Fructose is a simple sugar that is naturally found in fruits and some vegetables. If you have an intolerance to fructose, your body struggles to break it down, which can cause inconveniences to your life.
Hereditary Fructose Intolerance
A hereditary intolerance to fructose is a genetic condition in which people are born without the enzymes that break down fructose. With this intolerance, symptoms will begin to show when babies begin to eat solid foods. Babies could become nauseous, bloated, have low blood sugar, have diarrhoea and there could be some issues with growth and development. This type of fructose intolerance has the ability to cause serious health risks, such as damage to vital organs.
Dietary Fructose Intolerance
This type is a bit different to hereditary as this can happen at any stage of life. Cells in your intestine struggle to absorb fructose as they should, also known as fructose malabsorption. Dietary fructose intolerance is characterised by gas, bloating, diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Foods to Avoid
It can be frustrating to have an intolerance to your favourite foods, but once you know what to avoid and what you can tolerate, you will feel better in no time.
Some High Fructose Foods Include:
- Fruit juices
- Sugary soft drinks
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Agave Syrup
- Honey
- Foods with wheat as the main ingredient
- Dried Fruit
- Some vegetables like broccoli and onions
Which Foods are Low in Fructose?
There are some foods that include low amounts of fructose which many people with the intolerance tend to be ok with.
Low Fructose Foods Include:
- Carrots
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Oranges
- Green Beans
- Strawberries
- Gluten-free alternatives
Diagnosing a Dietary Intolerance
Diagnosing a fructose intolerance isn’t an easy process, this is because some symptoms are the same as other conditions such as IBS. If you think you have an intolerance, it’s recommended to do the elimination diet. This is where you eliminate the foods that you think are causing the issues for up to two weeks. After this time has passed, slowly reintroduce the foods back into your diet to see how much your body can tolerate.
Another option is to do a food intolerance test. You can give a sample of hair which is tested in a lab, you will then receive a full report that tells you everything you’re sensitive to. You can shop our intolerance tests here.
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