Gastrointestinal (GI) complaints are frequently observed in patients who suffer from anorexia nervosa (AN). These symptoms may hamper treatment and weight regain and are often perceived as the cause, not the consequence, of the disease. Since carbohydrate malabsorption also produces these symptoms, this might underly or contribute to these complaints. So far, the role of carbohydrate malabsorption (fructose malabsorption and lactose intolerance) in AN has not yet been investigated.
For this case series, inpatients with AN of restrictive type (
Based on the hydrogen breath test results, three of the seven female patients were classified as lactose intolerant and one presented fructose malabsorption. Both hydrogen curves for fructose (
In patients with AN, GI symptoms caused by intolerance of common monosaccharides and disaccharides may be an underestimated burden and should be considered in the diagnosis and therapy of patients with AN. Due to the observed correlation with BMI, GI complaints after ingestion of fructose or lactose likely develop with decreasing body weight and are potentially reversible with weight regain.