Sucrose intolerance

Sucrose intolerance can be defined as clinical deficiency of sucrase-isomaltase results in the inability to digest and absorb dietary sucrose. Sucrose is a disaccharide like lactose and requires the enzyme sucrose for digestion.

 The conditions becomes manifest during infancy upon the introduction of sucrose in fruits and juices or glucose polymers in formula. The inability to digest succors results in signs and symptoms of malabsorption in including diarrhea, increased gas production, and abdominal distension.

Sucrose intolerance can lead to mental and emotional problems, such as panic attacks, depression, insomnia, mood swings that can progress to a bipolar disorder and a tendency towards irritable, aggressive or violent behavior.

Primary sucrose intolerance is rare, other than in the native populations of the Arctic. About 10% of Inuit population of Greenland and Canada is sucrose intolerant. The occurrence of sucrose intolerance among these populations is consistent with lack of availability of sucrose-containing staples.

People in Greenland traditionally have consumed meat as the major food source, and not fruit or sugar cane.  Sucrose intolerance