Fructose Malabsorption - The Other Side of Health-Conscious Nutrition

Fructose malabsorption or dietary fructose intolerance represent a widespread metabolic disorder caused by an overload of the enteral fructose-specific GLUT5 transporter. Fructose that reaches the colon is metabolized by colonic bacteria to short chain fatty acids and the gases carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane which lead to irritable bowel syndrome. Fructose malabsorption is not to be confused with food allergies, lactose maldigestion, histamine intolerance and hereditary fructose intolerance. Medical tests require a fructose-based hydrogen breath test for a clinical diagnosis. Depending on the individual threshold for fructose, an appropriate fructose-reduced diet should be initiated by a trained ecotrophologist.