Lakanto and Monk Fruit

A little history

In the remote highlands of Asia, a group of Buddhist monks called the Luohans achieved enlightenment and ascension through meditation and pure living. In this primeval forest, the monks discovered a rare superfood prized for its sweetness and ability to increase chi, or vital energy. This sacred fruit was named Monk's Fruit and was used for centuries to increase chi and well-being, earning it the nickname "Fruit of the Immortals".

Today, most products on the market use sugar and other sweeteners that are very bad for our health. While some companies try to avoid using sugar, the Lakanto company has succeeded in creating a different approach by using monk fruit as a natural sweetener. Lakanto always harvests monk fruit in the same remote highlands of Asia using traditional, environmentally-friendly methods.

Lakanto's mission

Lakanto's mission is to bring chi to life by creating innovative, delicious, sugar-free products. The company Lakanto inspires people to reach their highest potential for health and well-being by helping them discover their chi.

Monk fruit and its cultivation

Monk fruit is not your typical fruit, as it belongs to the squash family. This unique fruit is round, greenish-brown and grows on perennial vines. It grows in specific elevations and conditions; it requires large amounts of rainfall, high humidity and a large temperature difference between day and night.

Monk fruit is not widely known, as it is only grown in the mountains of China and Thailand. The Lakanto monk fruit is grown near the picturesque town of Guilin, nestled in the magnificent karst mountains of southern China at a few hours from the city's pollution.

The elevation of the fields and the steepness of the slopes allow for optimal growth, protection against flooding and access to unpolluted water. The fields are generally a 20-45 minute walk from the farming villages.

Each fruit is pollinated, grown and harvested by hand, without pesticides, using the same traditional methods that have been used for centuries. Farmers use natural pest control, including bottle traps and nets, instead of pesticides. Lakanto supports the local economy without interference, allowing family villages to exist as they have for centuries, some for as long as 400 years.

For a lasting tradition of field cycling, farmers alternate crops every five years. It has been proven that this is the length of time during which the soil yields the best fruit. After three years, trees are planted and grow alongside the monks' fruit for the remaining two years. Then the netting and poles for the monk fruit are removed and the trees continue to grow to reforest the area.

Unlike most fruits, whose sweetness comes from fructose and glucose, the sweetness of monk fruit comes from antioxidants called mogrosides. Monk fruit is an excellent natural substitute for sugar, as it contains no calories, no carbohydrates, no side effects and will not raise blood sugar levels.

Why combine erythritol and monk fruit?

Lakanto sweetener sweetener is based onerythritol which is naturally present in grapes, pears, mushrooms, soy sauce, cheese, wine and beer. It has been part of the human diet for thousands of years. Erythritol is different and much better than sugar alcohols, because it is made from non-GMO corn that has been fermented.

Erythritol causes less digestive stress than other sugar alcohols, as it is absorbed into the bloodstream and excreted in the urine, instead of passing through the colon for excretion. There are no calories, as its molecular structure allows the body to absorb it, but not to break it down or, in other words, metabolize it.

The combination of erythritol and monk fruit produces a natural sweetener zero calories, zero glycemia sweetener with a rich, savoury taste.