Fructose Malabsorption

Fructose Malabsorption is not to be confused with Fructose Intolerance or '''Dietary Fructose Intolerance (DFI)''', a Hereditary condition in which the liver Enzymes that break fructose up are deficient. In patients with Fructose Malabsorption , the small intestine fails to absorb fructose properly. This results in excess Hydrogen caused by an overgrowth of otherwise normal Intestinal Bacteria .

There is no known Cure , but an appropriate Diet will help. However, it is very difficult for undiagnosed sufferers to see any relationship between the foods they eat and the symptoms they suffer, even if they keep a daily diet diary. This is because most foods contain a mixture of Fructose and Glucose . Foods with more fructose than glucose are a problem, as are foods with a lot of fructose (regardless of the amount of glucose). However, depending upon the sufferer's Sensitivity to fructose, small amounts of problem foods could be eaten (especially when they are not the main Ingredient of a meal).

Foods with a high glucose content actually help sufferers absorb fructose.

SYMPTOMS

This condition is common in patients with Symptom s of Irritable Bowel Syndrome . A small proportion of patients with both Fructose Malabsorption and Lactose Intolerance also suffer from Coeliac Disease .

Typical symptoms of fructose malabsorption include:

Bloating

Diarrhea and / or Constipation

Flatulence

Stomach pain (due to muscle Spasm s, which can vary from Mild and Chronic to Acute but Erratic )

Other possible symptoms of fructose malabsorption include:

aching eyes

fuzzy head

Fatigue

Depression

FOODS WITH HIGH FRUCTOSE CONTENT

Foods with a high fructose content include:

Apple s

Coconut Milk

Fruit Juice (especially from from apples and pears)

Guava s

High Fructose Corn Syrup (present in some soft drinks, and used to make Sushi rice stick together)

Honey

Lychee s

Mango s

Melon s

Pawpaw s

Pear s

Persimmon s

Quince

FOODS WITH HIGH FRUCTAN CONTENT

Chains of fructose Molecule s, known as Fructan s occur naturally in many foods. The following foods have a high fructan content:

Artichoke s

Asparagus

Green Bean s

Leek s

Onion s (including Spring Onion )

Wheat (including most Beer s, Bread s, Cake s, Biscuit s, Breakfast Cereal s, Pie s, Pasta s, Pizza s, and some Noodle s)

OTHER PROBLEM FOODS

In addition, the following foods can cause symtoms of fructose malabsorption:

Dried Fruit (including "health" bars containing dried fruit)

Tinned fruit in "natural" juice (which is often pear juice)

Sorbitol (present in some Diet Drinks And Foods , and occurring naturally in some Stone Fruit s)

sweet Wine s

Too much fruit of any kind in a short timeframe

FOOD LABELLING LAWS

Sufferers of Coeliac Disease are often protected by Food Labelling Laws , hence Processed Food s are required to be marked "gluten-free"

However, producers of processed food are not currently required by law to mark foods as "fructose-free". This can cause some surprises and pitfalls for fructose malabsorpers.

Note that foods (such as Bread ) marked "gluten-free" are usually suitable for fructose malabsorpers, though sufferers need to be careful of gluten-free foods that contain Dried Fruit or Fructose itself in sugar form. However, fructose malabsorpers do ''not'' need to avoid Gluten as do those with coeliac disease.

Fructose malabsorpers can eat breads and made from Rye , Spelt and Corn flour. However, these may contain Wheat unless marked "wheat-free" (or "gluten-free").

SEE ALSO

Gastroenterology

Invisible Disability

REFERENCES

''Sugar - Chemical, Biological and Nutritional Aspects of Sucrose''. John Yudkin, Jack Edelman and Leslie Hough (1971, 1973). The Butterworth Group. ISBN 0-408-70172-2

''Irrisitibles for the Irritable''. A cookbook by accredited Dietician Sue Shepherd. Shepherd Works. ISBN 0-9751957-0-0

EXTERNAL LINKS

Understanding fructose malabsorption from Metabolic Solutions Inc.

Fructose intolerance and fructose malabsorption from Foodintol.com

Fructose- and sorbitol-reduced diet improves mood and gastrointestinal disturbances in fructose malabsorbers Ledochowski M, Widner B, Bair H, Probst T, Fuchs D. Dept. of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University Of Innsbruck , Austria .

Fructose Malabsorption Is Associated with Lower Plasma Folic Acid Concentrations in Middle-Aged Subjects technical brief from Maximilian Ledochowski, Florian Überall, Theresia Propst and Dietmar Fuchs.

Fructose malabsorption is associated with early signs of mental depression Ledochowski M, Sperner-Unterweger B, Widner B, Fuchs D. Dept. of Clinical Nutrition, Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Austria.

Fructose malabsorption is associated with decreased plasma tryptophan Ledochowski M, Widner B, Murr C, Sperner-Unterweger B, Fuchs D. Dept. of Clinical Nutrition, Institute for Medical Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Innsbruck, Austria.

Fructose may cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome by Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Information About

Fructose Malabsorption