Food intolerances can often underlie a wide range of symptoms from brain fog, joint pain, rashes, anxiety, bloating, IBs to fatigue. Many of my patients are currently wanting to focus on improving their immune function and improve resiliency. One of the most powerful ways of doing this is to follow a short-term elimination diet, because choosing the right foods for your body can help to reduce inflammation and the risk of illness.
Food intolerances can often underlie a wide range of symptoms from brain fog, joint pain, rashes, anxiety, bloating, IBs to fatigue. Many of my patients are currently wanting to focus on improving their immune function and improve resiliency. One of the most powerful ways of doing this is to follow a short-term elimination diet, because choosing the right foods for your body can help to reduce inflammation and the risk of illness.
Estimates show that although only 4% of the population suffers from allergies, nearly 20% of people suffer from food intolerances. Identifying the culprits is not always straightforward as unlike true allergies, intolerances trigger low grade reactions that often take days to have effect.
Over the last 17 years of practice, I have seen some of the most dramatic health leaps in certain patients when they follow an elimination programme. I encourage patients that are stuck in their healing process to follow an elimination diet to see whether they have any improvement in persistent symptoms.
Research has shown that many conditions respond to an elimination diet and that most people will report a dramatic drop in symptoms during this process.
When followed correctly, the Elimination Diet has been found to be generally well tolerated and many individuals have reported increased energy, mental alertness, a decrease in muscle or joint pain, and a general sense of improved well-being.
Benefits
Research:
Research on the elimination diet for food sensitivities is still emerging, but results so far are quite promising. For instance, in a 2013 study evaluating the therapeutic potential of an elimination diet among migraine patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), researchers found that the diet may effectively reduce symptoms from both disorders, with possible positive impact on patients’ quality of life. In one study with patients with diarrhoea-dominant or mixed-type IBS, one-third responded positively to an elimination diet. A 2019 study suggested that an IgG elimination diet combined with probiotics maybe beneficial to migraine patients with IBS.
We follow the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) approach to the elimination diet. Our workshops will guide you through the process of doing this process correctly and safely.
Our next workshop is starting on the 23rd of May and is lead by Joanna Bednarek, a certified IFM Health Coach
For more information, email Joanna or book here.
References: Supporting Research for Elimination Diet
1. A vegan diet free of gluten improves the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis: the effects on arthritis correlate with a reduction in antibodies to food antigens.
Rheumatology 2001 Oct;40 (10):1175-9
2. Oral cromolyn sodium in comparison with elimination diet in the irritable bowel syndrome, diarrheic type. Multicenter study of 428 patients. Scand J Gastroenterol 1995 Jun;30
(6):535-41
3. The diet factor in pediatric and adolescent migraine. Pediatr Neurol. 2003 Jan;28(1):9-15.
4. Randomised controlled trial of advice on an egg exclusion diet in young children with atopic eczema and sensitivity to eggs. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1998 Feb;9(1):13-9
5. Crohn's disease: maintenance of remission by diet. Lancet 1985 Jul 27;2(8448):177-80
6. Immune sensitization to food, yeast and bacteria in Crohn's disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2001 Oct;15(10):1647-53
7. Food allergy and adult migraine: double-blind and mediator confirmation of an allergic etiology Allergy 1985 Aug;55(2):126-9
8. Fermentable Oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols ( FODMAPs) and non allergenic food intolerance: FODMAPs or food chemicals? Gastroenterology July
2012;5(4):261-268
9. Practical use of the new American Urological Association Interstitial cystitis Guidelines. Curr Urol Rep July 2012
10. Elimination diet effectively treats eosinophilic esophagitis in adults; food reintroduction identifies causative factors. Gastroenterology June 2012; 142(7):1451-1459
11. Non-Celiac wheat sensitivity diagnosed by the double-blind placebo controlled challenge: exploring a new clinical entity. Am J Gastroenterol Jul 2012
12. Spectrum of gluten related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification. BMC Med 2012 10:13
13. Lucendo et al. Empiric 6-food elimination diet induced and maintained prolonged remission in patients with adult eosinophilic esophagitis: A prospective study on food cause of
disease. J Aller Clin Immunol: 2013:131;797-804
14. Irritable Bowel Syndrome: the role of food management in pathogenesis and management. Gastroenterol Hepatol 2014; Mar 10 (3):164-74.
