Do you experience stomach distress after consuming starchy foods, such as grains or potatoes? You may have starch intolerance which is the body’s inability to completely process carbohydrates (sugars and starches) due to inadequate or absent enzymes needed for their digestion.

You may be familiar with lactose intolerance. It is the inability to break down lactose in milk products because the enzyme lactase is lacking. Starch intolerance is the same and produces similar symptoms including gas, cramps, bloating and diarrhea and/or constipation.

Carbohydrates (sugar and starches) are our body’s primary source of energy. There are three types of carbohydrates: monosaccharides (single sugars), disaccharides (made up of two sugar units) and polysaccharides (made up of complex multiple sugar units). The more complex carbohydrates require specific enzymes to break them down for digestion while simple sugars (monosaccharides) are absorbed directly from the intestine into your blood.

There are two types of starches including amylose (a polysaccharide) and amylopectin (a more complex polysaccharide). Most starchy vegetables (including corn, wheat, oats, barley, many varieties of rice and potatoes) contains 20 -30 percent amylase and 70-80 percent amylopectin. Legumes and some potatoes contain higher percentages (up to 65 percent or more) of amylase.

Lack of the required enzymes to break down these starches will leave them in the digestive system to cause symptoms of food intolerance. The severity of the symptoms depends on the extent of the enzyme deficiency, and range from a feeling of mild bloating to severe diarrhea.

Insufficient enzyme production may be caused by injury to the small intestines due to antibiotic or antacid overuse, poor diet or the consequence of aging.

Undigested sugars remain in the intestine, which is then fermented by the bacteria normally present in the large intestine. These bacteria produce gas, cramping, bloating, a "gurgly" feeling in the abdomen and flatulence. The distress normally begins about 30 minutes to two hours after eating or drinking foods containing the offending sugar, such as lactose in the case of lactose intolerance. Food intolerance can be confused with food allergies, since the symptoms of nausea, cramps, bloating, and diarrhea are similar.

There is no cure for carbohydrate intolerance. However, one may follow a healing diet where the offending starches and/or sugars are avoided. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was one of the first eating plans to address carbohydrate intolerance. High quality digestive enzymes also may be purchased. They may help with the break down of starches and sugars, and reduce symptoms.