Elimination diets are the gold standards to identify food sensitivities. Unlike food allergies, which involve a strong response from the immune system and can be diagnosed more easily, blood tests or skin pricks are not reliable to identify food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can cause many different symptoms, ranging from abdominal pain, headaches and hives to asthma, lethargy and restless leg syndrome, according to the Food Intolerance Awareness division from Allergy UK. An elimination diet has to be done properly, with the advice of a health care professional, because the strictness of this diet can cause side effects.
Protocol
The exact protocol used to follow an elimination diet can vary depending on the symptoms you have and the suspected foods, but the rules are very similar. To follow an elimination diet, you need to eliminate all potentially problematic foods from your diet, such as gluten-containing grains, dairy products, nightshade vegetables, legumes, soy, sugar and some suspect fruits and vegetables, for a few weeks. If the elimination diet allows your symptoms to improve, you can do provocation challenges by reintroducing eliminated foods, one by one and spaced by at least three to four days, to determine which foods are triggering your symptoms. The elimination diet will allow you to identify the foods you should avoid because they trigger your symptoms and the foods that you can tolerate and include in your diet.
Deprivation
One of the main side effects of following an elimination diet is that it can be very restrictive, especially if the protocol you follow eliminates many different foods and food groups, including grains, dairy, soy and some fruits and vegetables. For the period of your elimination diet, your diet may be based only on a handful of foods and can leave you feeling deprived as a side effect. Eliminating a lot of different foods you were used to eating and enjoyed eating all at once requires a lot of willpower and determination and adjustments to your meal planning and preparation.
Nutritional Deficiencies
By limiting your food choices while following your elimination diet, you may be at increased risk of developing nutritional deficiencies as a side effect. Many foods or food groups eliminated may be an important source of nutrients for your body. Depending on the length of time you need to follow your elimination diet for, your body may be missing out on important vitamins and minerals. Follow an elimination diet designed by a health care professional that will help you ensure you are meeting all of your basic nutritional requirements. You can also ask for an allowed multivitamin and mineral supplements to take while doing your elimination diet to prevent deficiencies.
Less Socializing
While you are on the stricter phase of your elimination diet protocol, it may be difficult to go to family dinners, eat out or participate in meetings and celebrations involving foods with your co-workers at the office. If you eat out, you will have to ask how the food was prepared and what ingredients were used. You can also offer to bring your own food, so you have at least one or two safe options to eat. Many people end up socializing a lot less as a side effect of following an elimination diet, but you can still do all of the activities you enjoy with the ones you love as long as you can say no to certain foods.
