Fructans are a type of carbohydrate made up of chains of fructose, the simple sugar found in, for example, honey and fruits. It occurs naturally in different forms in most foods, including carbohydrates, dairy products, grains, fruits, and vegetables. During digestion, carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Fructan is a polymer of fructose, or in simple terms, many fructose molecules link together to form a fructan.
When these fructans enter the digestive tract, it becomes a problem for some people. The body is not perfect at breaking down all the foods consumed, and not all people have enough of the enzyme needed to break down the bonds that bind fructose polymers together. As a result, these long fructose polymer chains are only broken down in the small intestine and about 5-15 percent of it is absorbed. The remaining fructans persist in the large intestine, where they are fermented by naturally occurring bacterial flora. While fermenting, fructans can also draw large amounts of water into the colon, causing bloating and diarrhea. In short, some people cannot digest more than a certain amount of fructan. Bacteria in the gut feed on these undigested fructans, causing constant bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort.
Foods high in fructans include wheat products such as bread and pasta, onions, shallots, garlic, barley, cabbage, broccoli, pistachios, artichokes, chicory root and asparagus. Wheat and onions contribute about 95 percent of the fructans in the diet overall. When a person follows a gluten-free diet, they eliminate about 70 percent of their main source of fructan.
To determine whether a person has a fructan intolerance, the content of certain gases produced in the gut is measured. However, this method is not considered a standard test. The test involves providing a specific dose of fructan for consumption and checking the levels of hydrogen and methane produced at different time intervals. In addition, abdominal symptoms that occur during the test are also used to determine intolerance.
Our organization also provides fructan analysis services with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.
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