What do we consider as fructose intolerance?
Intolerances are quite common in our society. Especially fructose intolerance has become a huge problem for many of us.
But what exactly is fructose intolerance? Fructose intolerance is basically the intolerance to fructose. Most people might think that this could be solved by simply leaving out fruit. Unfortunately, however, fructose is found in many more foods than one would expect. Even vegetables and grain products contain fructose and, without forgetting it, the most common sugar used in our daily life, the saccharose. These elements appear in a lot of sweets and sugary drinks. This leads to a problem when trying to keep a healthy diet.
That is why Frusano was founded. We want to ease the life of fructose-intolerant people. It all started with a simple analysis of products regarding their fructose concentration before we developed our own products. Today, we can offer a wide range of fructose-free products for a healthy life!
Up until today, fructose intolerance remains a chronic disease and a suitable medicine has not yet been found . Many patients who suffer from Hereditary Fructose Intolerance develop a naturally averse reaction to vegetables, fruits and sweets, which actually protects them from consuming fructose. Therefore, they can live almost without any restrictions due to their fructose intolerance. But obviously, it is not the same for everyone. Especially human beings, who have not suffered their whole life from fructose intolerance and have loved sweets until the point of their disease, do have problems with diet of low or no fructose.
Unlike to the type one of fructose intolerance (intestinal fructose intolerance), a low-fructose diet is not enough for type two (hereditary fructose intolerance) of fructose intolerance. It is highly important to completely leave out fructose of the diet which means to consume less than one gram of fructose per day. This makes eating very burdensome and has an impact on the life quality of the affected people.
How to identify fructose intolerance symptoms
Not every fructose intolerance is the same. There are actually two types that differ in their cause and their symptoms:
- Intestinal Fructose Intolerance:
Also called fructose malabsorption. This type is based on a defect transport system in your small intestine. - Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI):
This type is relatively uncommon. The intolerance is based on a defect regarding the metabolism of fructose.
Sorbitol Intolerance: For this type of intolerance, the affected person cannot process the sugar alcohol of fructose. Sorbitol is also found in some fruits as well as in calorie reduced products that use other types of sweeteners.
What exactly are the symptoms of fructose intolerance and how does one know if they are affected? Fructose intolerance usually shows itself through
- Diarrhea
- Loud sounds of the stomach
- Headache
- Constipation
- Flatulence
- Pain
- Hunger for sweet foods
- Halitosis
- Stomach aches
In cases of Hereditary Fructose Intolerance, the compliance with a proper diet is enormously important as this type can lead to organic damages regarding kidneys and/or the liver. Although fructose malabsorption (the most common of the two) does not cause serious damage to the organs, it does cause many unpleasant symptoms.
Living with Fructose Intolerance
A life without fructose is nearly impossible. Therefore, it is important to reduce the intake and concentration of fructose. For this type of diet, Frusano products are highly recommended.
To live without the uncomfortable symptoms of fructose intolerance, it is strictly necessary to avoid certain types of sugar, such as:
- Fructose
The concentration of fructose in most of fruits, vegetables and grain products differ a lot from food to food. Therefore, it helps a lot to own a table of fructose concentration of foods in which one can look up the concentration for certain products. - Sorbitol
The tolerance of fructose is very different in every individual. While some people can only process 1g/day, others can eat 50g/day without showing any symptoms. However, keeping the sugar out of one’s diet is the best way to stay on the safe side.
Nevertheless, eating fruits and vegetables is essential for the human body, keep following these rules:
- Avoid fructose in sweets
- Consume fruits and vegetables containing a small concentration of fructose
In general, low fructose Frusano products should be well tolerated. If your tolerance is very low, please check the concentration of our products, and chose the ones with the lowest concentration of fructose.
Apart from fructose intolerance, there are other common intolerances in humans. Frusano products are not only designed for those who suffer from fructose intolerance but are also suitable for other intolerances.
Frusano products are sweetened with maltose and dextrose. Among our product range we have alternative sweeteners, chocolates, spreads, sweets, drinks and much more to enhance the quality of life of those affected by fructose intolerance.
This way, they can live normally and eat normally and do not feel any impact on their life. Many of our products are not only low in fructose or completely fructose-free, but also vegan and gluten-free. We watch out for an extremely low sorbitol content.
Eat healthily and live happily with Frusano products!