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Sugar intolerance refers to the inability of your body to process specific sugar types, resulting in digestive issues. Various compounds, such as lactose, sucrose, and fructose, can trigger this response. While there isn't a singular cure for this condition, it may naturally improve over time, particularly if it onset during childhood. Meanwhile, you can manage symptoms by adjusting your diet. With some dietary modifications, you can lead a comfortable day-to-day life.
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Identifying the Issue
Take note of any symptoms experienced after consuming sugars. Maintain a food diary documenting your intake and subsequent reactions. Alongside table sugar and fruit, be wary of sugars in processed foods. Bring this diary to your doctor's appointment for discussion.
- On food labels, sugar might be labeled as sucrose, fructose, or lactose.
Experiment with an elimination diet to alleviate symptoms. Food sensitivities may contribute to your symptoms. To investigate, remove common allergenic foods from your diet for 2-4 weeks. Gradually reintroduce them one by one to pinpoint any triggers. If a food causes symptoms, eliminate it from your diet.
- Common allergens include dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, citrus, shellfish, corn, and beef products.
Suggestion: If certain foods upset your stomach, consider discussing digestive enzymes with your doctor. They may help alleviate discomfort.
Seek medical attention if you experience signs of sugar intolerance. Diagnosis and treatment for sugar intolerance require medical intervention. Symptoms typically involve gastrointestinal discomfort, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and stomach cramps, particularly after consuming sugar-containing foods. If you encounter these symptoms, arrange a consultation with your doctor for further evaluation.
- If your primary care physician lacks expertise in gastrointestinal issues, they may refer you to a gastroenterologist for specialized care.
- Symptoms of sugar intolerance can resemble those of other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Hence, consulting a doctor is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
- Since sugar intolerance often begins in childhood, monitor your child for similar symptoms. Slowed growth may also indicate nutrient absorption issues.
Undergo testing to identify the type of sugar sensitivity you have. Various tests are available based on the suspected sugar compound causing sensitivity. Following a physical examination and medical history review, your doctor may conduct several tests to confirm sugar intolerance.
- Fructose sensitivity may be evaluated through an oral fructose challenge followed by breath analysis, with increased hydrogen levels indicating a positive result.
- Similar breath tests are used for lactose intolerance.
- Glucose or sucrose sensitivity may be assessed via blood sugar level measurements obtained from a blood sample.
Consult your doctor or a registered dietitian for dietary adjustments. Upon receiving a positive diagnosis for sugar intolerance, dietary modification becomes the primary treatment. Since different types of sugar intolerance exist, dietary adjustments will vary depending on your condition. Seek guidance from your doctor and adhere to their dietary recommendations.
- If you require further assistance in managing your diet, consider consulting a licensed nutritionist or dietitian approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Locate a professional near you at https://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert.
Consider using prescription Sucraid if you suffer from sucrase deficiency. Sucrase, an enzyme responsible for breaking down sucrose, leads to sucrase deficiency and subsequent sucrose intolerance if lacking. Sucraid, a medication replacing sucrase, aids in managing this condition. Your doctor may prescribe it in cases of sucrose intolerance.
- A similar medication can assist with lactose intolerance. Various brand names exist, so consult your doctor to determine the most suitable option for you.
Adjusting Your Dietary Habits
Thoroughly review food labels and eliminate products high in sugar. Following a diagnosis of sugar intolerance, you must become a vigilant shopper. Always scrutinize food labels to gauge their sugar content. If the sugar levels exceed your tolerance, exclude such items from your diet.
- Your tolerance level for sugar depends on your specific condition. Adhere to your doctor's recommendations for maintaining sugar intake below a certain threshold.
- Avoid other compounds such as high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave syrup, and molasses.
- If your tolerance allows, opt for foods where sugar isn't among the top 4 ingredients. Although these foods contain sugar, the concentration is lower and may not trigger symptoms.
Transition to low-fructose fruits and vegetables. While fruits and vegetables offer numerous health benefits, some varieties are high in fructose. Opt for low-sugar options to incorporate essential fruits and vegetables into your diet. Examples include blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and avocados for fruits, and leafy greens, broccoli, carrots, green beans, celery, and cucumbers for vegetables. Prioritize these selections to prevent symptom exacerbation.
- You may find these fruits and vegetables more tolerable when consumed alongside meals rather than individually.
- Avoid high-sugar fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, grapes, watermelon, asparagus, peas, and zucchini. Additionally, eliminate most fruit juices from your diet due to their high sugar content.
Caution: Control your fruit intake, as it contains natural sugars. Consult your doctor or dietitian to determine a safe fruit consumption level while effectively managing your symptoms.
Explore alternative sweeteners to avoid added sugar. Various natural and synthetic sugar substitutes can sweeten your food and beverages without exacerbating your symptoms. Examples include stevia, xylitol, erythritol, monk fruit extract, and saccharin. Consider replacing table sugar with these alternatives.
- If your sensitivity is mild, you might tolerate honey, maple syrup, molasses, coconut sugar, brown rice sugar, banana puree, or dates instead of table sugar.
- Use these sweeteners only if your doctor approves. Depending on your type of sugar intolerance, other sweeteners might also affect you.
- If you cannot tolerate any added sugar or sugar substitutes, cinnamon can add flavor to certain foods.
Reduce or eliminate dairy intake if you have lactose intolerance. Lactose, found in dairy products, is a common sugar causing intolerance. Decrease dairy consumption or opt for dairy alternatives like soy milk to mitigate symptoms.
- You may tolerate dairy with the use of a prescription pill beforehand. Consult your doctor to determine if this option suits you.
- If your lactose intolerance is mild, you might tolerate smaller servings of dairy products. For instance, use half the usual amount of milk in your cereal.
Inquire about sugar content in your medications. Some prescription and over-the-counter medications contain sugars for flavoring. Check medication labels or ask the pharmacist about sugar content. If present, discuss alternative prescriptions with your doctor.
- Many liquid medications, especially cough syrups, contain some sugar for taste enhancement. Switching to tablets may be necessary to reduce sugar intake. Lozenges also contain sugar. When in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
- Pharmacists may prepare custom sugar-free medication formulations upon request.
Gradually reintroduce foods to evaluate changes in tolerance. Symptoms of sugar intolerance may improve gradually, particularly after adopting a low-sugar diet. Slowly reintroduce sugar into your diet and monitor tolerance levels. If symptoms remain manageable, you may be able to increase sugar intake in your daily diet.
- If symptoms recur at a certain point, maintain sugar consumption below that level.
- Reintroduce foods under your doctor's guidance. If advised against, refrain from increasing sugar intake.
Insights
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Sugar intolerance is often mistaken for a sugar allergy, though they are distinct conditions. Sugar allergies are relatively rare and manifest as itching, sneezing, hives, a runny nose, or throat swelling, rather than gastrointestinal issues.
