Today i've finally been diagnosed having an fructose malabsorption (better known as fructose intolerance)! Why i say finally? I was so weary of having undefined stomachaches, stomachcramps and flatulence. Now i even know what causes all the pain and inconvenience. It are those fructose suckers! ;) Well, better said it is the less amount of GLUT-5, which is a transport protein based in the wall of he small bowel, responsible for reabsorbing fructose into the bloodstream.
But due to the fact that there are not enough GLUT-5 proteins, not all the fructose can be reabsorbed and it continues its way through the digestive system and into the colon, where fructose actually isn't meant to be. In the colon the fructose needs to be fragmented by bacteria and that's were smelly gases and cramps come from.
The only thing you can do about it is, really, to avoid fructose.
Fructose exists mainly in all kind of fruit (most in apples, pears, cherries, dried fruits) and vegetables (most in onions, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots). But also normal refined sugar contains 50% fructose and alternative sweeteners like honey, agave, maple syrup are No-No's as well.
The first 4 weeks after the diagnosis are called abstention phase where you are encouraged to leave out fructose whereever you can.
I handle this by leaving out fruits and sugar completetly, i'm substituting sweetness by using rice and spelt syrup and by constraining the variety of vegetables i eat to only avocados, spinach, salad leaves and potatoes.
I hope my stomach and small bowel are feeling better soon from all the constant fructose intake and i'm willing to share some fructosefree recipes with you!
See you, xx Jenny
