How is fructose intolerance diagnosed?
In these studies, fructose intolerance is diagnosed through the use of the hydrogen breath test, which measures the amount of hydrogen in the breath following the ingestion of a fructose solution. A positive finding for fructose intolerance would be a rise in breath hydrogen. This increase reflects a fermentation of the fructose by bacteria in the large intestine, rather than a normal state of affairs in which the fructose is digested by enzymes in the lining of the small intestine and never makes its way to the colon. Please note that this identification of a fructose intolerance differs than that of a more serious condition known as hereditary fructose intolerance, which is typically diagnosed in infancy.
What are the research findings?
One study made a comparison between healthy individuals and people who were self-identified as suffering from fructose intolerance based on the fact that they experienced bloating and flatulence after eating certain fruits. Although the results must be interpreted with caution due to the extremely small number of individuals (8 patients, 4 controls) who participated in the study, the results are interesting. The self-identified patients had higher hydrogen levels and did experience more bloating and flatulence as a result of drinking the solution than did the healthy individuals.The finding that test subjects experienced symptoms from the fructose solution itself was replicated in another study, one that used a much larger population. A total of 183 individuals who had unexplained digestive symptoms participated. Three-quarters of these individuals experienced abdominal symptoms following the ingestion of the fructose solution. These symptoms included flatulence, abdominal pain, bloating, belching and a change in bowel habit.
In a slightly different vein, one study looked at the relationship between fructose intolerance and unexplained abdominal pain in children. The study involved giving different doses of the fructose solution to 32 children. Thirteen of the children had a positive hydrogen breath test result. There was an effect of dose size in that the larger the quantity of fructose, the greater the percentage of children who tested positive. Eleven of the children who tested positive were given a fructose-restricted diet to follow. According to the researchers, nine of these children experienced rapid symptom improvement upon following the diet.
One study looked specifically at fructose intolerance in adults diagnosed with IBS. Of the 80 study participants, almost one-third had a positive hydrogen breath test result following ingestion of the fructose solution. Of these patients, 26 participated in a follow-up assessment one year later. On follow-up, 14 of these patients reported that they were able to comply with a fructose-restricted diet and experienced significant improvement in the symptoms of pain, belching, bloating, indigestion and diarrhea.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, research on the role of fructose intolerance in IBS is still in its preliminary stages. However, if your symptoms of gas, bloating and diarrhea seem related to the ingestion of fruits, a fructose intolerance might be something to consider. Keep a food diary for several weeks to determine if there is a such a relationship. If so, speak to your doctor about the possibility of taking the hydrogen breath test and ask your doctor’s opinion about trying an elimination diet.For more on food intolerance and IBS:
Sources:
Choi, Y., Kraft, N., Zimmerman, B., Jackson, M. & Rao, S. “Fructose Intolerance in IBS and Utility of Fructose-Restricted Diet.” Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 2008 42:233-238.
Choi, Y., Johlin, F., Summers, R., Jackson, M. & Rao, S. “ Fructose intolerance: an under-recognized problem.” American Journal of Gastroenterology 2003 98:1348-1353.
Gomara, R. et.al. “Fructose intolerance in children presenting with abdominal pain.” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 2008 47:303-308.
Hereditary Fructose Intolerance Medline Plus.
Mann, N. & Cheung, E. “ Fructose-induced breath hydrogen in patients with fruit intolerance.” Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology 2008 42:157-159.
