Fructose is a basic component of sucrose, or table sugar, and it can be found in most processed foods and beverages. It's also a naturally-occurring sweetener commonly found in many different types of fruit. Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D. of the Mayo Clinic recommends avoiding foods that contain sucrose and sorbitol if you suffer from any degree of fructose intolerance.
Honey
Honey contains a relatively high amount of fructose and glucose, which are the same sugars found in regular table sugar. Honey contains slightly more calories than table sugar, and although some people believe that honey is more nutritious than table sugar, that may actually be misleading. While honey does contain trace B vitamins and minerals, according to the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the amounts are so small that they are considered as insignificant. In other words, both honey and sugar contain little or no nutritional value.
Fruit
Many types of fruit contain fructose. According to the University of Virginia Health System or UVHS, fruits with the highest concentration of fructose include prunes, pears, cherries, peaches, apples, plums dates, grapes and juices from these fruits. On the contrary, fruits like pineapple, strawberries, oranges, bananas, lemons and limes contain less fructose, so they may be easily tolerated by people with fructose intolerance.
Soda
Soda contains a high level of sugar, including diet sodas, which contain sugar-alternatives. The amount of fructose in one can of soda is about the same as the amount of fructose in two apples, according to the UVHS. They add that people with fructose intolerance may be able to tolerate one 12-oz. can of soda per day with a meal, but this may vary from person to person.
Sports Drinks/Flavored Waters
Any sport drink or flavored water variety will contain some level of sugar and/or natural fruit flavoring that may irritate people sensitive to fructose. The UVHS recommends drinking products containing small amounts of sucrose, aspartame -- Equal and Nutrasweet -- or saccharin instead of those containing other sweeteners.
Sweetened Milk
Chocolate milk or other varieties of flavored milk, much like soda and flavored water, includes added sugar that contains fructose. The Mayo Clinic recommends that people sensitive to fructose avoid all sweetened milk products.
Added Sugars
Many types of sugar should be limited or avoided, including table sugar, sorbitol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, lactatol, erythrytol, xylitol and high fructose corn syrup, according to the UVHS. In other words, any type of sugar or sugar-alternative should be avoided. This may prove to be difficult because so many processed, canned and baked goods contain some type of sugar in them.
Member Comments