Contents:
- Medical Video: Fighting with fruit ( fructose intolerance )
- What foods can be consumed by children with fructose intolerance?
- What foods should be avoided by children with fructose intolerance?
- Can fructose intolerance be cured?
Medical Video: Fighting with fruit ( fructose intolerance )
Some children may be born with problems with fructose intolerance or fructose malabsorption, in which the body cannot digest high-fructose foods. Fructose is one type of simple sugar that is naturally found in fruits, some vegetables, and honey. So, children with digestive problems must pay more attention to the food consumed. Not all foods can be consumed by children with fructose intolerance.
What foods can be consumed by children with fructose intolerance?
Not all foods can indeed be consumed by children with fructose intolerance. However, that does not mean that all foods containing fructose, such as fruits and vegetables, should be avoided. There are several fruits and vegetables that can still be tolerated by children with fructose intolerance, namely those that contain low fructose levels.
Some examples of fruits and vegetables with low fructose levels are:
- Avocado
- Orange
- Pineapple
- Strawberry
- Banana
- Lemon
- Lime
- Cucumber
- Celery
- Cauliflower
- Bean
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Potato
- Sweet corn
- Carrot
- eggplant
- Pumpkin
These are just a few examples, there are still many more actually vegetables and fruits that contain little fructose. Vegetables usually contain a lower amount of fructose compared to fruits.
When consumed in the form of vegetables and fruits, fructose is absorbed by the body more slowly because of the content of fiber in fruits and vegetables. So, eating fruits and vegetables with low fructose levels may not cause digestive problems in children with fructose intolerance.
What foods should be avoided by children with fructose intolerance?
There are several fruits that contain high fructose, so this food should be avoided by children with fructose intolerance. Some fruits that contain high fructose and should be avoided are:
- Apple
- Pear
- Mango
- Wine
- Lychee
- Blackberry
- Cherry
- Kiwi
- Starfruit
- Watermelon
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
In addition, fruits in the form of juices and syrups should also be avoided by children with lactose intolerance. Fruit juice is more easily absorbed by the body, which makes it difficult for the body to digest a lot of fructose. Meanwhile, syrup usually contains additional sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup. Children with fructose intolerance should also not consume foods containing honey because of high fructose.
In children with fructose intolerance, the child's body lacks the protein needed to digest fructose. Thus, a high intake of fructose can cause several problems, such as drowsiness, yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and feeling of discomfort in the stomach after eating foods with high fructose.
Can fructose intolerance be cured?
This disease cannot be cured. However, you can reduce the symptoms it can cause by giving your child a low-fructose diet. Avoid foods with high fructose levels for your child, such as the foods mentioned above.
You also need to read product labels before buying packaged foods for children. Avoid foods that contain ingredients, such as:
- Fructose
- High fructose corn syrup
- Honey
- Agave syrup
- Inverted sugar
- Maple flavor syrup
- Molasses
- Coconut sugar
- Sorghum
