Irritable Bowel? *off subject*

[Guest guest]

HI all, just got this newsletter in, and it sort of ties in with Arlines line of thought about diet. Thought it was interesting, FYI.

Dee~ Dear Reader,If you're one of the millions who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (which affects 40 million in the U.S. alone), you know all too well the uncomfortable symptoms: diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating. To make matters worse, IBS can be triggered by a number of factors, including stress, hormonal changes associated with menopause, and even the disruption of the brain neurotransmitter serotonin that helps regulate the digestive system. And because selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Prozac, increase serotonin levels, SSRIs are sometimes prescribed to treat IBS. Anti-gas and anti-diarrheal medications are also prescribed, as well as acid reflux drugs. But before you sign on for an expensive round of drugs with who-knows-what side effects, you need to know about a new study that confirms what we've known for a long time at HSI: a dietary adjustment is often the only treatment necessary to relieve IBS. --------------------------------------------------------------Avoidance techniques--------------------------------------------------------------The next time you're at the grocery store, pick out a few products at random - cereal, soft drinks, crackers, etc. - and look for "fructose" on the ingredients panel. More often than not, you'll find it there.

Fructose was once embraced as the healthy alternative to sugar, but the evidence now suggests that fructose can be just as harmful as table sugar. And it may also trigger irritable bowel syndrome. As part of their ongoing fructose research, a team of gastroenterologists at the University of Iowa (UI) recently conducted a one-year study to determine if IBS symptoms could be reduced with a fructose-restricted diet. A group of 80 IBS patients were given a fructose intolerance breath test. This test checks for the presence of gases in the breath that are produced when fructose is not properly absorbed in the digestive tract.

Thirty subjects were found to be fructose intolerant.

Each member of this group was given detailed information about dietary sources of fructose and how to avoid them. Over the course of the following year, four patients dropped out of the study. When the remaining subjects (76) were interviewed to determine their level of IBS symptoms and assess their compliance with the fructose-free diet, 54 percent had successfully remained on the diet. This group showed a significant decline in IBS symptoms, and some reported complete absence of abdominal pain. All of the subjects who didn't stick to the fructose-free diet showed no improvement in their IBS symptoms. Reporting these findings at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology earlier this month, the IU researchers noted that their previous fructose research indicated that perhaps more than half of all IBS patients are fructose intolerant (particularly those with persistent diarrhea). And many of these patients might easily reduce their symptoms simply by avoiding fructose foods.--------------------------------------------------------------Absorption issues --------------------------------------------------------------Fructose intolerance could more accurately be described as fructose malabsorption. If your body is unable to absorb fructose during digestion, the fructose passes into the colon where it's consumed by bacteria.

When bacteria digests fructose in the colon, acids and

gases are produced that trigger IBS symptoms such as bloating,

cramping and diarrhea. Some of the gases pass into the bloodstream,

and can then be detected in the breath, which is why the breath test is an effective way to diagnose fructose intolerance. But IBS patients who try to remove fructose from their diets have their work cut out for them. Fructose is found primarily in alcoholic beverages, corn, and corn-based products. Unfortunately, derivatives like corn oil, corn syrup, and fructose syrup are used in a wide variety of foods. (even colas)

[Guest guest]

Also bear in mind that it is not necessarily the fructose in fruits that causes

problems. It is more likely the high fructose corn syrup which food processors

put in so many foods.

The liver uses fructokinase to convert fructose to glucose.

http://umed.med.utah.edu/MS1/biochem/study/glycogen.html

http://northonline.sccd.ctc.edu/ntrresources/carbohyd.htm

Fructose, the sugar found in honey and ripe fruit, is much sweeter than table

sugar. Many food processors use fructose in their products to reduce the

calories derived from simple sugars while maintaining the desired sweetness. The

glucose in corn syrup can be converted to fructose by using the enzyme

isomerase, producing high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup contains

between 40% and 90% fructose. Fructose is absorbed in the small intestine cells

and converted to glucose in the liver.

The liver uses fructokinase for this purpose.

And of course we know that the liver converts glucose to glycogen and back to

glucose.

http://www.uic.edu/depts/mcbc/curriculum/531/outline/21outline.pdf

major products of fructose metabolism in liver: – pyruvate, lactate,

glucose and glycogen.

http://www.protraineronline.com/past/july2/fruit.cfm

Muscle does not have the necessary enzymes to synthesize fructose into

glycogen, therefore the liver converts this fructose into liver glycogen. It

would only take three, 8-ounce glasses of orange juice to fully replenish

liver glycogen stores. Since the liver is responsible for supplying energy to

the entire body, once its stores are full, a rate limiting enzyme in glucose

metabolism which is responsible for signaling the body to store glucose as

glycogen or convert it to fat (phosphofructokinase), signals the body that

all stores are full. If the glycogen stores are signaled as

full, then the third way our body uses excess glucose is to

convert it to fatty acids and store as adipose tissue. In

essence, fruit sugar is easily converted to fat.

Many may be asking why then is fruit low on the glycemic

index? If it does not cause a sudden release of insulin,

then how could it ever be a poor food choice? Once the

fructose (fruit sugar) enters the liver and liver glycogen

is already full, then it can not be used by the muscles for

glycogen or energy production. It is converted to fat and

released back into the bloodstream to be stored as adipose

tissue. The low glycemic response is based on the fact that

fructose leaves the liver as fat, and fat does not raise

insulin levels.

http://www.hon.ch/Dossier/MotherChild/child_metabolism/metabolism_carbohydrate.h\

tml

Normally, no fructose is

excreted in the urine. This condition is caused by

a deficiency of the enzyme fructokinase in the

liver. This enzyme is needed for the synthesis of

glycogen (the body's form of stored energy) from

fructose. The presence of fructose in the blood and

urine can sometimes lead to an incorrect diagnosis

of Diabetes Mellitus.

