88 Health Products addresses fructose malabsorption with FructosAid

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - 88 Health Products on Monday introduced FructosAid brand xylose isomerase to address fructose malabsorption. The supplement is available through Swanson Health Products and on Amazon.com.

Previously known as dietary fructose intolerance, fructose malabsorption is a digestive complication that can result in abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea. While experts suggest that up to one third of the general population may be affected, fructose malabsorption remains an under-recognized health challenge with few over-the-counter solutions.

Fructose absorption is limited by the availability and activity of enzymes and transporters sufficient to break down and absorb fructose. FructosAid is the U.S. brand name for xylose isomerase (XI), an enzyme that converts dietary fructose in the gut into glucose the body can readily absorb and use.

FructosAid is produced under patent by Sciotec Pharma of Austria, a division of STADA Arzneimittel, and is marketed in the U.S. by 88 Health Products under exclusive license. XI is sold in Europe under the brand name Xylosolv.

Fructose malabsorption should not be confused with hereditary fructose intolerance.