Fructose Intolerance

With increased availability of fruit and honey and the addition of high fructose corn syrup to some sweet convenience foods and juices, we are consuming more fructose than ever before. Yet, fructose is only slowly absorbed and so much may escape absorption in the small intestine and pass on into the colon, where it may be partly fermented, causing bloating and diarrhoea in the sensitive and reactive bowels of people with IBS.

NB: When fructose is combined with glucose as in table sugar, or when it occurs naturally in fruits in equivalent amounts to glucose, it may not cause symptoms.

If you suspect fructose is the problem for your IBS, reduce your fruit intake to just three a day, avoid particularly high fructose fruits (watermelon,cherries, mango and pears), limit your intake of fruit juice to a small glass (100ml) and avoid foods containing high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates and honey.

NB: Fructose is a FODMAP.  Thus fructose intolerance is often associated with intolerance to other FODMAPs.