The Elimination Diet

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Elimination Handout

An elimination diet is an eating plan that omits a food or group of foods believed to cause an adverse food reaction, often referred to as a “food intolerance.” By removing certain foods for a period of time and then reintroducing them during a “challenge” period, you can learn which foods are causing symptoms or making them worse. We often think of reactions to food as being a rapid allergic reaction, such as when a person has an anaphylactic reaction to eating peanuts and their throat swells up. However, there are other ways our bodies can react to foods that may not be so immediate, and may or may not be tied to an immune system response.

Food intolerances may be triggered by various natural compounds found in foods (natural sugars or proteins) or common food additives (such as natural and artificial colors, preservatives, antioxidants, and flavor enhancers) that can cause reactions through various mechanisms in the body. There is currently dispute about the specific mechanisms involved in different reactions to foods, and many tests to identify the suspected culprit(s) can be unreliable. Clinical experience has shown that an elimination diet is one of the best tools for identifying food culprits and is very safe, as long a variety of foods are still eaten supplying all the essential nutrients.