2021 study found its active compound (Mogroside V) increased beneficial Lactobacillus bacteria by 19.47x and produced 108% more butyrate than FOS
Artificial sweeteners damage gut bacteria. Monk fruit may actually feed them. Fundamentally different.
Monk fruit extract costs 5-15x more than sucralose. That's why most brands don't use it.
FSSAI approved monk fruit in India in 2019. Still barely used in Indian beverages.
ANOTHR uses monk fruit (primary) and stevia (secondary). Both natural. Both zero calorie. No artificial sweeteners.

What is monk fruit?

The fruit's real name is Luo Han Guo. Named after Buddhist monks (Luo Han = enlightened one in Chinese) who first cultivated it in the mountains of Guangxi, southern China. First documented use: the 13th century.

It belongs to the gourd family. Same family as pumpkin and melon. Looks like a small green ball. Tastes intensely sweet.

The sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides. Specifically Mogroside V, which makes up the bulk of the extract. Your body doesn't recognise mogrosides as carbohydrates. They pass through without triggering insulin. Zero calories. Zero glycemic impact.

The extraction process is simple. Crush the fruit. Steep in hot water. Filter. Concentrate. Dry. No chlorination (that's how sucralose is made). No chemical synthesis (that's aspartame). Just water and fruit.

The FDA gave it GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) status in 2010. FSSAI approved it in India in 2019 for monk fruit juice and 2021 for monk fruit sweetener blends. No acceptable daily intake limit was set because no level of concern was identified.

800 years of use. Zero known side effects across 5 clinical trials with 544 participants.

That's a track record.

What it does to your blood sugar

Nothing. That's the point.

A 2025 PRISMA systematic review published in Nutrients analysed 5 randomised controlled trials. The findings:

Postprandial glucose reduced by 10-18% compared to sucrose
Insulin response reduced by 12-22%
Fasting glucose decreased by 6%
Sugar cravings dropped by 23%

No severe adverse effects in any trial.

The mechanism is straightforward. Intestinal enzymes strip away the glucose units from mogrosides, leaving the core molecule (mogrol). Mogrol gets absorbed passively but doesn't prompt your pancreas to release insulin. Your body gets sweetness. Your blood sugar stays flat.

For context: India has 101 million people with diabetes and 136 million with prediabetes00119-5/fulltext). A sweetener that delivers zero glycemic impact isn't a luxury. It's a requirement.

What it does to your gut (this is the interesting part)

Most sweetener conversations stop at blood sugar. This is where monk fruit gets genuinely different.

A 2021 study published in ACS Omega tested what happens when Mogroside V meets human gut bacteria. The results:

Lactobacillus increased 19.47x
Bacteroides increased 10.31x
Harmful Clostridium and Desulfovibrio decreased

And the short-chain fatty acid production was striking. Mogroside V produced 108% more butyrate than FOS, a recognised prebiotic. Butyrate is the primary energy source for your colon cells. It maintains the gut barrier. It's the molecule your gut actually wants.

Compare that to what artificial sweeteners do.

A 2025 review in Diseases documented sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame-K causing "antibiotic-like bacterial membrane damage." They deplete beneficial bacteria. They reduce butyrate production. They impair the gut barrier.

Artificial sweeteners act like antibiotics in your gut. Monk fruit may act like a prebiotic.

That's not a small difference. That's a fundamentally different relationship with your microbiome.

Quick stat: A 2022 Cell study found sucralose impaired glycemic responses in healthy adults via gut microbiome disruption. Monk fruit, tested in the same year, showed the opposite: enhanced beneficial bacteria and increased SCFA production.

Monk fruit vs stevia: both natural, slightly different

This isn't a rivalry. Both are natural. Both have zero calories and zero glycemic index. Both are safe.

ANOTHR uses both. Monk fruit is our primary sweetener. Stevia is our secondary.

