Unlike sugarcane or honey, the sweetness of la can fruit comes from a compound called mogroside. These compounds are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar but almost do not provide energy.
According to studies compiled at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, mogroside is not metabolized by the usual glucose route but is mainly broken down in the gut, thus not increasing blood sugar after eating.
One of the important factors to assess the impact of food on blood sugar is the glycemic index (GI).
La Han fruit has GI = 0. Therefore, it does not increase blood glucose after consumption.
This means that the body does not need to increase insulin secretion to process the "sugar" from la han fruit - a great advantage for people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
According to PMC, La Han fruit extract can reduce post-eating blood sugar by 10-18%; reduce insulin response by 12-22%.
These results show that la han not only "not increases blood sugar" but can also support regulating glucose metabolism in some cases.
According to the World Health Organization, consuming too much sugar is the main cause of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the trend of using non-energy natural sweeteners such as licorice is being encouraged in the global sugar reduction strategy.
Some studies show that the mogroside in licorice fruit is metabolized by intestinal bacteria, producing beneficial substances that do not cause hyperglycemia.
La Han extract also has antioxidant properties, helping to reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity - an important factor in blood sugar control.
In that context, licorice fruit becomes a potential alternative to sugar in drinks and food; suitable for people with diabetes; supporting weight control.
La Han fruit is often used in many forms:
La Han water: boil dried fruit with cooling drink
Natural sweeteners: replace sugar in tea, juice
Combining herbs: cooking ginseng water, herbal tea
In particular, the extract form is being widely used in the functional food and low-calorie beverage industry.
Despite many benefits, experts emphasize that excessively extracted products should not be abused.
