Monk fruit
Encyclopedia
Monk Fruit, also commonly called luo han guo or luo han kuo (from the Chinese luóhàn guǒ, 羅漢果, 罗汉果), la han qua (from Vietnamese la hán quả), arhat fruit, or Buddha
fruit. It is the fruit
of the vine Siraitia grosvenorii
and is native to China
. Botanical synonyms include Momordica grosvenorii and Thladiantha grosvenorii. It belongs to the cucurbitaceae
family, also known as the gourd
family.
The plant is cultivated for its extremely sweet fruit and serves as a natural sweetener as well as remedies in traditional Chinese medicine
.
The inside of the fruit contains an edible pulp
, which, when dried, forms a thin, light brown brittle shell about 1 mm in thickness. The seeds are elongated and almost spherical.
The monk fruit is notable for its intense sweetness, which can be concentrated from its juice. The fruit is 25 to 38% of various carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose. The sweetness of the fruit is composed of the mogrosides, a group of triterpene glycosides (saponins). There are five different mogrosides, numbered from I to V. The main ingredient is the mogroside V, which is also known under the name Esgoside.
The fruit also contains high amounts of vitamin C
, and is remarkable for the low caloric content of its sweetening compounds.
, according to the Chinese historical records. It was exceptionally uncommon and did not enter the general herb tradition of China due to its particularly growing conditions, which required shady, fog-shrouded slopes to protect the fruit from intense sunlight. The areas that could support the cultivation of the monk fruit primarily occurred in the mountain sides of Guangxi
and Guangdong
; and to a lesser extent, Guizhou
, Hunan
, Jiangxi
, and Hainan Island. Knowledge of its cultivation was restricted to a select few monks who passed along the techniques for growing the fruit through generations, giving the fruit its name.
George Weidman Groff, a professor of agriculture in Guangzhou
, created the first scientific documentation of the fruit in 1932. In August 1937, Groff embarked on an expedition to Guilin to study the monk fruit with financial backing provided by the National Geographic Society
.
The first report on the herb in English was found in an unpublished manuscript written in 1938 by Professor G. W. Groff and Hoh Hin Cheung. The report noted that the fruits were effective as remedies for health conditions associated with high temperatures, such as heat stroke and fever
. The paper also observed that “when cooked with pork or steeped with tea, (the luo han guo fruit) provides a common Chinese household remedy for colds and congestion of the lungs."
Through local verbal accounts, they established that it the fruit had only recently become widely used in China. However, the extensive knowledge that existed regarding its growth, pollination
, and climatic requirements indicates a far reaching history of cultivation activity by a limited group of people.
for heat stroke, a treatment against lung ailments such as sore throats and congestion
, as well as an aid to promote digestion
. In China, it is believed to be an aid for longevity, due to its usage in regions that are recognized for their extraordinary number of citizens to reach 100 years and older. The fruit is also used in teas for the prevention or relief of coughs, headaches and detoxification.
There have been no recognized negative side effects of the monk fruit. It is classified by the US Food and Drug Administration as a GRAS
(generally recognized as safe) product, and there are no restrictions on consuming the fruit or its extracts.
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
fruit. It is the fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
of the vine Siraitia grosvenorii
Siraitia grosvenorii
Siraitia grosvenorii is an herbaceous perennial vine native to southern China and Northern Thailand. The plant is best known for its fruit, commonly called luo han guo or luo han kuo , la han qua , arhat fruit, Buddha...
and is native to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Botanical synonyms include Momordica grosvenorii and Thladiantha grosvenorii. It belongs to the cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
The plant family Cucurbitaceae consists of various squashes, melons, and gourds, including crops such as cucumber, pumpkins, luffas, and watermelons...
family, also known as the gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
family.
The plant is cultivated for its extremely sweet fruit and serves as a natural sweetener as well as remedies in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
.
