{"id":2451,"date":"2025-02-15T09:05:37","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T09:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movewithnicole.com.au\/blog\/erythritol-or-monk-fruit-which-sweetener-reigns-supreme.html"},"modified":"2025-02-15T09:05:37","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T09:05:37","slug":"erythritol-or-monk-fruit-which-sweetener-reigns-supreme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/health\/erythritol-or-monk-fruit-which-sweetener-reigns-supreme.html","title":{"rendered":"Erythritol or Monk Fruit: Which Sweetener Reigns Supreme?"},"content":{"rendered":"

These days,\u00a0natural sugar substitutes\u00a0and alternative sweeteners fill the sugar aisle. Two popular sweet swaps are erythritol and monk fruit. Erythritol is a\u00a0sugar alcohol, while monk fruit (luo han guo) comes from an Asian fruit. Both are non-nutritive, zero-calorie sweeteners.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick rundown of how erythritol and monk fruit compare, so you can decide which one (if either) is right for you.<\/p>\n

What Is Erythritol?<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Erythritol\u00a0is a sugar alcohol created by fermenting wheat or corn starch, says\u00a0Jamie Nadeau, RDN, a registered dietitian. It\u2019s\u00a0naturally found\u00a0in fruits like grapes and peaches, mushrooms and fermented foods like beer, soy sauce, and cheese. You\u2019ll find erythritol in \u201czero-calorie\u201d or \u201cdiet\u201d gum, candy, chocolate, and sweeteners (including some that also contain monk fruit).<\/p>\n

Pros of erythritol<\/h3>\n

1. Doesn\u2019t impact blood sugar<\/p>\n

Erythritol\u00a0provides no calories.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s excreted in urine and doesn\u2019t impact your blood glucose and insulin levels.<\/p>\n

2. Not \u201ctoo\u201d sweet<\/p>\n

Sugar alcohols\u00a0are less sweet than other sugar substitutes, ranging from 25% to 100% of sugar\u2019s sweetness. Erythritol is about\u00a060% to 80%\u00a0as sweet as sugar.<\/p>\n

3. Doesn\u2019t promote tooth decay<\/p>\n

Unlike sugar and other sweeteners that contain carbs,\u00a0erythritol won\u2019t lead to cavities or tooth decay.<\/p>\n

4. No aftertaste<\/p>\n

Unlike many other zero-calorie sweeteners,\u00a0erythritol is thought not to leave a funny taste in your mouth. And, it\u2019s sometimes mixed with more intense sweeteners to hide or reduce their aftertaste.<\/p>\n

Cons of erythritol<\/h3>\n

5. It can cause GI issues<\/p>\n

\u201cSugar alcohols like\u00a0erythritol\u00a0are notorious for causing GI distress such as gas, bloating, as well as causing a laxative effect,\u201d says Nadeau.<\/p>\n

Too much can cause diarrhea, but most healthy adults can tolerate erythritol in moderation, she says. Start with a small amount to avoid stomach upset.<\/p>\n

6. Not a \u201cwhole food\u201d<\/p>\n

In order to extract the sweet components, Kreutzer explains that erythritol needs to be heavily processed.<\/p>\n

7. May impact heart health<\/strong><\/p>\n

Researchers of a 2023 study found a potential link between erythritol and risk of cardiovascular events (strokes and heart attacks). However, there was no causal or direct relationship between erythritol consumption and cardiovascular risk, so more research is needed.<\/p>\n

What Is Monk Fruit?<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cMonk fruit\u00a0extract has been used in south China for centuries but is relatively new to the rest of the world,\u201d explains Nadeau.<\/p>\n

Also known as luo han guo, monk fruit is\u00a0used in traditional Chinese medicine.<\/p>\n

Monk fruit is in the\u00a0same plant family\u00a0as gourds, pumpkins, and squash.<\/p>\n

Pros of monk fruit<\/h3>\n

1. Contains zero calories<\/p>\n

Like erythritol, monk fruit is a non-nutritive sweetener, says Cary Kreutzer, EdD, MPH, RDN, FAND, an associate clinical professor at the University of Southern California Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and USC Keck School of Medicine. That means it doesn\u2019t provide any carbs, fat, or protein \u2014 it only delivers a sweet taste.<\/p>\n

2. Contains no carbs<\/p>\n

Monk fruit is appropriate for those on\u00a0low-carb diets\u00a0(including the\u00a0ketogenic diet).<\/p>\n

3. Sweeter than sugar<\/p>\n

Monk fruit is\u00a0100 to 250 times\u00a0sweeter than granulated sugar, so you can use less of it to achieve the same level of sweetness.<\/p>\n

Cons of monk fruit<\/h3>\n

4. Not a \u201cwhole food\u201d<\/p>\n

Monk fruit sweetener needs to be processed in a laboratory to isolate the sweet components, explains Kreutzer.<\/p>\n

5. May have an aftertaste<\/p>\n

Monk fruit may have a \u201cfunny\u201d taste to some.<\/p>\n

However, one study found that it\u2019s not as strong as other alternative sweeteners.\u00a0A 2018 study\u00a0in the Journal of Dairy Science found that of five reduced-sugar blends in vanilla protein shakes, the one with the most monk fruit (and 25% stevia) tasted the closest to sugar.<\/p>\n

Is Erythritol or Monk Fruit Better for You?<\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cFor most healthy adults, monk fruit extract and erythritol can both be useful sugar alternatives in moderation,\u201d says Nadeau.<\/p>\n

The FDA has approved both\u00a0erythritol and monk fruit as GRAS or generally regarded as safe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

These days,\u00a0natural sugar substitutes\u00a0and alternative sweeteners fill the sugar aisle. Two popular sweet swaps are erythritol and monk fruit. Erythritol is a\u00a0sugar alcohol, while monk fruit (luo han guo) comes from an Asian fruit. Both are non-nutritive, zero-calorie sweeteners. Here\u2019s a quick rundown of how erythritol and monk fruit compare, so you can decide which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"blocksy_meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ozhelp.org.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}