tips for living with a fructose intolerance

Living with a fructose intolerance can be challenging. Eating the wrong foods can leave you feeling bloated, dealing with cramps, or even making frequent trips to the bathroom.

Fortunately, there are multiple ways you can minimize these symptoms. Here are a few tips to help you live successfully with a fructose intolerance.

1. inform yourself

Knowledge is power. A lactose intolerance is a simple absence of the lactase digestive enzyme in your system. A fructose intolerance is a bit more complex.

It comes from a lack of the GLUT-5 transport protein that helps absorb fructose in your small intestines. Fructose is a monosaccharide that is similar in structure to and can bond with glucose. This means it can attach to and “ride along” with glucose on a GLUT-2 transport protein.

However, you need a one-to-one ratio of both fructose and glucose for this to work. Eating foods with balanced fructose and glucose helps. The Xylose Isomerase enzyme can also convert fructose into glucose. Understanding the nuances of fructose and how a fructose intolerance works can help you take informed, meaningful steps to achieve an effective, long-term solution.

2. build a support system

Along with absorbing raw data about a fructose intolerance, you also want to build a support system of individuals to help you through your digestive health journey.

This starts with your primary care physician. Find a medical professional that you can trust to work with and support you over time.

It’s also wise to contact a qualified dietician. Intoleran has an in-house staff of dieticians ready to provide targeted support when needed.

Finally, find trusted friends and family members to act as accountability partners. These individuals should be able to encourage you to stick to dietary commitments and gently call you out when you need help staying focused.

3. go on a low-fructose diet

The first step in minimizing the impact of a fructose intolerance is to find the foods that are causing the most trouble. Fortunately, there are many resources that can help you tailor your diet to your needs.

For instance, start by identifying foods with high concentrations of free fructose (i.e., fructose without glucose it can ride along with) in your diet. This includes many fruits, veggies, sweeteners, and processed foods. Monash University’s FODMAP app can help you pull up detailed lists of foods that you should avoid.

Mayo Clinic points out that there are other fruits and veggies that are lower in fructose, such as carrots, lettuce, bananas, and blueberries. The University of Virginia also has a wonderfully concise and informative three-page PDF outlining an effective low-fructose diet. Use the resources you have available to build a solid low-fructose diet that you can still enjoy.

4. use digestive enzymes

Finally, stock up on digestive enzymes that target troublesome fructose-heavy foods. Intoleran has a pair of clean, effective products that can help with this.

Fructase is one of these. This provides a dose of the Xylose Isomerase enzyme to help digest excess fruit sugar. Quatrase forte contains a more comprehensive mixture of digestive enzymes (including Xylose Isomerase) and works well as a complete digestive support tool for more troublesome concerns like IBS.

Either of these supplements is a safe and effective way to address fructose intolerance. When you do decide to eat a troublesome food, or you’re out of the house and have less control over your food choices, using these means you don’t have to deal with the gas, bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea that come with stirring up a fructose intolerance.

enjoying life with a fructose intolerance

Having a fructose intolerance doesn’t mean you have to give up on eating. You can still build a delicious diet that is low in fructose. In addition, enzyme supplements can help you streamline digestion and manage symptoms even when you do eat more fructose than is preferable.

So review the steps above and consider where you are in your current digestive journey. Have you done your research? Do you have a support system in place? Have you tailored your diet, and do you use digestive enzymes?

These are the tools that can help you tackle each meal with confidence, knowing you can still enjoy life, even when you’re living with a fructose intolerance.