Sugar and Starch Free, No Problem

Let’s take a closer look at the science—and hope—behind one of MedTech’s most promising therapies for people living with digestive enzyme disorders.

The Daily Challenges of Living with CSID

For those of us who live with Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency (CSID), every meal can make you feel intense anxiety over what might make you present your symptoms.

You might be asking questions like:

What is triggering my symptoms?

What ingredients can I tolerate?

Why are these nutritional labels so challenging to read?

CSID is a rare genetic disorder that affects someone’s ability to break down sugars like sucrose (table sugar) and starches due to a deficiency or a malfunction in enzyme production in their small intestine.

What’s the result of this?

Chronic digestive symptoms are often painful and misdiagnosed because they align with so many other gastrointestinal disorders. People with CSID frequently suffer from bloating, diarrhea, constipation, gas, cramping, fatigue, and abdominal pain. Some traditional approaches that can help alleviate symptoms include strict dietary modifications, but those are often difficult to maintain and don’t fully eliminate symptoms for everyone.

That is where enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) can come in handy. It’s a medical treatment that involves supplementing the body with specific enzymes that the patient either doesn’t produce enough or at all. It was initially developed for those suffering from lysosomal storage disorders, but it was also found that it helped individuals suffering from enzyme deficiencies as well.

For patients suffering from CSID, ERT involves taking sacrosidase, an oral enzyme derived from baker’s yeast. This helps patients break down sucrose into simple sugars (fructose and galactose) that the body can absorb. It’s why those suffering from fructose malabsorption don’t typically do well with ERT, which uses sacrosidase. It also won’t help patients break down starches, but it can allow patients to digest a wider variety of ingredients and drastically reduce symptoms they experience.

Why IS ERT a Game-Changer in the Realm of CSID?

ERT isn’t just convenient; it can be life-changing for some patients:

• Improved Quality of Life: They don’t have to live in constant fear of often having embarrassing and painful symptoms, and it restores their ability to do daily activities. Needing to avoid starches and sugars can often lead to nutritional gaps if you’re not working with a specialist to address those. An ERT enables a more balanced diet.
• Greater Flexibility: This is especially important for teens and children suffering from CSID because they want to be involved with their friends and be able to eat similar things like cookies and cupcakes. By using an ERT, patients can more fully participate in social events, school, and work without the fear of triggering their symptoms. This can mean fewer school and work absences and easier family meal planning.

The Future of ERT and CSID Research

Current ERT options like Sucraid® are effective for many patients, but not everyone gets results from using it. It should always be discussed with a medical professional if this is an option you’re considering.

The ongoing research explores next-generation enzymes with improved stability, longer shelf life, and broader activity against other complex carbohydrates. Advances in the study of biotech may help lead to gene-based therapies that could address CSID at the source—the SI gene itself. MedTech companies are also developing advanced diagnostic tools to identify CSID in younger patients and far more accurately. Early diagnosis and detection combined with ERT means fewer years spent in the often frustrating and nerve-wracking diagnostic limbo that many patients experience.

Final Thoughts

For those of us who suffer from CSID, ERT offers not just relief from our symptoms, but also it’s a way to enjoy food and life again. As MedTech continues evolving, ERT is an example of medical innovations that will significantly shape the future of uncovering better solutions for those with CSID and the broad spectrum of gastrointestinal and enzyme-related disorders.