Sucrose Intolerance and Sucrosemia 

What Is Sucrose Intolerance And Sucrosemia?

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ucrose intolerance is the inability to digest sucrose, a widely available sugar, while sucrosemia is the abnormal presence of sucrose in the bloodstream.

Q: Why cannot the body digest sucrose?

A: Sucrose, such as cane or beet sugar, is a double molecule sugar which must first be digested before being absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream. That is, sucrose must be split into its component single molecules of fructose and glucose, which are then properly absorbed.

The inability to properly digest sucrose results directly from low production and activity of sucrase in the small intestine. Sucrase is the specific enzyme that splits or digests sucrose.

Undigested sucrose does not remain idle. Its presence acts osmotically to draw water from the body into the intestine, causing watery diarrhea.

Meanwhile, microbiota (normal bacteria) in the colon eagerly ferment the abnormally present sucrose that arrives from the small intestine. Fermentation generates short-chain fatty acids and hydrogen gas, which results in bloating pain.¹

In sucrosemia, sucrose molecules abnormaly pass through an unhealthy small intestinal lining and enter the bloodstream where there presence is abnormal. Sucrose in the blood is filtered out by the kidneys and excreted in urine.

Positive response to a breath hydrogen test (BHT), involving 1 – 3 hours of time post ingestion of sucrose test dose, signifies malabsorption in the small intestine and fermentation in the colon. If BHT is positive before 60 minutes, the result implies bacteria is abnormally present in the small intestine, causing fermentation there. Endoscopy is used to measure sucrase activity in tissue samples.

What Is Sucrose Intolerance And Sucrosemia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

• Relationship between sucrose intolerance and celiac disease. Sucrose intolerance is a well known classic symptom of celiac disease that develops from inflammatory destruction of sucrase producing cells located on small intestinal villi during active celiac disease.
• Relationship between sucrose intolerance and leaky gut. Consequently, sucrosemia results from undigested sucrose in the small intestine passing abnormally into the bloodstream through a leaky gut in active celiac disease. Leaky gut is a popular term for an abnormal increase of membrane permeabilty, or gate-keeping, that allows unwanted food molecules within the small intestine to pass through the lining that separates the liquid mass of food  from the bloodstream.

How Prevalent Is Sucrose Intolerance And Sucrosemia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Reseach shows that 100% of untreated patients with celiac disease and 75% of first-degree relatives have sucrose intolerance and sucrosemia.²

What Are The Symptoms Of Sucrose Intolerance?

Sucrose intolerance is marked by these symptoms:³

• Watery diarrhea.
• Bloating.
• Flatulence.
• Cramps.
• Abdominal pain.

How Does Sucrose Intolerance And Sucrosemia Develop In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

• Sucrose intolerance and sucrosemia result secondarily from sucrase deficiency due to diffuse villous atrophy in celiac disease. Sucrase is normally produced in microvilli (brush border) located in the middle region of villi and can be lost due to inflammatory destruction of sucrase producing cells from atrophy of villi.

Do Sucrose Intolerance And Sucrosemia Respond To Gluten-Free Diet?

Yes. Celiac disease-related sucrose intolerance improves on gluten free diet and sucrosemia resolves.²

6 Steps To Improve Sucrose Intolerance And Sucrosemia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity:

• [dropcap]1[/dropcap]Remove the Trigger. Maintain a Strict, Nutritious Gluten Free Diet:

[box type=”shadow” ]Treatment. This condition responds to the complete elimination of gluten, which is the required treatment that improves both sucrose intolerance and gut health.

• Gut health is the foundation to restore ALL health. Restored health will enable you to maintain a strict gluten free diet, just as other life tasks will be easier.
• A strict gluten free diet means removing 100% of wheat, barley, rye and oats from the diet.
• Cutting out bread and other obvious sources of gluten is not good enough for recovery. Even 1/8th teaspoon of flour or bread crumb is enough to sustain the inflammation that is damaging your small intestine, causing increased permeability (leaky gut) and allowing undigested gluten to enter your body where it can damage structures and function, and instigate immune inflammatory responses.

Correct Your Individual Nutritional Needs.

• Eat foods that can replenish missing nutrients. Find them under NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES.
• Take nutritional supplements as needed. Find them under NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES.

Recovery. You should begin to feel better within a week and notice more energy as inflammation subsides and the  absorbing cells that make up the surface lining of your small intestine are better able to function.

