Colonic Microbial and Clinical Adaptation to Large Doses of Fructose

Detailed Summary

Fructose is the principal carbohydrate in fruits and is added to many food products. This 6 carbon sugar is associated with a number of ill effects, like promotion of high triglycerides,precipitation of gout in men,possible depression in women and symptoms of intolerance in a non ethnic dose dependent fashion.However, high fruit and vegetable intake is associated with some epidemiologic evidence in prevention of some cancers like stomach and colorectum.The principal protectors in these products are thought to be antioxidants and other protective chemicals like polyphenols.In addition long chain polymers of fructose:inulin are thought to help protect against cancer through prebiotic effects. In fact poly-fructose molecules are used as prebiotic food supplements and are promoted as aids for a healthy intestine with "balanced microflora". Polyfructose prebiotics induce some gastrointestinal symptoms of cramps gas bloating and sometimes diarrhea.To date repeated consumption of these polyfructose molecules have not been shown to induce colonic adaptation. Nor is there evidence that fructose intolerant people "adapt " to prolonged ingestion. These findings are in contrast to findings with lactose intolerance where prolonged ingestion leads to both symptomatic and physiological adaptation.In this interventional study we evaluate whether fructose intolerant people can adapt to moderate dose daily fructose ingestion.The desired outcome is symptomatic, physiological and colonic microfloral adaptation. A failure to detect an increase in bifidobacteria on retesting may suggest that in humans like in some other mammals GLUT5 fructose transport could be induced.

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