What is fructose?
If we talk about fructose intolerance, we must first know what fructose is. Fructose, or levulose, is a type of monosaccharide carbohydrate found in vegetables, fruits, and honey. It should also be borne in mind that fructose can be found as an additive in some prepared foods or as an excipient in some medications.
What is fructose intolerance?
There is talk of fructose intolerance when symptoms such as abdominal pain and swelling, abdominal sounds, explosive diarrhea, etc. appear. in patients with fructose malabsorption. Depending on the pathogenesis, we can classify fructose intolerances into primary and secondary:
- The primary intolerances are due to a genetic failure in the fructose transporter of the intestinal mucosa.
- The intolerances of secondary origin are due to an underlying intestinal disease (SIBO, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, gastroenteritis, etc.) that in one way or another can alter the fructose absorption process.
Airtest kit for bacterial overgrowth.
The AIRTEST KIT FOR BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH will allow you to collect samples of expired air at different times after ingesting sugar. Lactitol is usually used as a substrate, but if you are especially interested in using any other substrate, you just have to select the substrate you want (lactitol, glucose or lactulose) in the drop-down menu and we will send you the corresponding kit.
The kit contains all the components necessary to take the sample as well as detailed instructions to carry it out. Read the instructions carefully before beginning the sample collection.
After the collection process, the steps to follow to send us the sample are indicated. At the Calderón Diagnostic Center it has the professionals and the most advanced laboratory equipment to measure the amount of hydrogen and methane present in your sample. Its technology allows both gases to be measured at the same time, which significantly reduces the number of false negatives and provides better control over the quality of the sample.
The Calderón Diagnostic Center will perform the diagnostic test and will give you a report with the measurements of the gas values in your sample and how to interpret the results.
Precautions:
- Taking the substrate sugar is contraindicated in patients with hereditary intolerance to said sugar.
- Sampling in diabetic patients must be supervised by healthcare personnel; and the test prescribed by your doctor.
What are the most frequent intolerances to sugars?
The most common intolerance is lactose, the sugar contained in dairy products. This is followed in frequency by fructose intolerance, which is present in many fruits and vegetables. And to this the intolerance to sorbitol, also present in some fruits and red algae. Much less incidence has sucrose intolerance, present in sugar cane and beet.
Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine
The large intestine contains the highest concentration of bacterial flora in our body. When part of this flora colonizes some segments of the small intestine, we may be talking about bacterial overgrowth syndrome. This can manifest with bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, alteration of some nutrients, etc. The causes can be diverse and it is advisable to visit a specialist in the digestive system. Treatment usually consists of the administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
