Fructose Malabsorption is one of the main causes of bloating. This also goes hand in hand with IBS. One in three people suffer from FructMal but most don't know it. It is more common than Coeliac Disease (or as Americans write it, Celiac Disease) Bloating after eating Apples, Pears, Onions, Garlic, is a pretty good sign you might have FructMal. Eat a few apples or pears in one sitting and see what happens. These two fruits have not just fructose but also sorbitol which are a big no no FructMal. The cause of the bloating is the fructose fermenting in the intestine. Bananas are a 'safe' fruit but you still have to be careful. See a dietitian who knows ALL about IBS & FructMal otherwise you are just wasting your money.
Testing for FructMal is easy; it's just a hydrogen breath test. This can be performed by specialist dietitians well versed in gut disorders.
Unfortunately if you are vegan you will be cutting out quite a lot from your diet. Beans and pulses which are a good source of protein, cause bloating. Soy products can also cause bloating. Hemp seeds are a good alternative for the protein as they don't seem to cause bloating and are a complete protein, even better than meat.
Raw diets could be a problem too for those with FructMal. You should be very careful on this diet as you can miss out on much of the bio available nutrients. It has been proven that we get more bio available nutrients from many vegetables when they are cooked. Carrots is one example. Gentle steaming of carrots until they are soft releases more of the vitamins and minerals than if you eat them raw.
I personally suffer from IBS and FructMal. My IBS started a few years after our government put Fluoride into the water. Fluoride is proven to cause many of the gut diseases around today. Leaky gut, IBS and many more.
Going gluten free is also a good idea if you have IBS or FructMal. Wheat used to have similar amounts of gluten as rye, barley etc.around 3%, however it was 'weaponized' for the bakery industry last century. Now wheat has about 64% gluten, which is getting into the toxic range for humans.
Again my suggestion is that you seek a good IBS FructMal dietitian. It's most unfortunate that you live in the USA as in Australia in my home town of Melbourne, we have Dr. Sue Shepherd and her team who are recognised as The World Experts on IBS, Coeliac, Crohns, FructMal and other digestive problems.
She has some wonderful books on the subject which outline what you can and cannot eat, including recipes.
FYI it's not just about the fructose. Fructans are in EVERY fruit and vegetable and NO ONE can digest these. There are also the "OSE" & "OLS". Raffinose, Galactose, Lactose, Sorbitol, etc. which contribute to bloating, gas etc. You know about cabbage, Brussels sprouts and beans etc causing embarrassing gas. Inulin is also bad as it is a fibre which ferments in the gut. This is found in many foods including soy icecream. Basically that is what bloating and gas is, the fructose, raffinose, galactose, inulin etc fermenting in your gut.
The issue you had with the corn chips is different. It may have just been bad food, but it could point to a corn allergy. This is becoming a big problem; I know this as I work for one of the biggest gluten free manufacturers in the southern hemisphere. Orgran. No this is not a plug for the product; I have been working for this company for more than 10 years now and I see daily the growing problem with allergies to corn, potatoes and other deadly nightshade vegetables, nuts, milk, yeast, even rice, which is the main grain used in most gluten free products, is becoming a problem with children being born in countries like India who are allergic to rice.
I could go on and on but I think you get the drift. Again if you are vegan I pity you with FructMal and urge you to get to a good dietitian as they will be able to monitor you through an elimination diet ensuring that you don't miss out on getting the essential vitamins, nutrients etc which you need.
Good Luck :)
