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Hereditary fructose intolerance

Reviewed June 2011

What is hereditary fructose intolerance?

Hereditary fructose intolerance is a condition that affects a person's ability to digest the sugar fructose. Fructose is a simple sugar found primarily in fruits. Affected individuals develop signs and symptoms of the disorder in infancy when fruits, juices, or other foods containing fructose are introduced into the diet. After ingesting fructose, individuals with hereditary fructose intolerance may experience nausea, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Affected infants may fail to grow and gain weight at the expected rate (failure to thrive).

Repeated ingestion of fructose-containing foods can lead to liver and kidney damage. The liver damage can result in a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), and chronic liver disease (cirrhosis). Continued exposure to fructose may result in seizures, coma, and ultimately death from liver and kidney failure. Due to the severity of symptoms experienced when fructose is ingested, most people with hereditary fructose intolerance develop a dislike for fruits, juices, and other foods containing fructose.

Hereditary fructose intolerance should not be confused with a condition called fructose malabsorption. In people with fructose malabsorption, the cells of the intestine cannot absorb fructose normally, leading to bloating, diarrhea or constipation, flatulence, and stomach pain. Fructose malabsorption is thought to affect approximately 40 percent of individuals in the Western hemisphere; its cause is unknown.

How common is hereditary fructose intolerance?

The incidence of hereditary fructose intolerance is estimated to be 1 in 20,000 to 30,000 individuals each year worldwide.

What genes are related to hereditary fructose intolerance?

Mutations in the ALDOB gene cause hereditary fructose intolerance. The ALDOB gene provides instructions for making the aldolase B enzyme. This enzyme is found primarily in the liver and is involved in the breakdown (metabolism) of fructose so this sugar can be used as energy. Aldolase B is responsible for the second step in the metabolism of fructose, which breaks down the molecule fructose-1-phosphate into other molecules called glyceraldehyde and dihydroxyacetone phosphate.

ALDOB gene mutations reduce the function of the enzyme, impairing its ability to metabolize fructose. A lack of functional aldolase B results in an accumulation of fructose-1-phosphate in liver cells. This buildup is toxic, resulting in the death of liver cells over time. Additionally, the breakdown products of fructose-1-phosphase are needed in the body to produce energy and to maintain blood sugar levels. The combination of decreased cellular energy, low blood sugar, and liver cell death leads to the features of hereditary fructose intolerance.

Related Gene(s)

Changes in this gene are associated with hereditary fructose intolerance.


How do people inherit hereditary fructose intolerance?


Where can I find information about diagnosis or management of hereditary fructose intolerance?

These resources address the diagnosis or management of hereditary fructose intolerance and may include treatment providers.

  • Boston University: Specifics of Hereditary Fructose Intolerance and Its Diagnosis (
  • Genetic Testing Registry: Hereditary fructosuria (
  • MedlinePlus Encyclopedia: Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (

You might also find information on the diagnosis or management of hereditary fructose intolerance in Educational resources and Patient support.



Where can I find additional information about hereditary fructose intolerance?

You may find the following resources about hereditary fructose intolerance helpful. These materials are written for the general public.


What other names do people use for hereditary fructose intolerance?

  • ALDOB deficiency
  • aldolase B deficiency
  • fructose-1,6-biphosphate aldolase deficiency
  • fructose-1-phosphate aldolase deficiency
  • fructose aldolase B deficiency
  • fructose intolerance
  • fructosemia


What if I still have specific questions about hereditary fructose intolerance?

Ask the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (

What glossary definitions help with understanding hereditary fructose intolerance?

autosomal ; autosomal recessive ; breakdown ; cell ; chronic ; cirrhosis ; coma ; constipation ; deficiency ; enzyme ; failure to thrive ; fructose ; gene ; gluconeogenesis ; hereditary ; hypoglycemia ; incidence ; inherited ; intestine ; jaundice ; kidney ; malabsorption ; metabolism ; molecule ; phosphate ; recessive ; simple sugar ; stomach ; toxic



  • Bouteldja N, Timson DJ. The biochemical basis of hereditary fructose intolerance. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2010 Apr;33(2):105-12. doi: 10.1007/s10545-010-9053-2. Epub 2010 Feb 17. Review. (
  • Coffee EM, Yerkes L, Ewen EP, Zee T, Tolan DR. Increased prevalence of mutant null alleles that cause hereditary fructose intolerance in the American population. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2010 Feb;33(1):33-42. doi: 10.1007/s10545-009-9008-7. Epub 2009 Dec 23. (
  • Esposito G, Vitagliano L, Santamaria R, Viola A, Zagari A, Salvatore F. Structural and functional analysis of aldolase B mutants related to hereditary fructose intolerance. FEBS Lett. 2002 Nov 6;531(2):152-6. (
  • Santer R, Rischewski J, von Weihe M, Niederhaus M, Schneppenheim S, Baerlocher K, Kohlschütter A, Muntau A, Posselt HG, Steinmann B, Schneppenheim R. The spectrum of aldolase B (ALDOB) mutations and the prevalence of hereditary fructose intolerance in Central Europe. Hum Mutat. 2005 Jun;25(6):594. (



Reviewed: June 2011
Published: November 23, 2015