Questions About Fructose Malabsorption

[Blondie]

Alright, seems just about right to post this here.

So without elaborating much on the details, im gonna go fructose-low for a couple of weeks to see if there's any improvement (celiac, lactose intolerant, glutenfree 10 months).

So far im pretty sure what to eat and what to avoid, with the exception of Sunflower seeds.

Does anyone know if these contain fructose? If so, is the fructose level high compared to say... potatos?

(These are listed under ingredients in my glutenfree bread)

Also, I would like to know when to expect some improvement?

[Blondie]

Bump (can't see my post anywhere)

[Blondie]

Bump

[DElizabethE]

Hi,

I have been waiting to see if someone would reply because I'm curious myself. I am also doing a low fructose diet (along with gluten free, dairy free, soy and corn free) and have been feeling better. I did a lot of research of different foods on www.nutritiondata.com to find out the sugar/fructose content. It helped a lot. I stay away from sunflower seeds but I just looked it up. A 1 oz serving has 0.8g of sugar and the fructose value was incomplete. I'd say they were ok but I thought I read somewhere that you should stay away from them on a low fructose diet. Probably doesn't help you any. Check out that website though. You can look up any food on it with different amounts.

I just felt bad no one replied to your question. Maybe someone else on a low frustose diet can help us out.

Diane

[Blondie]

Well, I don't eat them raw, they're just in the bread i buy, i've been tolerating decent amounts of fructose, my problems started when i started drinking A LOT of juices

[georgie]

I am curious about this myself. I had a massive collapse / pain/ D etc and all I could trace it to was a gluten-free soup mix I had that day. When I read the ingredients it had Fructose listed as third ingredient. As the reaction was so severe - I now wonder if I am making myself slightly ill each day by having small amounts of Fructose. I know I react badly to sorbitol, and have always felt ill after an apple for eg. But fructose is in so many foods that I am having a nightmare trying to understand it all.

[boron]

So far im pretty sure what to eat and what to avoid, with the exception of Sunflower seeds.

Does anyone know if these contain fructose? If so, is the fructose level high compared to say... potatos?

(These are listed under ingredients in my glutenfree bread)

Also, I would like to know when to expect some improvement?

If you "only have fructose malabsorption (FM) (and not much more severe hereditary fructose intolerance) then you don't need to avoid all fructose, but only amount which is above your personal tolerance threshold. Beside that, fructose amount is not the most important thing. Sugar (sucrose) has 5og of fructose in 100g, but is well tolerated by most persons with FM, if ingested in moderation. Important info is Fructose:glucose ratio. If glucose content is higher than fructose, the food should be OK, unless if it also contains sorbitol.

Sunflower seeds contain no fructose and you can try them.

You can also check: Open Original Shared Link site with lists of problematic and "to try" foods.

[AndrewNYC]

I am fast becoming an authority on this subject. Backstory is that I had continuing minor bowel irritation for four years after going gluten, dairy and soy free. Then I finally had a massive collapse with onset of out of control bowel trouble and celiac-like neuro trouble, unrelated to vitamin deficiency. Refractory sprue was ruled out; villi appeared completely healed. I removed fructose and that seems to resolve everything, though dealing with the diet is ridiculously difficult as I am trying to be as fructose free as possible, basically eating only meat and the occassional potato or small serving of veggies. I realize this is very unhealthy but the alternative is not attractive either. I react to all levels of fructose so it is difficult. The one thing to note is that dextrose counteracts fructose. Smarties, Pixie Sticks, and Sweet Tarts (I think) all consist solely of dextrose, so eating these around and with a meal should help; and no, I'm not kidding.

I think all vegetables/plants have SOME fructose content with exception of mushrooms and supposedly green leafy lettuce (not butter lettuce). I would not be surprised if sunflower seeds have trace amounts of fructose and I would not be surprised if you found authority that said they have zero fructose, but I would think that authority is inaccurate just because I think my first sentence is correct.

As far as improvement, my symptoms with fructose last for 12 hours after each meal, then I feel back to baseline. I would just try eating meat for two days first and see how you do.

I noted in the first month that I went gluten free a couple years ago that I seemed to have a neuro reaction to various canned fruits, like I was being glutened by said fruit. I thought that was odd, and it was kind of a vague feeling. I reported it to my doctor at the time and he of course told me there was no gluten in fruit and kind of rolled his eyes. Well, I would have been much better off if I had had more knowledge at the time. There is a Mayo article out there that says for celiac patients who do not show full improvement after gluten free that you have to consider 6 things, one of which is fructose malabsorption.

[georgie]

I would love to learn more about this. As I said - I have not improved on gluten-free diet 100% and after my severe Fructose reaction - the light globe came on as I have always felt off colour after eating fruit. Its a hard diet intolerance as everyone assumes fruit is healthy for you.And most gluten-free bars seem to have honey ....

Andrew - can the symptoms of Fructose intolerance be similar to GI , and include fatigue, neuropathy , and not always be the severe gut reaction ?

I have been eating fructose light this week and seem to have improved. And now - like with Gluten - I am finding that I am more aware of fructose hidden in foods and my reaction if I eat those foods ( onion for eg)

I have always felt best on an Atkins diet but cannot do that now. I seem to suffer 'withdrawals' that make me ill. Is this a sign that my body needs to eliminate the foods it is craving ?

Do you have links to the Mayo article ? I am curious what the 6 other conditions are...

[AndrewNYC]

I would love to learn more about this. As I said - I have not improved on gluten-free diet 100% and after my severe Fructose reaction - the light globe came on as I have always felt off colour after eating fruit. Its a hard diet intolerance as everyone assumes fruit is healthy for you.And most gluten-free bars seem to have honey ....

Andrew - can the symptoms of Fructose intolerance be similar to GI , and include fatigue, neuropathy , and not always be the severe gut reaction ?

I have been eating fructose light this week and seem to have improved. And now - like with Gluten - I am finding that I am more aware of fructose hidden in foods and my reaction if I eat those foods ( onion for eg)

I have always felt best on an Atkins diet but cannot do that now. I seem to suffer 'withdrawals' that make me ill. Is this a sign that my body needs to eliminate the foods it is craving ?

Do you have links to the Mayo article ? I am curious what the 6 other conditions are...

Andrew - can the symptoms of Fructose intolerance be similar to GI , and include fatigue, neuropathy , and not always be the severe gut reaction ?

Yes.

I'll look for the article.

[sicl4015]

Hello,

I just added this to my list of eliminated foods and am hunting for the best way to do a "clean" elimination diet process. (gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, oats, nightshades, dietary yeast)

Any information you can provide, ie the mayo article link, would be much appreciated!

Sue

Andrew - can the symptoms of Fructose intolerance be similar to GI , and include fatigue, neuropathy , and not always be the severe gut reaction ?

Yes.

I'll look for the article.