Common Food Intolerances & How to Spot Them

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Fructose

Dietary fructose intolerance, also known as fructose malabsorption, occurs when your digestive system has difficulty processing fructose. Fructose is a simple sugar that's found naturally in fruits, fruit juices, honey and certain vegetables. It's also used in many processed foods with added sugars.

Some people have hereditary fructose intolerance, which means they were born without the enzyme responsible for breaking down fructose. This condition can generally be detected from infancy, while dietary fructose intolerance may show up later in life.

Common symptoms of dietary fructose intolerance include:

• gas
• bloating
• stomach pain
• diarrhea

If you suspect you have fructose intolerance, you should talk to your doctor, who may be able to test your digestion of fructose. Otherwise, the best way is to try eliminating foods from your diet that contain fructose and monitoring how your body reacts. You can combine this with an elimination diet, if you want to test for other food sensitivities as well.