Many things upset your stomach; some people have a lactose or gluten intolerance, while others get sick from fructose or another type of sugar in fruits. If you constantly feel sick, bloated, or have bowel issues after eating fruit, you could be fructose-intolerant.
At Gateway Gastroenterology, our board-certified gastroenterologists perform fructose intolerance testing, lactose intolerance testing, and hydrogen and methane breath testing to determine what's causing your discomfort.
Healthy fruits and vegetables usually contain a type of sugar called fructose. While these foods are healthy, they can lead to uncomfortable GI symptoms if you live with fructose intolerance.
People with fructose intolerance can't digest the sugar in healthy fruits and vegetables. The result is various GI symptoms that may include any of the following:
Your symptoms depend on the type of fructose intolerance you have. Hereditary fructose intolerance results from a gene mutation that causes a deficiency of aldolase B, an enzyme that is essential for breaking down fructose.
Fructose malabsorption is the most common cause of fructose intolerance. It happens when the small intestine can't absorb fructose, allowing it to pass into the colon, where bacteria ferment it, causing uncomfortable symptoms.
When your stomach doesn't feel well after eating, you may be able to narrow down the cause with an elimination diet — but most people don't think about healthy fruits as being the cause of such an issue. When you come in for an appointment, our team discusses your symptoms to develop a plan.
If they suspect fructose is the problem, they offer fructose intolerance testing. Before the test, we have you drink a liquid that contains a high amount of fructose. We measure the amount of hydrogen in your breath after drinking the beverage to determine if you have fructose intolerance.
The entire test takes a few hours. We measure the amount of hydrogen in your breath about every 20 minutes. We also discuss any symptoms you're having to determine if you are fructose-intolerant.
If you have a high amount of hydrogen in your breath, you have trouble digesting fructose. Low levels mean something else might be causing your GI discomfort.
If testing determines you have fructose intolerance, we discuss treatment options. The type of fructose intolerance you have determines the best treatment options.
Unfortunately, hereditary fructose intolerance has no cure. The only way to avoid symptoms is to avoid fructose altogether. This means cutting out most fruits, which affects your nutrition. You may need to see a dietitian to learn how to get the necessary vitamins and minerals.
If you have fructose malabsorption, we want you to keep a food diary and cut back on fruits and vegetables containing fructose to see if symptoms improve. After completely cutting back, you slowly add small amounts of fructose to see how much you can tolerate.
Contact Gateway Gastroenterology today to schedule an appointment for fructose intolerance testing. Call or message us.