Medical Nutrition Therapy: Low Sucrose Diet
What is Sucrose?
Pure sucrose is a natural sweetener that we commonly call table sugar. There is some natural sucrose in honey, molasses, syrup, fruits, and vegetables. Sucrose is also added to many processed foods like hot dogs, sweetened fruit juices, fruit drinks, canned fruits, ham, sweetened, soda, ketchup, and spaghetti sauce.
Why is the Diet Necessary?
Normally, sucrose from the food we eat is broken down in the body by an enzyme named sucrase. Enzymes are like the key that starts the engine of a car, they are proteins that begin reactions in the body. A lack of the enzyme sucrase in the gut prevents the breakdown of sucrose from the diet into the simple sugars, glucose and fructose. Too much sucrose in the gut causes gas, abdominal pain, cramping, and diarrhea. The sensitivity of each person with sucrase deficiency is different. Some people can tolerate more sucrose in the diet than others. If high amounts of sucrose and fructose are consumed, even a person without a sucrase deficiency may experience symptoms of gas, abdominal pain, cramping, and diarrhea.
Children with these symptoms may be diagnosed with toddler’s diarrhea. Drinking too much fruit juice (particularly apple juice, which has lots of fructose and natural sorbitol) is a common problem that brings on these symptoms in children. Using less sugar in the diet will help to improve the symptoms.
Label Reading
Check all food labels for the presence of sugars, syrup and other sucrose-containing foods. At first, avoid foods that list sugars as one of the first four ingredients. If you are not sure about the product, contact the manufacturer. Most products list a manufacturer’s telephone number on the label that you can call for further questions.
Talk with your doctor or pharmacist about whether your medicines contain sucrose. You may need some medicines to be specially made without sucrose. Allow extra time for this custom preparation. Many lozenges, cough and vitamin syrups contain sucrose.
Nutritional Adequacy
Following a low sucrose diet does not require any special nutritional supplementation. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet will ensure that the appropriate nutrients are consumed.
Foods Allowed |
Foods to Avoid |
|---|---|
Bread Breads made with white, wheat or other whole grain flours |
Bread products with sugars as one of first 4 ingredients, or those containing soy. |
Flour, Cereals Wheat and rye flour, corn flour, oatmeal, rice, sago, pearl barley, tapioca Use whole grain cereals, breads, and crackers in moderation. |
Sugar- coated or honey-coated cereals that contain or added sugars as one of first 4 ingredients. Avoid soy. |
Desserts, Cakes, Biscuits Homemade ice cream and milk pudding using allowed sweeteners instead of sugar Custard powder, unsweetened jelly crystals, gelatin, unsweetened pastry Homemade biscuits, muffins and cakes made with allowed sweeteners |
Sweetened and diet commercial ice cream or sherbet, ices, canned or packaged puddings, desserts and mixes. Purchased cookies, graham crackers, biscuits, muffins, cakes, pies, sweetened pastry Cake, muffin, sweet bread or biscuit mixes |
Sweeteners Glucose, corn syrup, artificial sweeteners (NutraSweet®, Equal®, Sweet’n Low® or Stevia) *
|
Sugar: table, granulated, powdered, brown, raw, turbinado, lump, demarara icing, honey, treacle molasses, syrup, maple syrup *Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol should be avoided as they can cause diarrhea. |
Jams, Sweets, Spreads, Nuts In children over 2 years: whole peanuts, salted |
Honey, whipped toppings, jam, diabetic jam, candy, chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, carob, crystallized fruit, fruit leather, fruit snacks |
Soups Homemade soups using foods allowed, meat extracts, soup cubes |
Canned or dehydrated soups |
Fats Butter, margarine, oils, cream, lard |
Mayonnaise, salad dressings |
Beverages Milk, plain cocoa powder In moderation: sugar-free Kool-Aid®, sugar-free soda, sugar-free lemonade, sugar-free tea, sugar-free coffee |
All milk flavorings, milk shakes, sweetened Kool-Aid®, or pre-sweetened Kool-Aid® crystals, sweetened soda |
Condiments Pure spices, herbs, essences, food coloring, salt, pepper, dill, curry powder, mustard |
Sauces, chutneys, ketchup, pickles, gherkins |
Milk or Milk Products Whole, 2%, 1% or skim milk, evaporated milk, plain yogurt, sugar-free yogurt, buttermilk |
Powdered milk, chocolate milk, sweetened condensed milk, malted milk, sweetened fruited yogurt |
Cheese, eggs All cheese and eggs, except those to avoid. |
Some processed cheese spreads |
Meat, poultry, fish Meat, poultry, fish, eggs |
Check all commercially prepared meats and fish including pasties, sausage, ham and frankfurters/hot dogs for ingredients to avoid.
|
Vegetables, legumes All vegetables except those listed to avoid (fresh, canned or frozen) Carrots: not more than 1 small carrot a day Limit to 2 Tablespoon portions: green peas, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, beets, or onion |
Commercial spaghetti sauce, all dried beans, lentils, soy beans, all baked beans, gherkins, and sweet pickles. |
Fruit Limit up to 2 servings per day (raw, canned in water, or cooked with allowed sweeteners) and serve with meals:
Apricots, 1 small Grapefruit, ½ small Cantaloupe, ½ cup, diced Cherries ½ cup Watermelon, ½ cup, diced Plums, 1 small Peaches, 1 small Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, ½ cup Kiwi ½ fruit Pineapple ½ cup chunks Strawberries ½ cup sliced Orange, ½ medium Dried Fruit, 1 ounce Small amounts of lemon juice for flavor. |
Avoid fruit juices. Fruit canned or frozen in syrup or cooked with added sugar.
Banana, grapes, mango, persimmons, apples, pears should not be tried until patient is symptom free. |
Do I have to stay on this diet?
If symptoms get better or go away on the diet, a slow increase in sucrose may be tried. Introduce only one new food no more than once per day to see how the new food is tolerated. Increase sucrose slowly by adding one of the following foods per day and wait for symptoms:
- Add a third serving of fruit
- Try ½ of a small banana, grapes, mango, persimmons, apple, or pear.
- Allowing foods that list sugar as the 3rd or 4th ingredient or lower on the label.
If you remain symptom-free, continue to try new foods. If symptoms restart, restrict diet to where you are symptom-free.
If you have more questions please contact UW Health at one of the phone numbers listed below.
Nutrition Clinic Room L33 University Station 2880 University Avenue Madison, WI 53705 (608) 263-5012 |
Nutrition Clinic Room 1296 UW Health West Clinic 451 Junction Road Madison, WI 53717 (608) 265-7526 |
Nutrition Clinic Room 2085 UW Health East Clinic 5249 East Terrace Drive Madison, WI 53718 (608) 265-0963 |
The information provided should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Last Updated: 01/22/2013
Copyright © 01/22/2013 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing. HF#338
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