It is quietly changing our lives

Luo Han Guo is a climbing herbaceous plant of the genus Luo Han Guo in the Cucurbitaceae family. It is native to China and is mainly distributed in Guangxi, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi and other regions. It is named for its root shape resembling arhat, also known as fairy fruit, arhat honey, etc. It is a traditional Chinese medicinal material and edible plant. Its fruit is sweet and contains a lot of dietary fiber and glycosides. It has the effects of clearing the lungs and throat, reducing phlegm and relieving cough, and laxative. It is an ideal food for diabetic patients. It is a natural sweetener extracted from the dried fruit of Luo Han Guo, and its main component is a special triterpene glycoside compound called Mogroside, of which Mogroside V is sweetest.

It has the following properties:

?- High sweetness: Its sweetness is 100-300 times that of sucrose, but its calories are only 1/300 of sucrose.

?- Good stability: It can remain stable under conditions such as acid-base, high temperature, and light, and is not easy to decompose or change color.

?- High safety: It has passed many animal and human experiments, and it has been proved that it has no toxic side effects, no risks of carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and sensitization. - Strong functionality: In addition to its sweet taste, it also has various physiological activities such as anti-oxidation, antibacterial, lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, and inhibiting tumors. Its application advantages in the food field are mainly reflected in the following aspects:

It can replace or reduce the use of artificial sweeteners or high-calorie sweeteners, reduce the calories and additive content in food, and meet consumers' demand for healthy, low-calorie, and additive-free foods.

It can improve or enhance the sensory qualities such as taste, color and aroma of food, and improve the attractiveness and satisfaction of food.

It can work synergistically with other ingredients in food to exert anti-oxidation, antibacterial, fresh-keeping and other functions, prolong the shelf life of food and reduce food loss.

It can be used as a functional ingredient to add some additional nutritional and health value to food, such as lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, and inhibiting tumors.

According to these characteristics of Luo Han Guo extract, there have been many application examples in the food field, mainly including the following categories:

Beverages: It can be used in various beverages, such as tea, fruit juice, carbonated drinks, milk drinks, functional drinks, etc., as a sweetener or functional ingredient to provide sweetness and other physiological activities. Combining it with tea, fruit juice and other natural plant ingredients can increase the natural and healthy feeling of beverages, and can also improve the color and aroma of beverages. It can also interact with probiotics like Lactobacillus to promote gut health.

Candy: It can be used in various candies, such as hard candy, soft candy, chewing gum, chocolate, etc., as a sweetener or functional ingredient to provide sweetness and other physiological activities. It can replace or reduce the use of high-calorie sweeteners such as sucrose and maltose in candies, and reduce the calories of candies and damage to teeth. It can also work synergistically with other ingredients in the candy to increase the antioxidant capacity and moisture retention of the candy.

Baking: It can be used in various baked foods, such as bread, cakes, biscuits, etc., as a sweetener or functional ingredient to provide sweetness and other physiological activities. It can replace or reduce the use of high-calorie sweeteners such as white sugar and honey in baked goods, and reduce the calories and glycemic index of baked goods. It also improves the taste and aroma of baked goods, increasing their fluffiness and moistness.

It is a natural sweetener with the characteristics of high sweetness, good stability, high safety, and strong functionality. It has wide application and development prospects in the food field. It can replace or reduce the use of artificial synthetic sweeteners or high-calorie sweeteners, reduce the calories and additive content in food, and meet consumers' demand for healthy, low-calorie, and additive-free foods. It can also improve or enhance the sensory qualities such as taste, color and aroma of food, and improve the attractiveness and satisfaction of food. It can also work synergistically with other ingredients in food to exert anti-oxidation, antibacterial, fresh-keeping and other functions, prolong the shelf life of food and reduce food loss. It can also be used as a functional ingredient to add some additional nutritional and health value to food, such as lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, and inhibiting tumors.

Although Luo Han Guo extract has many advantages and applications in the food field, there are still some problems and challenges that require further research and improvement. It mainly includes the following aspects:

The production cost of Luo Han Guo extract is relatively high, which limits its popularization and promotion in the food field. It is necessary to develop more efficient, more economical and more environmentally friendly production processes and equipment to reduce their production costs and market prices.

Its sweetness profile differs from conventional sweeteners such as sucrose, which may affect consumer acceptance and preference. It is necessary to conduct more in-depth analysis and evaluation of its sweetness characteristics, optimize its sweetness quality and stability, and improve its matching and coordination with different foods.

Its safety and functionality still need more scientific evidence and normative standards to support and guarantee. It is necessary to strengthen the research and evaluation of its safety and functionality, establish better quality control and testing methods, and formulate more reasonable use norms and standards.

In conclusion, Luo Han Guo extract is a natural sweetener with great development potential and application value, and has a broad market prospect in the food field. With the advancement of technology and changes in consumer demand, the application of Luo Han Guo extract in the food field will become more diversified and innovative, providing people with more delicious, healthy and safe food choices.