- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Fructose intolerance: Which foods should I avoid?
My daughter has fructose intolerance. Can you tell me which foods have fructose so that she can avoid them?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Fructose is a sugar found naturally in fruits, honey and some syrups. Fructose is also a basic component in table sugar (sucrose), and it's used to sweeten many processed foods and beverages. In addition, sorbitol — a sugar alcohol — is converted to fructose during normal digestion. So if you have fructose intolerance, you should avoid foods that contain fructose and sucrose as well as sorbitol.
Avoid foods that contain:
- Fructose
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Table sugar (sucrose)
- Confectioner's sugar or powdered sugar
- Fruit and fruit juices
- Honey
- Regular sodas
- Flavored water
- Sorbitol
- Sports drinks
- Sweetened milk or sweetened milk beverages
Consult a registered dietitian for a complete list of foods your daughter should eat or avoid. The dietitian also can help create a healthy diet plan for your daughter to make sure she gets the nutrients she needs.
The phrase "fructose intolerance" is a general term that describes two possible conditions:
- Hereditary fructose intolerance. People with hereditary fructose intolerance, a rare genetic disorder, lack an enzyme that breaks down fructose. This serious disorder, which is usually diagnosed at a young age, can lead to liver and kidney damage.
- Fructose malabsorption. People with fructose malabsorption have difficulty digesting fructose. This is a less serious disorder because it doesn't result in liver or kidney damage. But it can cause abdominal pain, gas, bloating and diarrhea.
Either condition should be confirmed by a doctor using reliable testing methods.
- Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:1561.
- Facts about fructose. American Dietetic Association. http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/FRUCTOSE.pdf. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Understanding food allergies and intolerances. American Gastroenterological Association. http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parml=5679. Accessed Jan. 29, 2009.
- Gibson PR, et al. Review article: Fructose malabsorption and the bigger picture. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2007;25:349.
- Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006:2221.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Dietary suggestions for a fructose-controlled diet. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2008.
