Diet for people with fructose intolerance

There are many people with fructose intolerance who are faced with the uncertainty of which is the food they should follow. To solve this problem, first It is important to know what is the component of the food that causes intolerance, what food contains it and what exactly is this pathology.

However, there are many diets for people with fructose intolerance. Therefore, having clear the previous points, these people do not have any problem at the time of nourishing themselves if they are informed as it is due.

What is fructose?

fructose syrup

Fructose is a simple sugar that can be found naturally in fruits. Normally, it is ingested in the form of sucrose. This substance is, neither more nor less, the common sugar that we all know. When we take sucrose, it is divided into its components in the intestines, releasing glucose and fructose.

It is also important to know that Another source of fructose is sorbitol. This substance is a sweetener, which when metabolized by our body, can generate fructose.

On the other hand, fructose, under normal conditions, It must be absorbed by intestinal cells and metabolized in the body to be able to take advantage of their properties. At the moment when there is a problem both in its absorption and in its metabolization, it is when the problems of fructose intolerance appear.

In order to know the right diet for each person, it is essential to differentiate between a person with hereditary fructose intolerance and fructose malabsorption.

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Hereditary fructose intolerance

The cause of this disease is a genetic error which affects the process of metabolizing fructose. It is present in 1 person out of every 20,000. This error causes that these people lack the enzyme that intervenes in the biochemical reactions of the organism, fructose-1-phosphate-aldolase or aldolase B.

By not having this enzyme, which is responsible for the metabolism of fructose, this sugar accumulates in the form of an intermediate product of the degradation of fructose that is toxic to the organism.

Fructose malabsorption

As we talk about a failure in the metabolism of fructose or its intestinal assimilation we will be dealing with intolerance or malabsorption.

Regarding this pathology, usually affects more than 30% of the population. Patients have cells in their intestines that are unable to fully or partially absorb fructose. In this way, gastrointestinal symptoms occur.

Therefore, depending on the pathology suffered and taking into account the severity of its consequences, the answer will be different and, therefore, the diet will also be different.

Diet for people with hereditary fructose intolerance

People with fructose intolerance of this type they must carry out a strict diet without fructose, in which you do not consume more than 1 or 2 grams of this sugar.

For it, it is important that the patient read the labels of all foods making sure they are free of fructose. Unfortunately, there are very few manufactured foods that can be consumed if this pathology is suffered.

Therefore, to give us a slight idea of ​​the foods that people with hereditary fructose intolerance can consume and not, we make a small list mentioning them. Among the allowed foods:

• Sweeteners: glucose syrup, saccharin, cyclamate.
• Fruits in an occasional way: avocado, ripe olives.
• Vegetables: chard, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, mushrooms, escarole. And of limited consumption: celery, watercress, cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, cauliflower.
• Meat and fish: all the frescoes
• Cereals and derivatives: wheat flour, oats, corn, rye, white bread, rice.

Among the prohibited ones, mention that neither processed meats nor fish should be eaten containing fructose, sucrose or sorbitol. Nor are soy drinks, condensed milk, fruit yogurt or tomatoes among other foods allowed.

Read also: What are the main food intolerances?

Diet for people with fructose malabsorption

To avoid the development of digestive symptoms, patients with intolerance should reduce the consumption of fructose according to total or partial.

In these cases, the diet to follow is a fructose-restricted diet. This restriction will vary according to each person depending on whether the malabsorption is total or partial and the degree of intolerance suffered.

If the intolerance is total, the diet will be very similar to people with hereditary fructose intolerance, that is, you should avoid eating any food that contains fructose or sucrose.

On the other hand, people with partial intolerance, which is the most common pathology, can consume foods with a low sugar content. They can even consume a moderate amount of foods with a high fructose content.

Some foods with high amounts of fructose are:

• Dried apricot, persimmons and cherries.
• Prunes and cherimoyas.
• Apple, pear and grapes.

Conversely, foods with low amounts of fructose are:

• Papayas, avocado, coconut and tiger nuts.
• Hazelnuts and chestnuts.
• Artichokes, aubergines, aubergines and mushrooms.
• Milk, cheese and eggs.
• Meat and fresh fish.

Despite all these indications, it is important that in the event that you suffer from any of the pathologies explained you go to a specialist to advise you and establish a dietary treatment customized to your features.