The efficacy and contraindications of monk fruit

What are the effects and contraindications of monk fruit? Let me give you a detailed introduction below.

Monk Fruit

The efficacy of monk fruit

Luo Han Guo has always been known as the "Chinese Magic Fruit" because of its diverse effects, including moistening the lungs and reducing phlegm, refreshing the mind and promoting fluid production, enhancing immunity, beautifying the skin, etc. According to Chinese medicine practitioners, Luo Han Guo is well known for its lung-clearing and lung-moistening effects, reducing phlegm and relieving coughs, but it has more than just these effects. Its skin is dark brown and round in shape, and can enter the kidneys, so it has the function of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidneys, and is an economical and effective kidney-tonifying and lung-moistening medicine.

Modern studies have shown that monk fruit contains a lot of trace elements and special antioxidant substances, which can dissolve free radicals produced by metabolism in the body, prevent free radicals from oxidizing body tissues, and maintain normal body functions. Therefore, monk fruit has a certain effect on relieving constipation, cough, lung heat, phlegm and asthma, and lymph node inflammation.

According to Chinese medicine practitioner Pan Shufang, Luo Han Guo was first recorded in "Lingnan Collection of Medicinal Herbs". It is very light in texture and has soft hairs on its skin, so it can enter the lung meridian. Its petals have parallel lines, which can enter the liver and relieve liver depression. The texture of the flower is soft and drooping, which can enter the lungs. In addition, the skin is dark brown and round, which can enter the kidneys and also has the function of nourishing the kidneys. In other words, Luo Han Guo can clear the lungs and relieve sore throat, resolve phlegm and relieve cough, and moisten the intestines and relieve constipation. It is mainly used to treat lung heat, phlegm and fire cough, pharyngitis, tonsillitis, etc.

Stopping cough may not start from the lungs

She explained that in traditional Chinese medicine, "phlegm" has a narrow and broad meaning. The former refers to the secretions caused by mild inflammation of the lungs and trachea, while the latter refers to the sticky secretions of any inflamed organ in the body, such as pus from a wound. "Pus" is also a type of "phlegm". According to modern terms, "phlegm" is the "corpse" left by the battle between white blood cells and bacteria. All the internal organs produce phlegm, which can cause coughing. Therefore, the treatment of coughing does not necessarily start from the lungs, but depends on which organ has phlegm.

"Clinically, if a patient has inflammation, it is usually because there is a little heat in the body that condenses into phlegm. For example, the secretions of sinusitis will flow to the throat and cause coughing. People with spleen deficiency have a characteristic that they want to spit when they wake up in the morning because there is a lot of phlegm in the throat. This is the phlegm formed by the undigested food, which is also a toxin."

She said that inflammation can cause phlegm, and the two affect each other, turning into a vicious cycle. It is like when phlegm is stored in the stomach, people will want to vomit, and when phlegm is stored in the bladder, there will be a feeling of red and painful urination. In clinical practice, doctors will use herbs that can "resolve phlegm and resolve knots" to regulate and treat, such as Luo Han Guo combined with light bamboo leaves, raw coix seeds, plantain, winter melon candy, etc., which are common Chinese medicines for treating red and painful urination.

Pan Shufang said that monk fruit has a good effect in reducing phlegm, and is suitable for both medicinal and edible use. In addition, it tastes delicious and is suitable for most people. For example, to treat dry cough and hoarseness, you can crush half a monk fruit and soak it in water; or you can add 1 monk fruit and 6 to 8 Sterculia lychnophora to soak it in water and drink it, which has a good effect.

Taboos of Monk Fruit

She pointed out that some people with lung deficiency, coughing up blood or dry lungs, especially smokers, can drink "Lotus fruit pig lung soup" on a regular basis, that is, cut the pig lung into small pieces, wash it with salt water, and wash off the foam. Add 1 locust fruit and appropriate amount of water to the pig lung and boil it into soup, add a little salt to taste. This soup tastes salty and sweet, and is particularly effective for coughing up blood.

