Canines may be curious about whether or not monk fruit is safe for them, and we’ll address that here. Let’s start with the basics and define what a monk fruit is.
While monk fruit isn’t exactly the best choice for your dog’s diet, it probably won’t hurt them either.
Don’t worry if your dog accidentally ate some monk fruit; he’ll probably be fine. Some dogs, especially those with delicate stomachs, may experience gastrointestinal distress after consuming monk fruit, so keep an eye on your pet.
Can Dogs Eat Monk Fruit?
In small amounts, monk fruit sweetener is safe for dogs to consume. However, keep in mind that canines do not require any additional sweeteners in their diet, so it is best to avoid giving your dog any whenever possible.
Dogs should not consume excessive amounts of monk fruit sweetener or any other sweetener because of the potential for gastrointestinal and other health problems. Before feeding your dog any novel foods or treats, you should always check with your vet.
What Is Monk Fruit?
The first monk fruit trees appeared in what is now Southeast Asia. It’s a miniature green gourd that resembles a miniature melon in appearance. The unappealing fruit was consumed and used to make teas and tinctures by Buddhist monks in the 13th century.
It was given its peculiar moniker because of this. You probably won’t have any fresh monk fruit on hand because it doesn’t keep well, isn’t widely consumed, and is rarely grown in the United States.
Dried monk fruit or a monk fruit tea is more commonly used for medicinal purposes. As a substitute for sugar and other sweeteners like Xylitol, it is also used as an artificial sweetener.
Xylitol is extremely poisonous to dogs and can even be fatal, but monk fruit is much less dangerous. No dog should be purposefully fed monk fruit, also known as lo han guo.
The juice of the monk fruit is used to make a sweetener. First, the fruit is peeled and seeded before being crushed.
The juice from the monk fruit is then used to make a sugar substitute. You can sprinkle it on anything without worrying about calories. As it is up to 250 times sweeter than sugar, even a small amount of monk fruit juice can be used to enhance the sweetness of other foods.
Is monk fruit poisonous to dogs?
Monk fruit is widely regarded as being secure for canines. As long as it does not contain the dog-toxic ingredient xylitol, this sweetener is safe.
In fact, a 2006 study using six dogs found that giving them monk fruit every day for six months had no negative effects on their internal organs, blood, etc.
But that’s no excuse to keep giving your pet monk fruit. Avoid doing anything that could potentially harm you more than it would help.
However, if your dog accidentally consumes some, you shouldn’t freak out. In addition, canine nutritionists agree that artificially sweetened treats and meals have no place in a canine’s daily diet.
Make sure the monk fruit sweetener you purchase contains the relatively safe ingredient erythritol.
What To Do If Your Dog Has Eaten Monk Fruit
Your dog is probably safe if he eats some monk fruit, but you shouldn’t intentionally feed it to him.
Not much is known about the long-term effects of monk fruit on dogs, and it’s important to remember that the ingredient is relatively new as a sweater.
Giving your pet monk fruit or food that contains monk fruit extract or monk fruit sweetener on a regular basis is therefore not recommended.
Unless your dog has a particularly sensitive stomach or eats a very large amount of monk fruit, he won’t experience any negative health effects from accidentally consuming the fruit.
Fruits and foods containing the sweetener have been linked to vomiting in some canine consumers. If you have any concerns about your pet, you should check in with your vet.
A single serving of monk fruit will not harm your dog, but feeding your dog food that is sweetened with monk fruit on a regular basis puts it at risk for serious health problems.
Consistent consumption of monk fruit, which is much sweeter than sugar, can lead to diabetes or obesity in canines. In addition to the increased risk of developing diseases like arthritis and cancer, overweight dogs are at a higher risk of developing other health problems.
A fresh monk fruit is also not safe to give your dog because of its hard shell and seeds, which could cause choking or intestinal blockages.
Is stevia toxic to dogs?
Sugar-free products like monk fruit are safe for dogs, as are alternatives like stevia, sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin.
However, if xylitol is absent, there is no cause for alarm. Additionally, these sugar-free items will not make you feel bloated, in case you were wondering.
To give just one example, monk fruit, which is a sugar alcohol, is anywhere from 25 to 100 times sweeter than table sugar but otherwise behaves in the same way as other sugar alcohols.
Neither stevia nor monk fruit, however, has been linked to any serious health issues, including bloating and abdominal discomfort.
Stevia vs. Monk Fruit: What tastes better for dogs?
In terms of flavor, both stevia and monk fruit are distinctive. If you’re looking for a sweetener, try stevia instead of monk fruit because it’s sweeter but leaves a more bitter aftertaste. Therefore, it is entirely up to your dog’s tastes and preferences.
In addition to concerns about the fruit’s flavor, some dog owners are concerned that it could make their pets sick to their stomachs. Remember that the dog’s digestive system is immune to the effects of natural monk fruit sweeteners.
If you insist on using monk fruits you can buy at the store, know that some of them have fillers in them. The digestive tract may experience discomfort from these ingredients.
Does monk fruit spike insulin?
Sugar doesn’t raise glucose levels, and natural sweeteners like monk fruit and stevia have fewer calories.
However, the insulin level in your dog is less likely to spike after consuming monk fruit. Therefore, you won’t see any weight gain in your dog.
The liver, teeth, and heart all suffer from an excess of sugar, and this leads to an increase in body fat. However, there is no evidence that eating monk fruit can bring about these problems.
FAQs
What kind of sugar is in monk fruit?
The sweetness of monk fruit is not due to the natural sugars it contains, which include glucose and fructose. The unique antioxidant mogrosides found in it are responsible for the sweetness.
What artificial sweetener is toxic to dogs?
Toxic levels of xylitol have been found in canine tests. It can be harvested from birch trees and corn cobs in the wild. It’s a common sweetener in things like candies, gum, toothpaste, and baked goods.
Dogs can be severely harmed by even a small amount of anything that contains this sweetener due to how rapidly it is absorbed by their bodies.
Is monk fruit safe for kidneys?
The answer is yes, monk fruit is safe for kidneys, and it also aids in warding off other infections like those that can manifest in the throat or gums. As a result, those with compromised renal function can try monk fruit or its extract risk-free.
Conclusion: Dogs Can Not Eat Monk Fruit
Dogs shouldn’t be intentionally given monk fruit. You can get away with giving your dog a taste of this on occasion, but it could lead to serious health issues if he or she were to consume this on a regular basis.
Since monk fruit sweetener has only recently become commercially available, there is a lack of data regarding its safety for dogs.
Dogs shouldn’t be fed artificial sweeteners because they were created for humans and some of them are toxic to canines.
When a dog consumes excessive amounts of human food on a regular basis, it can throw their internal ecosystem out of whack. Dogs shouldn’t eat human food because it may cause them to gain weight or develop stomach issues.
You can give your dog the beneficial nutrients found in fruits like dragon fruit and olives instead of monk fruit.