Sucrose is actually composed of both fructose and sucrose. In the process of

metabolism it is separated it into fructose and sucrose, The fructose is

converted to glycogen in the liver. Some glucose is also converted to glycogen

in the liver. The liver can store up to approx. 90 grams of glycogen.

Glycogen is also stored in muscles.

The liver stores only a portion of the fructose and glucose. Excess glucose is

stored as fat in adipose tissue. Fat contains glycerol (glycerin). The liver

converts glycogen back to glucose when it is needed for fuel. So the body may

eventually use the fructose which has been converted from glycogen to glucose.

But it may not if it does not need glucose for fuel.

http://www.nutritionnewsfocus.com/archive/SugarIs.html

There are multiple sugars that differ chemically and in

their biological effects. Fruits, including raisins, have

mostly fructose and some glucose while table sugar is

sucrose (which contains glucose and fructose linked

together in a ratio of 1 to 1). Sodas now use high

fructose corn syrup (HFCS) because it is much cheaper

than sucrose from beets or cane. The sugar in fruits

tends to be absorbed more slowly because of the fiber and

other stuff in it.

Our HFCS intake has gone from zero in 1970 to about one

third of all sugar intake. Fructose is not metabolized the same as

other sugars. Instead of being converted to glucose which

the body uses, it is removed by the liver. Because it is

metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the

pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does.

Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. This

may be one of the reasons Americans continue to get

fatter.

>HI all, just got this newsletter in, and it sort of ties in with Arlines line

of thought about diet. Thought it was interesting, FYI.

>Dee~

>

>Dear Reader,

>

>If you're one of the millions who suffer from irritable

>bowel syndrome (IBS) (which affects 40 million in the U.S.

>alone), you know all too well the uncomfortable symptoms:

>diarrhea, constipation, gas, and bloating.

>

>To make matters worse, IBS can be triggered by a number of

>factors, including stress, hormonal changes associated with

>menopause, and even the disruption of the brain

>neurotransmitter serotonin that helps regulate the digestive

>system. And because selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

>(SSRIs), such as Prozac, increase serotonin levels, SSRIs

>are sometimes prescribed to treat IBS. Anti-gas and anti-

>diarrheal medications are also prescribed, as well as acid

>reflux drugs.

>

>But before you sign on for an expensive round of drugs with

>who-knows-what side effects, you need to know about a new

>study that confirms what we've known for a long time at HSI:

>a dietary adjustment is often the only treatment necessary

>to relieve IBS.

>

>--------------------------------------------------------------

>Avoidance techniques

>--------------------------------------------------------------

>

>The next time you're at the grocery store, pick out a few

>products at random - cereal, soft drinks, crackers, etc. -

>and look for " fructose " on the ingredients panel. More often

>than not, you'll find it there.

>

>Fructose was once embraced

>as the healthy alternative to sugar, but the evidence now

>suggests that fructose can be just as harmful as table

>sugar. And it may also trigger irritable bowel syndrome.

>

>As part of their ongoing fructose research, a team of

>gastroenterologists at the University of Iowa (UI) recently

>conducted a one-year study to determine if IBS symptoms

>could be reduced with a fructose-restricted diet.

>

>A group of 80 IBS patients were given a fructose intolerance

>breath test. This test checks for the presence of gases in

>the breath that are produced when fructose is not properly

>absorbed in the digestive tract.

>

>Thirty subjects were found to be fructose intolerant.

>Each member of this group was

>given detailed information about dietary sources of fructose

>and how to avoid them.

>

>Over the course of the following year, four patients dropped

>out of the study. When the remaining subjects (76) were

>interviewed to determine their level of IBS symptoms and

>assess their compliance with the fructose-free diet, 54

>percent had successfully remained on the diet. This group

>showed a significant decline in IBS symptoms, and some

>reported complete absence of abdominal pain.

>

>All of the subjects who didn't stick to the fructose-free

>diet showed no improvement in their IBS symptoms.

>

>Reporting these findings at the 68th Annual Meeting of the

>American College of Gastroenterology earlier this month, the

>IU researchers noted that their previous fructose research

>indicated that perhaps more than half of all IBS patients

>are fructose intolerant (particularly those with persistent

>diarrhea). And many of these patients might easily reduce

>their symptoms simply by avoiding fructose foods.

>

>--------------------------------------------------------------

>Absorption issues

>--------------------------------------------------------------

>

>Fructose intolerance could more accurately be described as

>fructose malabsorption. If your body is unable to absorb

>fructose during digestion, the fructose passes into the

>colon where it's consumed by bacteria.

>

>When bacteria digests fructose in the colon, acids and

>gases are produced that trigger IBS symptoms such as bloating,

>cramping and diarrhea. Some of the gases pass into the bloodstream,

>and can then be detected in the breath, which is why the breath

>test is an effective way to diagnose fructose intolerance.

>

>But IBS patients who try to remove fructose from their diets

>have their work cut out for them. Fructose is found

>primarily in alcoholic beverages, corn, and corn-based

>products. Unfortunately, derivatives like corn oil, corn

>syrup, and fructose syrup are used in a wide variety of

>foods. (even colas)