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Fructose Malabsorption ? What Are Your Symptoms?


cahill

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cahill Collaborator

I am currently doing an elimination diet to find any remaining allergys and / or intolerances. I have found a pretty good base of safe foods.

This past week to only changes to my diet I made were: I added bananas, started eating a bit more of other fruits all ready in my diet and increased the amount of rice i am eating . The first 3 days with the bananas was OK , I was eating 1 banana in addition to my other fruit.That was maybe a total of 2or3 serving of fruit a day.

Then after day 3 ,WOW, Things went down hill fast.Burning in the back of my throat, upset stomach ,gas and then stabbing pain in my abdomen,,felt like someone had a knife in there cutting me up inside. And the D,OMG, no solid at all, water and urgent is not the word .I have had to be very,very close to the bathroom or I dont make it.

I am very careful with my food, I live alone , I have not eaten out,so not much chance of CC.

So my question is,,,,Does this sound like fructose malabsorption or a delayed reaction to the bananas ??

Any other insight would be welcome :)


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Emilushka Contributor

I don't think it's possible to have fructose malabsorption because it diffuses freely through the intestinal wall, similarly to the way water does. There's nothing active going on. Any damage to the gut wall would increase the absorption of the fructose, not decrease it. You would more likely be reacting to the bananas or to a fruit specifically.

It is possible to have a genetically inherited disorder of fructose processing once it's within your body, but that's something you have from birth, not something you get later in life.

Could there have been a bacterial contaminant on the fruits? That almost sounds like a bacterial gut infection.

cahill Collaborator

I don't think it's possible to have fructose malabsorption because it diffuses freely through the intestinal wall, similarly to the way water does. There's nothing active going on. Any damage to the gut wall would increase the absorption of the fructose, not decrease it. You would more likely be reacting to the bananas or to a fruit specifically.

It is possible to have a genetically inherited disorder of fructose processing once it's within your body, but that's something you have from birth, not something you get later in life.

Could there have been a bacterial contaminant on the fruits? That almost sounds like a bacterial gut infection.

I have a very limited understand of this but my understand was that there are fructose carriers than can be damaged there fore causing fructose malabsorption ??

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if it is a bacterial infection what other things should I watch for??

In any event , Bananas are off the menu ,, for now anyway

cassP Contributor

i have issues with fructose & excess fructans... but i dont get major "D".. just excruciating stabbing gas pains, bloating, and almost feeling like i have a bladder infection. i dont get any nausea..

i DO get nausea from eating a banana BY ITSELF, apple juice, or orange juice.

cahill Collaborator

i have issues with fructose & excess fructans... but i dont get major "D".. just excruciating stabbing gas pains, bloating, and almost feeling like i have a bladder infection. i dont get any nausea..

i DO get nausea from eating a banana BY ITSELF, apple juice, or orange juice.

I think I am going to cut back on the fruit for now, limiting my fruit to 1 serving a day and see how I react or not.Bananas are out ,for now

Thanks Cass :)

Emilushka Contributor

I have a very limited understand of this but my understand was that there are fructose carriers than can be damaged there fore causing fructose malabsorption ??

Open Original Shared Link

if it is a bacterial infection what other things should I watch for??

In any event , Bananas are off the menu ,, for now anyway

The reason I was calling it a bacterial infection possibly is because you had diffuse, watery diarrhea with a lot of urgency. That makes it sound more like something is triggering your body to expel everything quickly - like bacterial toxins do. It tends to come on suddenly and go away suddenly too, within a day or two (because it's a pre-formed toxin that you've ingested that will ultimately be pooped out). They're self-limited so you don't need to worry aside from staying hydrated.

If you wanted to test the fructose theory, you could always try drinking Powerade or another sports drink that uses fructose. Then you could see if the fructose in the Powerade triggered the same problem as the bananas, or if it's an actual solid-fruit-related thing.

cassP Contributor

I think I am going to cut back on the fruit for now, limiting my fruit to 1 serving a day and see how I react or not.Bananas are out ,for now

Thanks Cass :)

or you could focus more on fruits with a higher sucrose content... you could mix a 1/2 RIPE banana with raspberries & blueberris... pineapple is great too, and the bromelain helps with digestion. i like to JUICE Spinach with Pineapple- i can drink a good amount of that with no issues.


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catarific Contributor

Definitely sounds like fructose malabsorbtion to me. You might want to read this - I found it very helpful. Also if you check the chart, rice should be eaten in moderation - your increase in rice plus the bananas could be your culprits.

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cahill Collaborator

Definitely sounds like fructose malabsorbtion to me. You might want to read this - I found it very helpful. Also if you check the chart, rice should be eaten in moderation - your increase in rice plus the bananas could be your culprits.

Open Original Shared Link

Thanks catarific,, I think the rice is as much a culprit as the fruit,,, I will be glad when I can cut the rice out of my diet again

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