Bloated after fruit, bread or anything sweet — but fine other days? Fructose and the fructans in wheat, onion and garlic are easy to miss because the dose is what tips you over. Our £49 hair screen covers 700+ items and flags the high-fructose, high-FODMAP foods worth exploring first, so one structured elimination replaces random cutting-out. Report within 3 working days of your sample reaching our UK lab.
What this screen is — and what it is not
What it is
A screen of your hair sample across 700+ items, flagging common high-fructose and high-FODMAP foods worth exploring first
A way to build a focused shortlist so your own elimination trial is structured rather than random
Practical guidance on fructose-rich ingredients, fermentable carbs (fructans) and sugar substitutes
Non-invasive — just 9 or 10 strands of hair, with results within 3 working days of your sample reaching our UK lab
Backed by our 90-day money-back guarantee — follow your 6-week elimination plan, keep a food diary, and if your symptoms haven’t improved we’ll refund you in full
Most useful when paired with a careful food-and-symptom diary
What it is not
NOT a validated method. There is no robust published evidence that screening hair identifies which foods do or do not suit you — the report is a starting shortlist, and it is the elimination diary that shows a link.
A test of how your body absorbs fructose — it does NOT measure GLUT5 function, fructose malabsorption, or hydrogen/methane
A breath test (we do not measure gases in your exhaled breath)
An IgE allergy test (no immune histamine release) or an IgG immune-antibody test
A diagnosis or treatment plan for IBS, coeliac disease, or any named condition — we do not diagnose
A guarantee that every flagged food will affect you personally
A reason to avoid foods for life — many people find their tolerance returns once their gut settles
How Fructose Malabsorption Works (And What Our Hair Test Does)
Here’s the background biology first, then exactly where our hair test fits — because the two are not the same thing. In many people, fructose is absorbed in the small intestine with the help of a protein transporter called GLUT5. When GLUT5 moves fructose less efficiently, some of the sugar travels on into the colon, where gut bacteria ferment it and produce hydrogen, methane and short-chain fatty acids. For some people that fermentation is associated with bloating, wind, cramping and changes in bowel habit. This is general nutrition science about fructose malabsorption — it is not something our hair test detects in you. Now the important part: our hair test does NOT measure how your gut absorbs fructose, it does NOT assess GLUT5 function, and it does NOT measure hydrogen, methane or any digestive process. It is not a breath test and it is not an immune (IgE or IgG) test. What it actually does is screen your hair sample across 700+ items and flag those that commonly sit on the fructose and high-FODMAP list — things like apple, pear, garlic, onion, honey, dried fruit, wheat (for its fructans) and the sugar alcohols in many sugar-free products. Think of the result as a well-organised starting shortlist rather than a verdict. The only way to learn whether a flagged food genuinely affects you is to remove it, see how you feel, then reintroduce it and watch what happens. That elimination trial — not the test itself — is what reveals your personal pattern.
Does this sound like you?
Bloating, especially after eating fruit or bread
Wind and stomach cramping within 1–4 hours of eating
Loose stools after high-fructose foods
Constipation (some people notice this instead)
Abdominal discomfort or fullness after meals
Nausea or feeling uncomfortably full quickly
Feeling foggy or tired after eating certain foods
Some people also notice mouth or tongue sensitivity, which they sometimes link to sorbitol-rich foods
Related foods worth checking at the same time
Garlic and onion (both high in fructans — chains of fructose units)
Apple and pear (pome fruits that are high in both fructose and sorbitol)
Cherries, plums, peaches and apricots (stone fruits high in sorbitol)
Wheat, rye and barley (all sources of fructans)
Honey and agave (concentrated fructose sources)
High-fructose corn syrup in many processed foods
Dried fruit such as dates, figs and sultanas (drying concentrates the fructose into a smaller portion)
Sugar-free products containing sorbitol — some people who react to fructose also notice sorbitol bothers them
Foods and items commonly linked to fructose & sugar
These are the kinds of items people most often look at for this topic. For the definitive list of what each screen covers, see the full food list and the non-food list.
Garlic
Onion
Apple
Pear
Wheat
Barley
Rye
Honey
Mango
Watermelon
Dates
Figs
Sugar-free sweeteners (sorbitol)
High-fructose corn syrup
Agave nectar
How to run a focused elimination
Plan for A 6-week core elimination, then structured reintroduction one food at a time.
