found on the Internet or elimination diets they devise
themselves. These diets have varying degrees of suc-
cess. For example, many people try eliminating all
dairy products to see if their symptoms of lactose
intolerance—bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and
gas—improve. This do-it-yourself approach may be
adequate for people with mild sensitivities to only
one food or food group, but it is risky for people
with severe intolerances. People with moderate to
severe sensitivities need professional guidance to
eliminate non-obvious sources of the potential prob-
lem food.RisksOne risk of all elimination diets is that they are not
nutritionally balanced. They increase the risk that
vitamin and mineral deficiencies will develop. Anyone
going on a full elimination regimen needs to consult a
dietitian or nutritionist about how to usedietary sup-
plementsto assure adequate, balanced nutrition
A second risk is that people who self-diagnose
symptoms as food intolerances using a non-medically-
supervised elimination diet may be ignoring symptoms
of more serious and progressive diseases such asceliac
disease, Crohn’s disease,gastroesophageal reflux dis-
ease, irritable syndrome, and other health problems
that need medical treatment.
Finally, anyone suspected of having a moderate to
severe food allergy should be under the care of a
physician. Any food challenging must be done in a
healthcare setting, as severe reactions can cause ana-
phylactic shock and death.Research and general acceptanceThe medical community accepts elimination diets
as a standard way to diagnose food sensitivities. A true
elimination diet is quite restrictive, takes a long time to
implement, and should be supervised by a healthcare
professional. Many short cut do-it-yourself elimina-
tion-style diets are available on the Internet. Although
people who believe they have a food intolerance often
try these diets, they are not accepted by healthcare
professionals as diagnostically accurate, and they may
cause short-term vitamin and mineral deficiencies.Resources
BOOKS
Carter, Jill and Alison Edwards.The Allergy Exclusion Diet:
The 28-Day Plan to Solve Your Food Intolerances.
Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2003.
Carter, Jill and Alison Edwards.The Elimination Diet
Cookbook. Rockport, MA: Element,1997.
Scott-Moncrieff, Christina.Overcoming Allergies: Home
Remedies-Elimination and Rotation Diets-
Complementary Therapies.London : Collins &
Brown, 2002.
ORGANIZATIONS
American Dietetic Association. 120 South Riverside Plaza,
Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995. Telephone:
(800) 877-1600. Website: http://www.eatright.org
Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome
Association of America (CFIDS). P. O. Box 220398,
Chapel Hill, NC 20222-0398. Website: http://www
.cfids.org
OTHER
Atkins, Dan. ‘‘Food Allergies.’’ eMedicine.com, June 13,- http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic.htm.
Harvard School of Public Health. ‘‘Interpreting News on
Diet.’’ Harvard University, 2007. http://www.hsph
.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/media.html.
Manners, Deborah. ‘‘The Elimination Diet The Detection
Diet.’’ Foodintol.com, February 11, 2006. http://www
.foodintol.com/eliminationdiet.asp.
Meyers, Suzzanne. ‘‘The Elimination Diet.’’ undated,
Accessed April 24, 2007. http://www.eliminationdiet
.com/.
WebMD. ‘‘Allergies: Elimination Diet and Food Challenge
Test.’’ http://www.webmd.com/allergies/allergies-
elimination-diet.
Whfoods.org. ‘‘Allergy Avoidance Diet. Worlds Healthiest
Foods,’’ undated, accessed April 21, 2007. http://
http://www.whfoods.com/ genpage.php?tname=diet=7.
Tish Davidson, A.M.QUESTIONS TO ASK THE
DOCTOR Could my symptoms be caused by another
disease? If so, should diagnostic tests be done
before I begin the elimination diet?
What do I need to do to get balanced nutrition
while on this diet?
Can you provide me with information about
hidden sources of forbidden foods such as those
in processed food and medications?
Is there a better way to eliminate my food
sensitivity symptoms?Elimination diets