Fruit
The monk fruit is a small gourd-like fruit, spherical in shape measuring 5 to 8 cm and 4 to 6.5 cm in diameter. The surface is smooth, with yellow-brownish or green-brownish color containing striations from the fruit stem end of the furrows. It is covered by a hard but thin with fine hairs.The inside of the fruit contains an edible pulp
Juice vesicles
The juice vesicles of a citrus fruit are the membranous content of the fruit’s endocarp. The vesicles contain the juice of the fruit. The pulp is usually removed from the juice by filtering it out...
, which, when dried, forms a thin, light brown brittle shell about 1 mm in thickness. The seeds are elongated and almost spherical.
The monk fruit is notable for its intense sweetness, which can be concentrated from its juice. The fruit is 25 to 38% of various carbohydrates, mainly fructose and glucose. The sweetness of the fruit is composed of the mogrosides, a group of triterpene glycosides (saponins). There are five different mogrosides, numbered from I to V. The main ingredient is the mogroside V, which is also known under the name Esgoside.
The fruit also contains high amounts of vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
, and is remarkable for the low caloric content of its sweetening compounds.
History
The first record of the monk fruit appears during the 13th century in reference to its use by the monks of GuilinGuilin
Guilin is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far southern China, sitting on the west bank of the Li River. Its name means "forest of Sweet Osmanthus", owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city...
, according to the Chinese historical records. It was exceptionally uncommon and did not enter the general herb tradition of China due to its particularly growing conditions, which required shady, fog-shrouded slopes to protect the fruit from intense sunlight. The areas that could support the cultivation of the monk fruit primarily occurred in the mountain sides of Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
and Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
; and to a lesser extent, Guizhou
Guizhou
' is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the southwestern part of the country. Its provincial capital city is Guiyang.- History :...
, Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, Jiangxi
Jiangxi
' is a southern province in the People's Republic of China. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze River in the north into hillier areas in the south, it shares a border with Anhui to the north, Zhejiang to the northeast, Fujian to the east, Guangdong to the south, Hunan to the west, and Hubei to...
, and Hainan Island. Knowledge of its cultivation was restricted to a select few monks who passed along the techniques for growing the fruit through generations, giving the fruit its name.
George Weidman Groff, a professor of agriculture in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, created the first scientific documentation of the fruit in 1932. In August 1937, Groff embarked on an expedition to Guilin to study the monk fruit with financial backing provided by the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
.
The first report on the herb in English was found in an unpublished manuscript written in 1938 by Professor G. W. Groff and Hoh Hin Cheung. The report noted that the fruits were effective as remedies for health conditions associated with high temperatures, such as heat stroke and fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
. The paper also observed that “when cooked with pork or steeped with tea, (the luo han guo fruit) provides a common Chinese household remedy for colds and congestion of the lungs."
Through local verbal accounts, they established that it the fruit had only recently become widely used in China. However, the extensive knowledge that existed regarding its growth, pollination
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
, and climatic requirements indicates a far reaching history of cultivation activity by a limited group of people.
Health benefits
The fruit has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedyCure
A cure is a completely effective treatment for a disease.The Cure is an English rock band.Cure, or similar, may also refer to:-Film and television:* The Cure , a short film starring Charlie Chaplin...
for heat stroke, a treatment against lung ailments such as sore throats and congestion
Nasal congestion
Nasal congestion is the blockage of the nasal passages usually due to membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflamed blood vessels. It is also known as nasal blockage, nasal obstruction, blocked nose, stuffy nose, or stuffed up nose.Nasal congestion has many causes and can range from a...
, as well as an aid to promote digestion
Digestion
Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones....
. In China, it is believed to be an aid for longevity, due to its usage in regions that are recognized for their extraordinary number of citizens to reach 100 years and older. The fruit is also used in teas for the prevention or relief of coughs, headaches and detoxification.
There have been no recognized negative side effects of the monk fruit. It is classified by the US Food and Drug Administration as a GRAS
Gras
Gras is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
(generally recognized as safe) product, and there are no restrictions on consuming the fruit or its extracts.