• Intestinal lining cells are replaced every 5 days. The healing process is like sunburn where the damaged surface layer of skin sloughs off and is replaced with new normal cells.
• Leaky gut normally resolves in two month after starting a gluten free diet and brings about a big improvement in health. Improvement in intestinal permeability precedes morphometric recovery (cell appearance and structure) of the small intestine in celiac disease.⁴
• The intestinal lining may take up to a year to heal.[/box]

• [dropcap]2[/dropcap] Reduce Inflammation. Foods to Eat and Foods Not to Eat:

Because gluten is inflammatory, eliminate OTHER inflammatory foods from your diet to reduce an additive effect to gluten. At the same time, try to eat foods that reduce inflammation (anti-inflammatory).

[box type=”shadow” ]Here Are Major Inflammatory Food Types That Reduce Healing:

• Damaging Foods. In susceptible persons, includes corn, dairy (cow), and soy. Lactose, the sugar in any animal milk disrupts intestinal permeability causing leaky gut.⁵
• Allergenic Foods. Includes foods that trigger the immune sytem to produce IgE antibodies. Allergy testing is the usual way to discover these offending foods.
• Shelf Stable Processed Foods. Includes any that contain additives and preservatives. Look for them on the nutrition label of the box or package. Additives and preservatives also disrupt intestinal permeability causing leaky gut.⁵
• Fats. Limit deep fried foods, trans-fats, saturated fats (animal fat/butter), and EXCESSIVE omega-6 fatty acid oils like corn oil. Rancid fats, sodium caprate (a medium chain fat), and sucrose monester fatty acid (a food grade surfactant) induce significant disruption of the intestinal barrier that causes leaky gut.⁵.
• Excessive Refined White Flours (bran layer removed). Includes products made from them such as cookies, bread, cakes, pies. Bran contains the vitamins and minerals that metabolize grains and slows the otherwise rapid entry of sugar from their digestion into the bloodstream. Also disrupt intestinal permeability causing leaky gut.⁵
• Refined Sugars.  Includes white sugar, corn fructose and high fructose corn syrup.
• Certain Spices. Includes paprika and cayenne pepper which disrupt intestinal permeability causing leaky gut.⁵
• Alcohol and Caffeine. Disrupt intestinal permeability causing leaky gut.⁵
• Cocoa and Black Tea increase blood sugar.
• Rosemary. Increases blood sugar levels and should not be used by persons with insulin resistance or diabetes. [/box]

[box type=”shadow” ]Here Are Important Anti-Inflammatory Food Types to Promote Health:

• Fruits. Contain ample amounts of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals which are naturally occuring components in plants that detoxify toxins, carcinogens (reducing the risk by 50%) and mutagens.
• Non-Starchy Vegetables. Support intestinal integrity and provide ample amounts of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Includes green leafy vegetables such as lettuce and kale, also onion, broccoli, garlic, and others.
• High Quality Complex Carbohydrates. Provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber while boosting serotonin levels to help you relax and feel calm. Includes whole grains, legumes, and root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, red beets, and others.
• Antioxidants. Protect the body from inflammatory oxidant molecules that continually occur and help us handle stress and reduce irritability. Includes vitamin C-containing foods such as lemon, grapefruit, apricot, Brussels sprouts and strawberries, and others. Also, includes vitamin E-containing foods such as nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, and others. Cocoa is good, too.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Balance opposing omega-6 fatty acids and bad fats. Fish sources includes tuna, salmon, cod, and others. Plants sources include flax, chia seeds, canola oil, and others.
• Probiotics. Supply normal microbes needed for colon health and health of the body such as these fermented foods: yogurt, kefir, and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.
• Prebiotics/ High Fiber Foods.  Food with fiber keeps our population of colonic microbes healthy.
• Protective Herbs and Spices.  See below #6 below for examples.[/box]

• [dropcap]3[/dropcap] Information Sheet You Can Take to Your Doctor or Other Health Professional:

Click here.

• [dropcap]4[/dropcap] Manage Your Medications Safely:

[box type=”shadow” ]

Many medications cause nutritional deficiencies that promote illness in celiac disease. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about this possible adverse effect if you are taking medicine. Do not stop prescribed medications without supervision.

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• [dropcap]5[/dropcap]Nutritional Supplements To Help Correct Deficiencies:

[box type=”shadow” ]

• Multivitamin/mineral combination that provides 100% once a day is useful to improve overall nutrient levels. This is a safe dose, but always check with your doctor to avoid interactions with medications.

