Carbohydrate Intolerance
Carbohydrate malabsorption can cause a variety of nonspecific gastrointestinal complaints. It occurs in conjunction with a deficiency of the enzyme needed to break down the sugar or starch or with pathology of the small intestine, the area where carbohydrate digestion and absorption occurs. The disaccharidase enzymes, located on the brush border of the small intestine, hydrolyze the carbohydrate into its components, which then are absorbed directly into the blood stream. If the carbohydrate is not digested or digested incompletely, it is fermented by enteric bacteria in the distal small bowel and colon. The major byproducts of this fermentation process are hydrogen gases and short chain fatty acids, which can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, flatulence, and bloating.