15. Intestinal barrier function and the brain-gut axis.. Adv Exp Med Biol 2014; 817:73-113
16. High Prevalence of abnormal gastrointestinal permeability in moderate severe asthma. Clin Invest Med. 2014;Apr 1;37(2):E53-7.
17. Small Intestinal Permeability in Older Adults. Physiol Rep 2014; Apr 22;2(4)
18. Gastric Barrier and Toxic Damage. Dig Dis 2014;32(3):235-42.
19. Food Allergy in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: The Case of Non-celiac Wheat Sensitivity. World J of Gastroenterol June 21 2015;21(23) 7089-7091
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References: Supporting Research for Elimination Diet
1. Gaby AR. The role of hidden food allergy/intolerance in chronic disease. Altern Med Rev. 1998 Apr;3(2):90-100.
2. Sullivan PB. Food allergy and food intolerance in childhood. Indian J Pediatr. 1999;66(1 Suppl):S37-45.
3. Parker SL, Sussman GL, Krondl M. Dietary aspects of adverse reactions to foods in adults. CMAJ. 1988 Oct 15;139(8):711-8.
4. Olendzka-Rzepecka E, Kaczmarski M, Lebensztejn D. Therapeutic effectiveness of treatment with an elimination diet in children with atopic
dermatitis of different ages. Rocz Akad Med Bialymst. 1995;40(3):602-6.
5. Wüthrich B, Hofer T. [Food allergies. III. Therapy: elimination diet, symptomatic drug prophylaxis and specific hyposensitization]. Schweiz Med
Wochenschr. 1986 Oct 11;116(41):1401-10.
6. Taylor JP, Krondl MM, Csima AC. Assessing adherence to a rotary diversified diet, a treatment for 'environmental illness'. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998
Dec;98(12):1439-44.
7. Bernardini R, Novembre E, Mugnaini L, Vierucci A. Diet regimen in the treatment of food allergy. Ann Ist Super Sanita. 1995;31(4):481-8.
8. Yeung JM, Applebaum RS, Hildwine R. Criteria to determine food allergen priority. J Food Prot. 2000 Jul;63(7):982-6.
9. Oranje AP, Wolkerstorfer A, de Waard-van der Spek FB. Natural course of cow's milk allergy in childhood atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome. Ann
Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2002 Dec;89(6 Suppl 1):52-5.
10. Turjanmaa K. "Atopy patch tests" in the diagnosis of delayed food hypersensitivity. Allerg Immunol (Paris). 2002 Mar;34(3):95-7.
11. Kitts D, Yuan Y, Joneja J, Scott F, Szilagyi A, Amiot J, Zarkadas M. Adverse reactions to food constituents: allergy, intolerance, and autoimmunity. Can
J Physiol Pharmacol. 1997 Apr;75(4):241-54.
12. Schwartz RH. Allergy, intolerance, and other adverse reactions to foods. Pediatr Ann. 1992 Oct;21(10):654-5, 660-2, 665-74.
13. Nsouli TM, Nsouli SM, Linde RE, O'Mara F, Scanlon RT, Bellanti JA. Role of food allergy in serous otitis media. Ann Allergy. 1994 Sep;73(3):215-9.
14. Sicherer SH. Food allergy: when and how to perform oral food challenges. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 1999 Nov;10(4):226-34.
15. Niec AM, Frankum B, Talley NJ. Are adverse food reactions linked to irritable bowel syndrome? Am J Gastroenterol. 1998 Nov;93(11):2184-90.