sugar intolerance: what is this, causes, symptoms, complications, diagnostics, treatment, prevention

If the body cannot absorb certain sugars, or to assimilate them only to a limited extent, it's called sugar intolerance. In this article, you can read about the symptoms and causes of this intolerance and how, how to treat it.

Sugar intolerance symptoms

Delicious ice cream or a piece of chocolate to calm down - none of these can be eaten or can only be limited for people with sugar intolerance.

• Sugar intolerance is a disorder, when sugar, ingested with food, cannot be absorbed or metabolized.
• Types of sugar intolerance include six conditions: sucrose intolerance, Lactose Intolerance, sorbitol intolerance, fructose food intolerance, hereditary fructose intolerance and galactose intolerance.
• Symptoms of these sugar intolerances include:
  • Problems with the stomach and intestines, such as diarrhea, gas, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.
• However, atypical symptoms may also occur., such as dizziness, migraine/headache, heartbeat, tinnitus or excessive sweating.
• Symptoms usually start after 30 minutes after a meal. They can take six to nine hours.
• At night and a long break from eating, usually, does not cause symptoms of sugar intolerance.

Causes of Sugar Intolerance

The causes of various sugar intolerances are varied and depend on the type of sugar..

• Sucrose intolerance. If you have sucrose intolerance, you cannot consume regular sugar. The reason for this is the lack of a special enzyme (sucrase isomaltase) in the small intestine. This enzyme normally breaks down table sugar into glucose.. If it's missing, table sugar enters the large intestine, where it causes pain and cramps. Sucrose intolerance is usually inherited. However, sometimes it is also the result of intestinal inflammation or gluten intolerance..
• Lactose intolerance. In this case, the body lacks the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose, found in dairy products. Lactose intolerance can be congenital or develop during life due to bowel disease., malnutrition or increased alcohol consumption.
• Sorbitol intolerance. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is added to numerous industrial foods and labeled as E on packaging. 420, E432-E436 and E491-E495. In healthy people, sorbitol passes through the intestinal wall into the blood and into the liver., where it splits. If you have an intolerance to sorbitol, the intestines do not pass the substance. Sugar alcohol remains in the intestines, where it is converted into gases by intestinal bacteria. This results in gas and discomfort..
• Food intolerance to fructose: If you have this disorder, the GLUT-5 protein will not work properly. It transports fructose in the body. At the same time, intolerance is often based on an intestinal disorder.. If you continue to consume fructose man, you risk getting an irritated stomach or intestines.
• hereditary fructose intolerance: In this case, there is a violation of the metabolism of fructose in the body.. This disorder is a gene mutation, meaning, that fructose cannot be broken down sufficiently due to an enzyme defect in the liver. Hence, hereditary fructose intolerance is inherited.
• Galactose intolerance If the body cannot process simple sugars, you suffer from a defect in the enzyme α-galactosidase. It means, that galactose cannot be processed and accumulates in the blood and cells.

Many people, flatulent, cramps and diarrhea, come a long way of suffering, while they were diagnosed with sugar intolerance. Since the symptoms are very non-specific, often takes a certain amount of time, before a correct diagnosis is made.

How to understand, what a person has sugar intolerance and what to do about it?

You can understand which product or its component a person cannot tolerate when keeping a food diary. It's quite hard work.. It is necessary to write down everything that a person has eaten., in what quantities and what did it consist of. Keeping a food diary, what a person eats during the day, can help understand, what sugar causes intolerance and eliminate it from the diet. There are also breath tests to diagnose food intolerance., which allow you to find out what type of sugar a person cannot tolerate.

People with sugar intolerance should be aware of its presence in juices., soft drinks and other potentially sugary drinks. People may have intolerance to natural, and processed forms of sugar, found in the following foods:

• fruits and fruit juices
• milk
• soft drinks and sweet coffee or tea
• seasonings, such as ketchup, syrup and jelly
• desserts and pastries, like cakes, biscuits, cupcakes, ice cream and candy
• dry breakfasts, protein bars and muesli bars
• nut butter and nut milk

Are sugar substitutes bad for people with sugar intolerance??

Many people, who have sugar intolerance can often consume sugar substitutes without adverse reactions. Such sugar substitutes may include:

• xylitol
• stevia
• saxarin
• Aspartame

Food allergies or intolerances can cause life-threatening complications, so people, who experience food allergy symptoms, should consult a doctor and avoid sugars, and carry emergency medicines with you. Since sugar is the main source of energy for cells, people, those with food allergies or intolerance to certain types of sugar, need to find alternatives to sugar.