Authors: Rumessen JJ, Gudmand-Hoyer E.

Summary: Hydrogen breath tests were performed on 10 healthy adults after they had ingested a mixture of sorbitol and fructose, in which these substances were present in amounts corresponding to the individual absorption capacities.

A significant malabsorption of this mixture was evident in 7 of 10 subjects. The mixture caused mild to severe gastrointestinal distress in five subjects. When the carbohydrates were given separately, symptoms were absent. There was a significant correlation between the individual absorption capacities of fructose and of sorbitol.

A mixture containing a similar amount of fructose, but given as sucrose, and a similar amount of sorbitol was further given to four of the seven subjects showing malabsorption of the fructose-sorbitol mixture. Malabsorption now failed to appear, and symptoms were absent. These findings are of potential importance for the understanding of the physiologic processes involved in fructose absorption and suggest that in healthy adults the presence of sorbitol interferes with fructose absorption and/or vice versa.

An interaction between small amounts of fructose and sorbitol causing malabsorption and abdominal distress has not been demonstrated previously. Gastrointestinal discomfort must be suspected to occur in sensitive individuals at a rather limited daily intake of fructose- and sorbitol-containing foodstuffs.

Study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=3602922&query_hl=59

Authors: Mishkin D, Sablauskas L, Yalovsky M, Mishkin S.

Institution: Department of Medicine, McGill University, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Comment: The aim of this study was to study sugar maldigestion/malabsorption in patients with functional dyspepsia using H2 breath testing. End-expiratory breath H2 after separate challenges with lactose (25 g), fructose (25 g), and sorbitol (5 g) were used to determine malabsorption, as well as small bowel transit time (SBTT).

Five hundred twenty patients with functional dyspepsia received all three challenges. Smaller groups were also tested after lactulose (10 g, N = 36) and glucose (50 g, N = 90) challenges. Fructose and sorbitol were closely linked with respect to absorption and malabsorption status. Only in the case of lactose maldigestion/malabsorption was there a greater than random prevalence of malabsorption (P < 0.001) for fructose and sorbitol. In contrast to lactose, ethnic origin did not influence fructose or sorbitol malabsorption, and females predominated among fructose and sorbitol malabsorbers…

With respect to small bowel transit time (SBTT), in the case of sorbitol and lactulose, it was significantly greater (P < 0.05) than those for fructose and lactose. Multiple sugar malabsorptions are common when lactose maldigestion/malabsorption is present.

Study link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9440643&dopt=Abstract