Week 1–2: Remove your flagged items (for example wheat, garlic, onion, apple, pear, honey and high-fructose processed foods). Swap in lower-fructose alternatives such as rice-based bread, garlic-infused oil, carrots, firm bananas, a small portion of berries, and maple or rice syrup. Start your food-and-symptom diary on day one.
Week 3–4: Stick to your lower-fructose list. Many people notice steadier digestion and less bloating by around week 4. If little changes, look at other factors too — stress, how fast you eat, sudden fibre changes, or lactose-containing foods.
Week 5–6: Hold the course to the end of the core plan. A calm, settled baseline — and a diary kept across all six weeks — is what makes your reintroduction readable, and it’s also what the 90-day guarantee asks for.
After week 6: Reintroduce one flagged food at a time — a normal portion every second day for three days — and log what happens. This is what tells you your real-world tolerance for that food.
Then: Work through the remaining foods the same methodical way, three to four days apart. You’ll usually find some bring symptoms back quickly, some you tolerate in small amounts, and some you’d rather leave out. The result is a personal map, not a rule for life.
Reintroduction is very individual: you might tolerate garlic finely cooked into a dish but not raw, or an apple alongside a meal but not on an empty stomach. The aim is to test your own body rather than follow rigid rules. Mapping your tolerances fully can take a few more weeks after the core plan, and that’s normal — the 90-day guarantee asks you to follow your plan for at least 6 weeks with a food diary, so start your diary on day one. If bloating returns when you add a food back, you’ve simply learned it’s a current trigger — you can leave it out and try again in a few months. None of this is a treatment; it’s a structured way to observe your own reactions.
Common questions
Is this the same as a breath test?
No. A breath test measures hydrogen and methane in your exhaled breath after you drink a fructose solution, and a doctor or clinic uses it to look at how you absorb fructose. Our hair test does none of that. It is a screening tool that screens your hair sample across 700+ items and flags common high-fructose and high-FODMAP foods so you have a shortlist to explore. The two are very different — we do not perform breath testing.
Why isn’t this an IgG test?
Because fructose malabsorption is about how the gut absorbs a sugar, not about the immune system. Your body doesn’t make IgG antibodies to fructose, so an IgG test wouldn’t tell you anything useful here. Our hair screening doesn’t measure antibodies either — it simply flags foods worth exploring first, for you to trial yourself.
Could my symptoms be coeliac disease instead?
It’s worth checking with your GP. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune reaction to gluten (a protein in wheat, barley and rye) and needs proper testing through your doctor — importantly, those tests are most reliable while you are still eating gluten, so ask before you cut wheat out. Our hair test does not test for coeliac disease and cannot rule it in or out; it only flags fructose-related foods to explore. If your symptoms point that way, see your GP first.
How quickly might I notice a difference?
Many people say their bloating and wind feel easier within about 2–4 weeks of removing their flagged foods, and clearer still over the following few weeks. There’s a lot of individual variation, and any change comes from adjusting what you eat rather than from the test itself. Reintroducing foods after your 6-week core plan is what builds the fullest picture of your own tolerance, and that stage can take a few more weeks to map out.
Will I have to avoid these foods forever?
Usually not. Many people find that after a focused 6-week elimination and a careful reintroduction, their gut settles and they tolerate more than they expected. You might manage small amounts of garlic, or enjoy apple with breakfast but not as a snack. Removing foods for a while is about giving your system a break and learning your pattern — it isn’t meant to be permanent.
What if I’m still bloated after 6 weeks?
Fructose is only one possible factor. Bloating can also come from stress, eating speed, sudden fibre changes, food combinations, or other food sensitivities. If you’re not noticing any improvement, please speak to your GP so other causes can be checked. A registered dietitian can also help you fine-tune your approach and make sure your diet stays balanced.
When to speak to your GP. Fructose malabsorption is a common digestive variation, but it is not something we diagnose — our hair test is a food-screening tool, not a medical assessment. Please see your GP if your symptoms are severe or persistent, or if you have any red-flag signs such as blood in your stools, unintended weight loss, or signs of anaemia, so that conditions like coeliac disease, IBS or inflammatory bowel disease can be properly looked into. Our test is a guide to help you plan an elimination trial; it is not a substitute for medical advice. If you’re planning major dietary changes or are worried about getting enough nutrients, your GP or a registered dietitian can help you do it safely. Elimination diets can hide nutritional gaps if they aren’t done carefully, so professional support is especially important if you have a history of disordered eating or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
