Sugar seems to be in virtually every food you buy at the grocery store. There's sugar in bread, beverages, breakfast foods and meats. If your doctor has recommended a sugar elimination diet, she may be attempting to determine whether or not sugar is causing adverse reactions in your body. A common cause of unpleasant symptoms from eating sugar is related to hereditary fructose intolerance, a condition where your digestive system cannot digest most forms of sugar. A sugar elimination diet is not intended to diagnose a medical condition.
Hereditary Fructose Intolerance
As with most food intolerances, the inability to digest fructose is due to a missing enzyme during digestion. Enzymes are used to break down proteins and sugars into simpler forms so they can be absorbed by the body. If you lack the aldolase B enzyme, your digestive system cannot properly digest fructose, causing harmful chemical reactions in the body, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. If this condition is not diagnosed and treated it can lead to liver damage, liver failure and even death. Hereditary fructose intolerance is a genetic disorder that is passed down family lines.
Elimination Diet
A sugar elimination diet is commonly prescribed by doctors as a first step in diagnosing fructose intolerance. The diet itself is not enough evidence to clinically diagnose the condition but, it provides direction for further testing. During a sugar elimination diet you'll remove all forms of sugar from your diet for two weeks, including naturally occurring sugars. This includes, but is not limited to fructose, fruits, honey, syrups, high fructose corn syrup, table sugar, sucrose, sodas, sports drinks and powdered sugar. Use sugar substitutes during the two weeks and work closely with a dietician to maintain proper nutrition.
Journaling
During the two-week elimination period keep a detailed journal describing what you eat, how much of it you eat and how it affects your body. You may continue to experience certain symptoms for the first few days of the diet, but symptoms should improve after the first three days of eliminating sugar. If your symptoms persist, call your doctor for evaluation. Your symptoms may be related to another condition.
Introduction
Introduce a small amount of sugar back into your diet at the completion of the two-week period. Document how your body responds and report your findings to your doctor. Try increasing the amount of sugar you ingest slowly to determine if a particular amount of sugar triggers your symptoms.
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