"People with lung yin deficiency (lack of fluid) often have constipation or difficulty in defecation. Drinking monk fruit and pig lung soup in moderation can improve symptoms. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the lung governs the skin. Some people have dry, cracked, and dull skin. Monk fruit, snow fungus, and candied dates can nourish yin and the lungs and improve skin problems."

However, she reiterated that Luo Han Guo alone cannot be used to treat colds because it has no effect in dispelling wind. If you want to dispel wind, you should use pungent herbs such as ephedra, cinnamon twig, saposhnikovia divaricata, burdock seeds, and schizonepeta.

Pan Shufang said that monk fruit has a special sweet aftertaste, which is very strong, so people can add monk fruit when taking bitter medicine to reduce the bitterness. In addition, when making bak kut teh or brewing Chinese tea, adding a little monk fruit can not only moisten the stomach, but also make the taste better.

Helping improve but not curing

Sugar substitute for diabetics

Chinese medicine practitioner Pan Shufang said that the information that "Lo Han Guo can treat diabetes" is actually not true. Lo Han Guo is just a sugar substitute for diabetics, which can help improve diabetes but cannot cure it.

"The sweetness of monk fruit is 300 times that of sucrose and can be a natural source of sugar for diabetic patients."

She said that when buying monk fruit, you should choose large, complete, yellow-brown fruits, which taste sweet and do not make noises when shaken. If there are noises, it means it is not fresh or has been infested with insects. Small monk fruit tastes inferior.

Monk fruit diet therapy

1. Monk fruit herbal tea

Ingredients: 1 monk fruit, 150 grams of selfheal, 150 grams of rock sugar and 40 grams of deer vine.

Method: Crush the monk fruit, add all the ingredients into the pot and simmer for 1 hour.

Effect: Resolving phlegm and dispersing stagnation

2. Monk fruit and Tremella soup

Ingredients: 1 monk fruit, 400 grams of chicken, 50 grams of white fungus, 100 grams of carrots, and 20 grams of southern apricots.

Method: Soak Tremella in water. Wash and cut chicken and carrots into pieces. Put all ingredients into a pot, add appropriate amount of water, and simmer for 2 hours.

Effect: Clears and moisturizes the lungs

3. Monk fruit pork ribs soup

Ingredients: half a monk fruit, 600 grams of spare ribs, 20 grams of almonds, and a small amount of salt.

Method: Wash the ribs and blanch them with hot water to remove the blood. Put all the ingredients into a pot, add appropriate amount of water, boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours, add salt to taste.

Effect: Clearing away heat and relieving summer heat, resolving phlegm and relieving cough

4. Stewed Beef with Monk Fruit

Ingredients: 600 grams of beef, half a monk fruit, 1 onion, and appropriate amount of salt.

Method: Wash and cut beef and onion into pieces, crush monk fruit, put all ingredients into a pot, add appropriate amount of water, simmer for 1 hour, and season.

Effect: replenishing qi and blood, moistening and clearing lungs

5. Monk Fruit and Dried Vegetable Soup

Ingredients: 1 monk fruit, 50 grams of dried vegetables, 500 grams of lean meat.

Method: Wash the dried vegetables and lean meat, cut them into sections and cubes. Crush the monk fruit. Put all the ingredients into a pot, add water, and simmer for 1.5 hours.

Effect: Nourishes Yin and clears lungs

【Monk Fruit Profile】

Other names: false bitter melon, bitter gourd or sweet bitter melon, etc.

Source: The fruit of the plant Momordica grosvenori of the Cucurbitaceae family.

Nature and flavor: sweet, cool in nature.

Meridians: Lung, spleen, liver, kidney and large intestine meridians.

Contraindications: Do not use if you have lung cold or exogenous cough.

"Selected Literature": "Records of Medicinal Herbs in Lingnan" states: "The fruit tastes sweet and can cure cough caused by phlegm and fire. It can be taken with a meat soup."