Here's why we use them together:

	Monk Fruit	Stevia
Source	Fruit (southern China)	Leaf (South America)
Sweetness	250-300x sugar	200-300x sugar
Calories	0	0
Glycemic index	0	0
Extraction	Natural (hot water)	Natural (hot water)
Taste profile	Clean, fruity, minimal aftertaste	Clean, occasional bitter note at high doses
Gut microbiome	Prebiotic potential (promotes beneficial bacteria)	Neutral (no harm, no significant benefit)
Safety	FDA GRAS, FSSAI approved	FDA GRAS, FSSAI approved
Cost	Higher (limited growing region)	Lower (widely cultivated)

Stevia's occasional bitter aftertaste comes from steviol glycosides interacting with bitter taste receptors. Some people notice it, some don't. It's genetic. By using monk fruit as the primary sweetener and stevia as the complement, the blend delivers clean sweetness without any single compound being used at concentrations where aftertaste becomes noticeable.

The real comparison isn't monk fruit vs stevia. It's natural sweeteners vs chemical sweeteners.

Both monk fruit and stevia are extracted from plants using water. Sucralose is manufactured by chlorinating sugar molecules. Acesulfame-K is synthesised from acetoacetic acid and potassium. Those are two very different starting points.

Why most brands don't use it

Money.

Monk fruit extract costs roughly $100 to $300 per kilogram. Sucralose costs $17 to $71 per kilogram. That's 5 to 15 times more expensive.

Monk fruit only grows commercially in a small region of southern China. The supply chain is tight. India's CSIR-IHBT has started cultivation trials, but commercial Indian production is years away.

Stevia is cheaper because it's cultivated globally. Artificial sweeteners are the cheapest of all because they're mass-produced in chemical plants.

When a brand chooses sucralose over monk fruit, they're not making a health decision. They're making a margin decision.

FSSAI approved monk fruit in India in 2019. As of 2026, you can count the Indian beverage brands using it on one hand. Not because it doesn't work. Because it costs more.

We chose it anyway. Because when you're making a prebiotic cold drink that's supposed to support your gut, sweetening it with something that damages your gut bacteria would be a strange choice.

Is it safe? The common questions.

Is monk fruit safe during pregnancy?

The FDA considers it safe for everyone, including pregnant women and children. No adverse effects have been reported. However, no pregnancy-specific clinical trials have been conducted. The reasonable position: likely safe in moderate amounts, no evidence of harm, but formal trials are lacking.

Can you be allergic to monk fruit?

Rare but possible. It belongs to the gourd family (same as pumpkin, melon, cucumber). If you have a known gourd allergy, check with your doctor. No widespread allergy reports exist in the scientific literature.

Any side effects?

None documented across 5 RCTs with 544 participants. The FDA set no acceptable daily intake limit because no level of concern was identified. The Cleveland Clinic lists it as a recommended healthy sweetener.

Is the science settled?

The blood sugar data is strong (5 RCTs). The gut microbiome data is promising but early. The Mogroside V study was in vitro, not a full human trial. We're transparent about where the evidence is solid and where it's still growing.

FAQs

What is monk fruit sweetener?

Monk fruit sweetener is a natural, zero-calorie extract from the Luo Han Guo fruit, native to southern China. Its active compounds, mogrosides, are 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar with zero glycemic impact. It has been used for over 800 years and is approved by the FDA and FSSAI in India.

Is monk fruit sweetener safe?

Yes. The FDA grants it GRAS status with no upper intake limit. FSSAI approved it in India in 2019. A 2025 systematic review of 5 clinical trials with 544 participants found zero adverse effects. It is considered safe for diabetics, pregnant women, and children.

What is the difference between monk fruit and stevia?

Both are natural, zero-calorie sweeteners extracted from plants. Monk fruit comes from a fruit (southern China), stevia from a leaf (South America). The main differences: monk fruit has a cleaner taste profile with minimal aftertaste, while stevia can have a slight bitter note at higher concentrations. Early research suggests monk fruit may have prebiotic properties, while stevia is neutral on gut bacteria. ANOTHR uses both.

Why is monk fruit so expensive?

Monk fruit only grows commercially in a small region of southern China. The supply chain is limited and extraction requires careful processing. The extract costs 5 to 15 times more than sucralose, which is why most brands opt for cheaper artificial sweeteners instead.

Does monk fruit raise blood sugar?

No. Monk fruit has a glycemic index of zero. A 2025 review of 5 RCTs found it reduced postprandial glucose by 10 to 18% and insulin response by 12 to 22% compared to sugar. The body does not recognise mogrosides as carbohydrates, so they do not trigger insulin release.