Fructans and Inulins

[charlie]

Have finally got on with trying to build up the FM site and decided to look into fructans and Inulin a bit more, I know they have come up a few times on this board too. It certainly isn't something I had come across before looking into FM for Megs a few years ago. so I have put an explanation about them if anyone wants to look at it.

I won't put the full thing on here as it isn't on the list of HFI food problems but I wonder why not? They are made of long chains of fructose so is it that the HFI sufferer can break down that chain ok in the small intestines, or their intestines can pass it through safely, or it just hasn't been considered a problem. Maybe for some of those very sensative (at the risk of setting them off again) it explains why some cannot cope with wheat too?

for more info visit the link : www.fructosemalabsorb.proboards.com/thread/177/fructans-inulin?page=1#scrollTo=634

[ukbill]

I think you have something here Charlie.

It would explain the otherwise not understood gas and digestive problems I frequently experience.

If I've read it right a Starch is a long chain of Glucose molecules for which we have the enzymes to chop this up into Glucose and digest it that way, but Fructans and in particular Inulin are long chain Fructose molecules and we do not have the enzyme to digest them directly, however some gut Bactria in the Large intestine do and produce fatty acids from them which we can digest..

In the process we get a lot of gas and if we eat too many then we get diarrhea etc.. Yup that explains a lot that dose.

I do not think the Bactria can release much Fructose as they break down the Inulin and Fructans but you never know. Perhaps there is a Paper on the digestion of Fructans and Inulin somewhere?

It could also be that some peoples Bactria might be different to others and they might have a bacteria that releases some Fructose.. it would explain a lot of the variances between people.

Onions are full of them apparently which would explain why if I eat any I do get all sorts of unpleasant problems the next day.

I occasionally eat a bit of Garlic (I think Garlic oil should be safe though) and think that has been causing me problems of late if I eat too much of it.

Anyway Nice One Charlie, some good research there thanks for bringing it to my attention.

[doingmybest]

Hello –

I have no idea if fructans would cause issues for the typical person with HFI. I only know about FM.

We struggled for years with not knowing what a person with FM should eat. Fructans are a component of what typically bothers people with FM. Amazing research on FM is happening in Australia – by Sue Shepherd and Peter Gibson. They released a book in August 2013 that explains how fructans, polyols, fructose, etc., are digested by people with FM:

www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Low-FODMAP-Diet-Revolutionary/dp/1615190805/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388252284&sr=8-1&keywords=low+fodmap

Paraphrased from their explanation, nobody digests fructans, but only some people are bothered by it. The particular combination of bacteria in some people’s bowels leads them to be more-vigorous fermenters, and how our body handles and interprets the increased gas varies, as well.

Perhaps your library has the book, or you could request that they purchase it. Otherwise, if you’re interested in their research articles, some are available from Sue Shepherd’s web site:

shepherdworks.com.au/services/gpspecialist-section

Their latest research will be the most-accurate, as they are still testing foods for levels of all FODMAPs, including fructans. (There’s more info on FODMAPs on her web site, too.) Our daughter has FM and has followed the low-FODMAP diet for about a year and a half. At first I was very skeptical, because I thought she would never be able to tolerate the items that were “okay” on the diet. However, we’ve been able to isolate her problem-foods and have found that onions must have a crazy amount of fructans – it’s by far her biggest trigger. With that trigger out of the way, we’ve seen she can tolerate many foods we never thought she could.

FYI, Shepherd’s research also shows that people with colitis or Crohn’s disease have an increased likelihood of FM. No mention is made of HFI in their book, and the low-FODMAP diet would definitely NOT be safe for HFI. It might only be helpful if you follow an HFI diet, but are looking for possible reasons why some HFI-safe foods still cause you tummy troubles.

Hope this helps –
doingMyBest