From Monastery Remedy to Modern Research: How Monk Fruit Is Sweetening the Fight Against Cancer

Researched and written by Keith Bishop, Clinical Nutritionist, Cancer Coach, Retired Pharmacist, and Founder of Prevail Over Cancer

The Sweet Origin Story of Monk Fruit

Monk fruit, also known as Luo Han Guo, comes from a vine native to China’s Guangxi province. Buddhist monks first cultivated it over 200 years ago to sweeten herbal brews and soothe coughs. The fruit owes its intense sweetness to mogrosides—triterpene glycosides 200–350 times sweeter than sucrose—and is recognized as safe by the FDA.[1]

How Monk Fruit Keeps Blood Sugar in Check

Early animal studies indicate that mogroside-rich extracts may help lower fasting blood glucose levels, enhance insulin secretion, and reduce oxidative stress in diabetic mice.[2]

Human trials echo these benefits: participants consuming monk fruit extract experienced 10–18% smaller post-meal glucose spikes and 12–22% lower insulin responses...