[Darlene D]

Hi Heather:I have been suffering from intestinal gas for many years, and it has been getting worse. I have been receiving a lot of helpful suggestions on the main section of the IBS board, and I was recommended to reduce fructose. I was wondering if you could give me suggestions on foods that I could eat that are low in fructose. This is a very difficult diet, since there are so many foods that contain high amounts of fructose. I suffer from IBS on top of the large quantities of intestinal gas, so this is quite a challenge. Lactose is a problem also. There are no dietitians/nutritionists where I live, and I haven't been successful in finding a good, balanced diet on the internet. If you could give me any suggestions, I would appreciate it very, very much!!Thank you!!Darlene

 

[Heather Van Vorous]

Hi Darlene - Fructose can certainly cause intestinal gas as well as IBS attacks of cramps and diarrhea. Fructose is fruit sugar, and the biggest culprit is often fruit juice (especially apple, but all varieties can cause problems). Fresh fruits themselves can also cause problems, and the insoluble fiber they contain can exacerbate that. Outside of fruits, high levels of fructose are usually only found in processed foods, usually as a result of high fructose corn syrup.If you avoid fruit juices and are careful to combine your fresh fruits with soluble fiber (oatmeal or white bread, for example) this will help. Peeling, skinning, chopping, cooking, and pureeing fresh fruits can also make their insoluble fiber much more tolerable, and safer for IBS. Processed foods are usually best avoided altogether, if possible. They usually have either high amounts of fat (a huge IBS trigger) or they compensate for a low fat quantity by dramatically increasing the sugar (often in the form of those high fructose corn syrups). As for lactose, it's one of the several problematic things about dairy. The high fat content, casein, and whey also cause GI problems. It's best to eliminate all dairy from your diet and use soy or rice substitutes (there's everything from milk to cheese to ice cream made out of soy or rice). I'm going to send you to www.eatingforibs.com for more detailed dietary info. If you go to the chapters and recipes section (you'll see the navigation link on the left) you can view hundreds of pages from there. There are lots of tips to help make your diet safe and reduce all IBS symptoms while still eating very healthy foods and getting the nutrition you need. Hope this helps and you are feeling better soon.Best, Heather

 

[Darlene D]

Heather,Thank you for your suggestions. I really appreciate all of your help.

Darlene