Despite all the dangers of consuming too much sugar, we still love the sweet stuff. There are a lot of low-calorie sugar alternatives to choose from, but sweeteners made from monk fruit are a healthy standout.
Monk fruit is from the Curcubitaceae family of plants (other members of this family include cucumber, watermelon, and pumpkin). Native to southern China and northern Thailand, monk fruit is a green, apple-size gourd with super sweet juice (about 300 times sweeter than cane sugar)—yet it has no calories.