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Elimination Diet: Overview
An elimination diet is used to detect foods that might be the cause of allergies and consists of fasting or consuming foods which have a low allergic rate (such as rice, lamb, cabbage) for 4-7 days until symptoms clear.
If symptoms disappear during this period, commonly consumed foods are then reintroduced one at a time in the hope of finding the culprit. An elimination diet can be accurate, but difficult at the same time. Most food allergy symptoms do not appear soon enough after consuming the food to easily make the connection. However, after avoiding the food for some time, as in an elimination diet, reintroduction of the offending food results in a more rapid and pronounced symptom onset. This makes it easier to identify which food is causing the problem.
Elimination Diet can help with the following:
Allergy
Respiratory
Asthma
| Although most people with asthma do not suffer from food allergies [J Asthma 1991;28: pp.5-9], unrecognized food allergy can be an exacerbating factor. [JAMA 1959;169: p.1158] A medically supervised allergy elimination diet followed by reintroduction of the eliminated foods, often helps identify problematic foods. A healthcare professional must supervise this allergy test because of the possibility of triggering a severe asthma attack during the reintroduction. [N Engl J Med 1992;327: pp.380] |
Skin-Hair-Nails
Body Odor
| Dietary changes are very important in eliminating various sources of odor. Certain foods, such as meat, onions, garlic, exotic spices, and drinks such as coffee and alcohol can lead to body odor. Try eliminating these from your diet for a week or two and see if this makes a difference. Although you can usually smell your own B.O. if it is from your armpits many people don't realize they have general body odor because they have become accustomed to it. Have someone you can confide in do a "smell test" - before and after you start eliminating certain foods. That may be the only way you will find out. |
Uro-Genital
Urinary Stress/Urge Incontinence
| An elimination diet can deal with both food allergens and food irritants which may be causing the irritable bladder. |
KEY
May be useful:
may help with
Moderately useful:
often helps with
Very useful:
is highly recommended for
Last updated: Apr 25, 2013