Last updated 3/28/2003


KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- About 62 million people in the United States are diagnosed each year with a digestive disorder. Treatments may include antibiotics, and other medications. Now, some people can reduce symptoms of these disorders simply by changing their diet.

Fructose is a type of sugar found in everything from soft drinks to honey to apple juice, and it could be making you sick.

"There's a limit to the amount of fructose that we can consume," says Researcher Peter Beyer, R.D., of University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

Beyer says our fructose intake has nearly tripled in the last 30 years. He suggests we limit the amount of sugar in our diet to about 12 teaspoons a day. "That's the upper limit and right now, we're at 32," he says.

Fructose can cause gas, bloating and pain. More than 50 percent of healthy people have symptoms after consuming just 25 grams of fructose -- the amount in just one soda. For people with gastrointestinal disorders, fructose can make their symptoms worse.

Beyer says, "By eliminating, or at least reducing, the amount of fructose in the diet, then they may get along a lot better and may have a better quality of life."

When fructose is consumed and not absorbed properly, high levels of hydrogen are produced. Now, researchers say a simple test to measure hydrogen can detect fructose intolerance. It can also alert doctors to other problems such as bacteria overgrowth in the GI tract.

After complaining of abdominal pain, Miles Jones has had the test more than once. "This looks like the best one I've had yet," he says.

Jones has cut out soda and limited fructose to stave off problems. He says, "It appears like things are getting under control."

The hydrogen test is just starting to be used to detect fructose intolerance and bacterial overgrowth, but it has been used in the past to diagnose lactose intolerance in many people.


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