Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

You asked an interesting question.

It is important to note that everyone has problems with fructose if they consume a large enough amount. IBSers appear to be more sensitive.

Typically, the fructose breath test uses a load of 25 grams of fructose. If you are positive the test does not tell how much fructose you can tolerate. It only tells you that 25 grams is too much. If you are negative it doesn't tell you if your safe upper limit is 30, 35, 40, etc grams.

HFCS is usually 55% fructose and 45% glucose & other sugars. So 100 grams of HFCS contains about 12 grams of excess fructose. Honey is similar. It contains about 9 grams of excess fructose. A soft drink typically contains about 40 grams of sugar and HFCS. So it may contain about 5 grams of excess fructose. This is about the amount found in a small apple or pear.

If you find you are sensitive to HFCS in soft drinks or an equivalent amount in other foods then it is possible you will have problems with an average servings of high fructose fruits. However, you may be able to eat smaller portions without difficulty. Unfortunately, only trial and error will help you determine how much you can handle.

I hope this explanation helps a bit

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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS

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