Abstract
Background
Fructose malabsorption (FM) is reported in 38 % to 75 % patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Most of these studies, however, had limitations due to use of variable dose of fructose, small sample size, and lack of control population. Moreover, there is no study on this issue from India. Hence, in this prospective study, we evaluated the frequency of FM on an adequately powered sample of patients with IBS and healthy controls (HC) from India.
Methods
Ninety-seven patients with IBS (diagnosed using Rome III criteria) and 41 healthy controls were evaluated for FM by fructose hydrogen breath test (FHBT) using 25 g fructose. Persistent rise (at least two readings) in breath hydrogen 20 parts per million (PPM) above basal was considered diagnostic of FM.
Results
Patients and controls were comparable in age (37 years [21–66] vs. 33 years [15–56]; p = 0.1) and gender (76/97 [78.4 %] vs. 29/41 [70.7 %] male; p = 0.3). Of 70 patients reporting data on Bristol’s stool forms, 10 (14 %), 43 (61 %), and 17 (25 %) had constipation, diarrhea predominant and unclassified IBS (Asian classification), respectively. Patients with IBS more often had FM than controls on FHBT (14/97 [14.4 %] vs. 1/41 [2.4 %]; p = 0.04). Patients with FM more often had diarrhea-predominant IBS than those without FM (10/11 [91 %] vs. 33/59 [56 %]; p = 0.02).
Conclusion
Though FM was not very common among Indian patients with IBS, it was higher among them than controls. Patients with FM more often had diarrhea-predominant IBS.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bolin T. IBS or intolerance? Aust Fam Physician. 2009;38:962–5.
Friedman G. Diet and the irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterol Clin N Am. 1991;20:313–24.
Barrett JS, Gibson PR. Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) and nonallergic food intolerance: FODMAPs or food chemicals? Ther Adv Gastroenterol. 2012;5:261–8.
Goldstein R, Braverman D, Stankiewicz H. Carbohydrate malabsorption and the effect of dietary restriction on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and functional bowel complaints. Israel Med Assoc J. 2000;2:583–7.
Ledochowski M, Widner B, Bair H, Probst T, Fuchs D. Fructose- and sorbitol-reduced diet improves mood and gastrointestinal disturbances in fructose malabsorbers. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2000;35:1048–52.
de Roest RH, Dobbs BR, Chapman BA, et al. The low FODMAP diet improves gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective study. Int J Clin Pract. 2013;67:895–903.
Corlew-Roath M, Di Palma JA. Clinical impact of identifying lactose maldigestion or fructose malabsorption in irritable bowel syndrome or other conditions. South Med J. 2009;102:1010–2.
Choi YK, Kraft N, Zimmerman B, Jackson M, Rao SS. Fructose intolerance in IBS and utility of fructose-restricted diet. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2008;42:233–8.
Born P, Vierling T, Barina W. Fructose malabsorption and the irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology. 1991;101:1454.
Berg LK, Fagerli E, Martinussen M, Myhre AO, Florholmen J, Goll R. Effect of fructose-reduced diet in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, and its correlation to a standard fructose breath test. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2013;48:936–43.
Rumessen JJ, Gudmand-Hoyer E. Functional bowel disease: malabsorption and abdominal distress after ingestion of fructose, sorbitol, and fructose-sorbitol mixtures. Gastroenterology. 1988;95:694–700.
Choi YK, Johlin FC Jr, Summers RW, Jackson M, Rao SS. Fructose intolerance: an under-recognized problem. Am J Gastroenterol. 2003;98:1348–53.
Johlin FC Jr, Panther M, Kraft N. Dietary fructose intolerance: diet modification can impact self-rated health and symptom control. Nutr Clin Care. 2004;7:92–7.
Reyes-Huerta JU, de la Cruz-Patino E, Ramirez-Gutierrez de Velasco A, Zamudio C, Remes-Troche JM. Fructose intolerance in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a case–control study. Rev Gastroenterol Mex. 2010;75:405–11.
Piche T, Ducrotte P, Sabate JM, et al. Impact of functional bowel symptoms on quality of life and fatigue in quiescent Crohn disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2010;22:626–e174.
Ghoshal UC. How to interpret hydrogen breath tests. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2011;17:312–7.
Ravich WJ, Bayless TM. Carbohydrate absorption and malabsorption. Clin Gastroenterol. 1983;12:335–56.
Truswell AS, Seach JM, Thorburn AW. Incomplete absorption of pure fructose in healthy subjects and the facilitating effect of glucose. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988;48:1424–30.
Densupsoontorn H, Jirapinyo P, Thamonsiri N, Wongarn R. Fructose malabsorption in Thai adult. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16:209–12.
Fernandez-Banares F, Esteve-Pardo M, de Leon R, et al. Sugar malabsorption in functional bowel disease: clinical implications. Am J Gastroenterol. 1993;88:2044–50.
Born P, Zech J, Lehn H, Classen M, Lorenz R. Colonic bacterial activity determines the symptoms in people with fructose-malabsorption. Hepatogastroenterology. 1995;42:778–85.
Ladas SD, Grammenos I, Tassios PS, Raptis SA. Coincidental malabsorption of lactose, fructose, and sorbitol ingested at low doses is not common in normal adults. Dig Dis Sci. 2000;45:2357–62.
Rao SS, Attaluri A, Anderson L, Stumbo P. Ability of the normal human small intestine to absorb fructose: evaluation by breath testing. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007;5:959–63.
Gwee KA, Bak YT, Ghoshal UC, et al. Asian consensus on irritable bowel syndrome. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010;25:1189–205.
Shepherd SJ, Parker FC, Muir JG, Gibson PR. Dietary triggers of abdominal symptoms in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: randomized placebo-controlled evidence. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008;6:765–71.
Latulippe ME, Skoog SM. Fructose malabsorption and intolerance: effects of fructose with and without simultaneous glucose ingestion. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2011;51:583–92.
Shepherd SJ, Gibson PR. Fructose malabsorption and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome: guidelines for effective dietary management. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006;106:1631–9.
Romagnuolo J, Schiller D, Bailey RJ. Using breath tests wisely in a gastroenterology practice: an evidence-based review of indications and pitfalls in interpretation. Am J Gastroenterol. 2002;97:1113–26.
Ghoshal UC, Abraham P, Bhatia SJ, et al. Comparison of Manning, Rome I, II, and III, and Asian diagnostic criteria: report of the Multicentric Indian Irritable Bowel Syndrome (MIIBS) study. Indian J Gastroenterol. 2013;32:369–75.
Conflict of interest
AS, DS, AV, AM, and UCG declare they have no conflict of interest.
Ethics statement
The authors declare that the study was performed in a manner to conform with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 and 2008 concerning Human and Animal Rights, and the authors followed the policy concerning Informed Consent as shown on Springer.com.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sharma, A., Srivastava, D., Verma, A. et al. Fructose malabsorption is not uncommon among patients with irritable bowel syndrome in India: A case–control study. Indian J Gastroenterol 33, 466–470 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12664-014-0492-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12664-014-0492-9