If you're trying to reduce sugar, you've probably seen allulose everywhere lately. It’s marketed as natural, behaves like sugar, and is showing up in keto products, protein bars, and “healthy” desserts.
But is allulose actually natural? And how does it compare to monk fruit?
Let’s break it down clearly and honestly.
What Is Allulose?
Allulose (also called D-psicose) is classified as a rare sugar. Structurally, it looks almost identical to fructose, but your body metabolizes it differently.
It contains:
-
-
About 0.2–0.4 calories per gram (vs. 4 calories for sugar)
-
Roughly 70% of sugar’s sweetness
-
Minimal impact on blood glucose for most people
-
Similar browning and caramelization properties to table sugar
-
Functionally, it behaves more like real sugar than most sugar substitutes.
Is Allulose Natural?
Technically? Yes.
Practically? Not really in the way people imagine.
Here’s the nuance. Allulose does exist naturally in very small amounts in foods like figs, raisins, wheat, and jackfruit. But the amount found naturally is extremely tiny and nowhere near enough to extract and sell commercially.
The allulose sold commercially is produced by:
-
-
Extracting fructose (typically from corn)
-
Using enzymes to convert it into allulose
-
Refining and crystallizing it into a powder
-
It’s not synthetic in the artificial sweetener sense (like aspartame). However, it is manufactured through industrial processing. So while it is “naturally occurring,” it is not naturally abundant. Therefore, the version people buy is the result of controlled industrial processing — not direct extraction from fruit in usable quantities.
For some consumers, that matters because:
-
-
They prefer sweeteners that come directly from a fruit or plant with minimal transformation.
-
They avoid corn-derived ingredients.
-
They prioritize simplicity and familiarity in ingredient sourcing.
-
They follow whole-food or ancestral-style eating patterns.
-
Is Allulose Safe?
In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified allulose as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe).
One unique regulatory detail: the FDA allows allulose to be excluded from “Total Sugars” and “Added Sugars” on nutrition labels because it contributes minimal calories and does not significantly raise blood glucose. That regulatory treatment has contributed to its rapid popularity in low-carb and keto products.
That said, tolerance varies by individual. At higher amounts, some people report:
-
-
Bloating
-
Gas
-
Digestive discomfort
-
Loose stools
-
Because most of it is not absorbed and passes through the digestive system.
How Allulose Compares to Monk Fruit
Now let’s compare it to monk fruit.
Source
Allulose:
Derived primarily from corn and enzymatically converted from fructose.
Pure Monk Fruit:
Extracted from the monk fruit (luo han guo), a small melon native to Southeast Asia.
Processing
Allulose:
Industrial enzymatic conversion → purification → crystallization.
Pure Monk Fruit:
Fruit extraction → filtration → concentration of mogrosides (the sweet compounds).
Both are processed. But the source and production methods differ significantly.
Sweetness
Allulose: ~70% as sweet as sugar
Pure Monk Fruit: 150–200 times sweeter than sugar
Taste & Baking Performance
Allulose:
-
-
Very close to sugar taste
-
Browns and caramelizes like sugar
-
Adds bulk in recipes
-
Pure Monk Fruit:
-
-
Very sweet in small amounts
-
Does not brown on its own
-
Works well in many recipes, but does not brown or provide bulk in the same way as sugar, so some recipes may need modification.
-
Blood Sugar Impact
Allulose has minimal blood sugar impact for most people.
Pure Monk Fruit has zero glycemic impact.
So Which One Is “Better”?
That depends on what you prioritize.
Allulose may appeal to you, if you’re looking for:
-
-
Sugar-like texture and browning
-
Lower sweetness intensity
-
A corn-derived rare sugar
-
Monk fruit may be a better fit, if you’re looking for:
-
-
A fruit-based extract
-
Zero calories
-
Zero glycemic response
-
High sweetness potency
-
Neither is table sugar, and neither is completely unprocessed. But they sit in different categories of “natural.”
The Bottom Line
Allulose is not artificial in the traditional sense. It does occur in nature, but only in trace amounts. The version sold commercially is enzymatically produced from corn and refined into powder.
Monk fruit, by contrast, is derived directly from a fruit. The sweetness comes from naturally occurring compounds called mogrosides, which are extracted and concentrated — not converted from another sugar. If your priority is keeping ingredients simple and fruit-based, you may want to consider pure monk fruit.
You can explore our monk fruit options here [Explore Our Monk Fruit Sweeteners →] and decide what works best for you.
_______________
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Individual responses to sweeteners may vary. If you have a medical condition or specific dietary concerns, consult a qualified healthcare professional.