Storage Note: Store container tightly sealed, away from heat, moisture and direct light to avoid loss of potency. That is, in a safe kitchen cabinet – not in the bathroom or on the kitchen table.[/box]

• [dropcap]6[/dropcap]Manage Natural Remedies: 

[box type=”shadow” ]Hydration:

• Eight glasses of water are recommended per day unless there is a contraindication such as kidney or heart disease. The Institute of Medicine recommends approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water, from all beverages and foods, each day for women and 3.7 liters (125 ounces) daily of total water for men.
• If you are thirsty, drink water. Add fresh, squeezed lemon to water. Lemon is anti-inflammatory, alkalizing and provides vitamin C.
• Hydration Test: Urine should be pale yellow. Fingertips should be plump, without pruning but this may not be reliable when fingers are swollen with edema. Lips should be plump, without puckering. The feeling of thirst can be unreliable.
• What is wrong with soda, coffee, tea, and alcohol? These drinks are dehydrating, increase acid, and deplete nutrients.[/box]

[box type=”shadow” ]Carminatives. The following  anti-inflammatory plant sources called carminitives help heal the digestive tract. They also tone the digestive muscles which improves peristalsis, thus aiding in the expulsion of gas from the stomach and intestine to relieve digestive colic and gastric discomfort.

Carminative Food Remedies:

• Raspberry.
• Carrot is also a cleansing digestive tonic.
• Grape is also bile stimulating and a cleansing remedy for sluggish digestion and laxative.
• Redbeets also stimulate and improve digestion and are easily digested.
• Cabbage also stimulates and improves digestion and is also a liver decongestant.
• Lettuce also stimulates and improves digestion and is also an alterative, meaning it improves the function of organs involved with the digestion and excretion of waste products to bring about a gradual change.
• Potatoes are antispasmodic (due to atropine like properties) and a liver remedy.

Carminative Herb Remedies:

• Sage is also a digestive, astringent, bile stimulant and energy tonic that heals the mucosa.  Drink as tea or use in cooking.
• Chamomile, lemon balm, and fennel, (as a tea) also help relieve nervous tension.
• Parsley also relieves indigestion.
• Rosemary as a tea and in cooking also is a nervous system tonic for stress and fatigue, bile stimulant, and can relieve headaches and indigestion. However, because it increases blood sugar levels, it should not be used by persons with insulin resistance or diabete.
• Thyme is also soothing remedy useful for stimulating digestion of rich, fatty foods.

Carminative Spice Remedies:

• Cloves are also antispasmodic.
• Nutmeg is also useful for indigestion.
• Ginger.[/box]

[box type=”shadow” ]Exercise Helps:

Exercise improves circulation and rids the body of toxins.

• Walking is aerobic exercise that reconditions the whole body to improve stamina. Read more about Exercise and Fitness.
• Weight training builds muscle. Read more about Exercise and Fitness.
• Stretching improves flexibilty. Read more about Exercise and Fitness.

Note: Exercise is important, but the amount and type of exercise undertaken depends on your health. Your first priority is to heal. [/box]

What Do Medical Research Studies Tell About Sucrose Intolerance and Sucrosemia In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

RESEARCH STUDY SUMMARIES

“Sugar tests detect celiac disease among first-degree relatives.” This study investigating intestinal permeability demonstrated the presence of sucrose in blood of all untreated patients with celiac disease after an 8-gram or 50-gram challenge compared to none of the treated celiac disease patients or controls. Increased sucrose permeability was found in 75% of first-degree relatives of patients with celiac disease having small intestinal mucosal atrophy.⁶

Sources:

1. Krause’s Food, Nutrition, & Diet Therapy. 10th Edition. Kathleen Mahan, Sylvia Escott-Stump. 2000. W.B. Saunders Company. [↩]
2. Cox MA, Lewis KO, Cooper BT. Sucrosemia in untreated celiac disease: a potential screening test. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. May 1998;43(5):1096-101. [↩] [↩]
3. Cox MA, Lewis KO, Cooper BT. Sucrosemia in untreated celiac disease: a potential screening test. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. May 1998;43(5):1096-101. [↩]
4. Cummins AG, Thompson FM, Butler RN, et al. Improvement in intestinal permeability precedes morphometric recovery of the small intestine in coeliac disease. Clinical Science. Apr 2001;100(4):379-86. [↩]
5. Farhadi A, Banan A, Fields J, Keshavarzian A. Intestinal barrier: an interface between health and disease. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2003;18:479-91. [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩] [↩]
6. Smecuol E, Vazquez H, Sugai E, et al. Sugar tests detect celiac disease among first-degree relatives. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. Dec 1999;94(12):3547-52. [↩]