Fructose intolerance and Smarties

Sitting in the nutritionists office with a folder full of info- some so medical I feel like I should earn a degree for reading it and the rest are list after list of the "can haves" and the "can't haves"....and then the "Smarties"- no not the cute term my kid's kindergartner teachers uses to describe her students but the little candies. We start to discuss the magic of Smarties and fructose intolerance.

There exists no true fructose intolerant pill like people who are lactose intolerant can take. :(

Smarties contain glucose which helps fructose absorption. Eating foods that contain both sugars can decrease the likelihood of malabsorption. -american dietetic association from cleveland clinic


Now does eating a Smartie before eating something with fructose in it like a hamburger bun or a tomato work? No bellyache, gas, lack of appetite?

Maybe, maybe not.

It's through trial and error- no your child shouldn't eat a handful of candy every few hours and then eat fructose foods- that wont work and will only cause more problems like cavities!

In fact, our nutritionist said that in order for Smarties to truly work it would have to be a 1 to 1 ratio. It was also only studied in lab rats, not people. It may however have a placebo effect or work in very small amounts.

There is no way of knowing exactly how much fructose something has and how much dextrose is in a Smartie. It's best to just be aware of what your eating (or what I give Nathan) and try the Smarties on a small scale.

Good luck! We did stock up on Smarties- more for the great taste then the fructose! **Update: It has been a month now and the Smarties & Pixie sticks don't work with Nathan- oh well- they taste good though!