Content
Fructose intolerance is the difficulty of absorbing foods that have this type of sugar in their composition, which can lead to the appearance of some symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, excessive sweating, diarrhea and bloating and, to improve the symptoms, it is necessary to It is important to eliminate foods that contain this sugar.
Fructose is found mainly in fruits, however vegetables, cereals, honey and some industrialized products in the form of corn syrup or sweetener such as sucrose or sorbitol, substances that are present in foods such as soft drinks, box juices, tomato sauce and fast foods.
Fructose malabsorption can be hereditary and, therefore, symptoms often appear in the first 6 months of life, however, intolerance can be acquired throughout life due to intestinal changes that can cause difficulty in digesting this compound, as is the case with irritable bowel syndrome.
Allowed foods
As fructose intolerance varies from person to person and has different degrees, and can be mild, moderate to severe, the consumption restriction must be adjusted according to each case. Therefore, it is important to seek guidance from a nutritionist so that a nutritional plan suitable for the person's needs is indicated, as well as follow-up and educate the person on the topic.
In addition, it is also important that the person keeps a food diary, in which the food consumed and the reactions that were observed in the body must be noted. Here's how to make a food diary.
It is important to give preference to food prepared at home, as well as it is important to check the label of the products before consuming them, so that the food should not contain high fructose corn syrup in its composition, fructose, sucrose, sugar, sorbitol and molasses.
Some of the foods that do not have fructose and can be consumed are:
Dairy | Milk, butter, cheese and plain yogurt. |
Sweeteners | Glucose or Stevia. |
Dried fruits and seeds | Nuts, peanuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, chia, sesame, flaxseed and sesame. |
Spices | Salt, vinegar, herbs and spices. |
Soups | Made with allowed foods and spices. |
Cereals | Oats, barley, rye, rice, brown rice and products prepared from them, such as bread, crackers and cereals, provided they do not have fructose, sucrose, sorbitol, honey, molasses or corn syrup. |
Animal protein | White meat, red meat, fish and eggs. |
Drinks | Water, tea, coffee and cocoa. |
Sweets | Sweet desserts and pastas that are not sweetened with fructose, sucrose, sorbitol or corn syrup. |
A FODMAP diet could be of great help in solving the problem of fructose malabsorption. This diet has the principle of removing from the diet foods that are little absorbed in the small intestine and that are fermented by bacteria belonging to the intestinal microbiota, such as fructose, lactose, galacto-oligosaccharides and sugar alcohols.
This diet should be carried out for a period of 6 to 8 weeks, and the person should be aware of any improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms. In the event that symptoms improve after 8 weeks, food should be gradually reintroduced, starting one group of foods at a time, as it is also possible to identify what causes abdominal discomfort, and consumption should be avoided or consumed in small quantities. Learn more about the FODMAP diet.
Foods to Avoid
There are foods that contain high amounts of fructose and other low amounts, and should be excluded from daily life or consumed according to the degree of tolerance of the person, namely:
Category | Low fructose | High fructose content |
Fruit | Avocado, lemon, pineapple, strawberry, tangerine, orange, banana, blackberry and melon | All fruits that have not been mentioned previously. Special attention should be paid to juices, dried fruits such as plums, raisins or dates and canned fruits, syrups and jams |
Vegetables | Carrots, celery, spinach, rhubarb, beets, potatoes, turnip leaves, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, radishes, chives, green peppers, white carrots | Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, leeks, okra, onions, peas, red peppers, tomato sauce and products containing tomatoes |
Cereals | Buckwheat flour, nachos, corn tortillas, gluten-free bread free, cracker, popcorn and quinoa | Foods with wheat as the main ingredient (trifo bread, pasta and couscous), cereals with dried fruits and cereals containing high fructose corn syrup |
Products such as fruit yoghurts, ice cream, soft drinks, box juices, cereal bars, ketchup, mayonnaise, industrial sauces, artificial honey, diet and light products, chocolates, cakes, pudding, fast foods, caramel, white sugar should also be avoided. , honey, molasses, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose and sorbitol, in addition to processed meats and sausages, such as sausage and ham, for example.
Some foods such as peas, lentils, beans, chickpeas, white beans, corn and soybeans can cause gas and, therefore, their consumption depends on the person's tolerance. Although it can be a difficult task, people with this type of intolerance should avoid consuming fructose, because if the consumption is not controlled, serious complications, such as kidney or liver failure, can arise.
Example menu for fructose intolerance
An example of a healthy menu for people with fructose intolerance may be:
Meal | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 |
Breakfast | 200 ml of milk + 2 scrambled eggs with cheese + 1 slice of bread | 1 plain yogurt + 2 teaspoons of chia + 6 nuts | 200 ml of cocoa milk + 2 slices of wholemeal bread with white cheese |
Morning snack | 10 cashew nuts | 4 whole toast with curd | 1 homemade oatmeal cake sweetened with stevia |
Lunch | 90 grams of grilled chicken breast + 1 cup of brown rice + lettuce salad with grated carrots + 1 teaspoon of olive oil | 90 grams of fish fillet + 1 cup of mashed potatoes + spinach with olive oil | 90 grams of turkey breast + 2 boiled potatoes + chard with olive oil and 5 nuts |
Afternoon snack | 1 plain yogurt | Herbal tea + 1 slice of rye bread with ricotta cheese | 200 ml of cocoa milk + mix of chestnuts, nuts and almonds |
It is important to remember that you should always check the label of processed foods to make sure that they do not contain ingredients prohibited in fructose intolerance, such as honey, molasses, corn syrup and sweeteners saccharin and sorbitol. In general, diet and light products, cookies, ready-made drinks and bakery products usually bring these ingredients.
Main symptoms
In people who have hereditary intolerance, or who have fructose malabsorption due to changes in the intestinal flora or inflammatory diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome, for example, the consumption of this sugar can cause symptoms such as:
- Nausea and vomiting;
- Cold sweat;
- Abdominal pain;
- Lack of appetite;
- Diarrhea or constipation;
- Excess gases;
- Swollen belly;
- Irritability;
- Dizziness.
As breast milk does not have fructose, the baby only begins to have symptoms when he starts to drink artificial milk, using milk formulas, or with the introduction of foods such as baby food, juices or fruits.
If the amount of this sugar consumed by the intolerant child is very large, there may be more serious symptoms such as apathy, seizures and even coma. However, it is important to remember that the presence of gas, diarrhea and a swollen belly can also be symptoms of lactose intolerance, and it is important that the child is evaluated by the doctor.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of fructose intolerance is made by the gastroenterologist, endocrinologist or nutrologist, who make an assessment of the person's clinical history, and a test is performed with removal of fructose from the diet and observation of symptom improvement.
If in doubt, urine and blood tests can also be done to assess the effects of fructose on the body, in addition to the expired hydrogen test, which is a test that measures, through breathing, the fructose absorption capacity by body.