Luo Han Guo (Monk Fruit) Benefits In TCM

You may have consumed Luo Han Guo (罗汉果) herbal tea before but have yet to see what it looks like. You might be surprised that it has some really good benefits, especially for someone who has been infected with covid.

Also known as Monk Fruit, Luo Han Guo is classified both as a food and medicine under TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).

Luo Han Guo is beneficial to the lung and large intestine meridian and it has cooling properties. Thus, it is very good for people having the heat-type illness.

One of the strongest properties of Luo Han Guo is that it can soothe the throat. For people who feel that a sore throat is coming or currently having dry mouth and sore throat, Luo Han Guo is perfect for this situation.

Luo Han Guo can also relieve cough (heat-type). If you are coughing and experiencing yellow phlegm, sore throat and dry mouth, then you can also use Luo Han Guo to treat this cough. This is the reason why Luo Han Guo drink can relieve people’s cough during the covid period. 

If you are unsure if it is really heat-type related, then it is better to consult a TCM physician.

Another benefit of Luo Han Guo is that it can relieve constipation. 

Luo Han Guo is not suitable for:

• People with weak spleen (you will know if you need to visit the toilet after drinking or eating cold stuff).
• People with no throat discomfort.

How To Prepare A Simple Luo Han Guo Drink 

First, it is important to know that do not throw away the skin of Luo Han Guo! Always cook or simmer the skin together with the fruit inside to achieve better results.

Ingredients (for 1 pax):

• Luo Han Guo (Half) with skin. Make sure to break the Luo Han Guo fruit and skin into smaller pieces.
• 80 to 90 degrees celsius water. 

Pour 80 – 90 degree celsius of water into a cup or pot with Luo Han Guo and soak it for 15min. After that, it will be ready for drinking!

Sidenote: Some people ask if Luo Han Guo is suitable for people with diabetes as it is quite sweet. The answer is yes because the sweetness of Luo Han Guo does not come from sugar and it will not increase the blood sugar.

Hope you find this post useful!