Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Pardon the pun, but I think you're mixing apples and oranges here. I'll explain what I understand about it - if I'm wrong I know someone else will set me straight.

Most fruits are a problem for IBSers because they are IF (insoluble fiber). The exceptions - fruits which are SF (soluble fiber) - are bananas, papayas, and mangoes. Similarly, most vegetables are a problem for IBSers because they are also IF. There are some exceptions to this and carrots are one of them - they're SF.

Fruit juices are a problem for IBSers because of the fructose. You can get a lot of fructose down very quickly by drinking juice, whereas with the whole fruit you can't get as much fructose down as fast.

I don't know for sure, but my guess would be that vegetable juices have less fructose than fruit juices, so they would be more likely to be safe to drink.

If you're talking about juice - either fruit juice or vegetable juice - I don't think you have any fiber in it at all (or maybe very little if you don't strain out all the pulp).

Given all this, carrot juice might be safer than a fruit juice because - at least in theory - it should have less fructose (not because carrots are SF). I'd suggest trying carrot juice after a high SF meal and just a little to start. If you tolerate that, you can get a little more adventurous. (If I'm right in my logic so far, most vegetable juices should be safer than fruit juices because they'll be lower in fructose - and this should be true regardless of whether the vegetable is IF or SF.)

As for mango and papaya juice, I'd think these would be just as high in fructose as apple or orange, so the fact that these fruits are SF wouldn't make any difference. Their fiber is gone once you make them into juice, so it's irrelevant.

Whew! Do you write essay questions for exams in your spare time?

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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