Be aware: this is only the goal of this diet, not necessarily its outcome. Results vary from person to person. Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any other) diet.
The elimination diet is a method to discover if certain symptoms are caused by food products. You do this by removing many products from your diet and observe whether the symptoms disappear. If so, the elimination diet is often followed by a provocation diet, where the products are reintroduced.
You can compare the elimination diet with other diets on the homepage.
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When following an elimination diet, you avoid all foods that have potential to cause health problems. This range of products is big, which can make it very hard to follow an elimination diet. Hence, it is recommended to follow an elimination diet under supervision of a professional, a dietician for instance.
Usually, the diet lasts about 2-6 weeks. However, depending on the variant or your situation, this can be shorter or longer.
The elimination diet is used for different complaints or medical indications. For example, it can be used to detect food allergies. Three examples of other types of complaints/indications where the elimination diet is used are:
In ADHD, the elimination diet can be used to investigate whether symptoms such as concentration problems and the inability to control impulses are (partly) caused by food. An example of such an elimination diet is the RED diet. This diet is specifically aimed at children with ADHD.
When celiac disease is suspected, one can decide to eliminate gluten. If gluten indeed causes the complaints a gluten free diet can be followed.
People with bowel problems can use an elimination diet to look at the influence of certain kinds of carbohydrates on the intestines. Examples of such elimination diets are the GAPS diet and the FODMAP diet.
Another example of an elimination diet for bowel problems is the AIP diet which specifically targets autoimmune diseases, including Crohn's disease.
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Typical products that are eliminated from your diet are dairy products, soy products, wheat products, products with gluten, seafood, citrus fruits, shellfish and nuts. Aubergines, tomatoes, potatoes, egg, corn and pork are also among the products often eliminated.
What is allowed differs per elimination diet. Usually meat, fish, vegetables and fruits are allowed. Besides that, you can drink water and (usually) tea.
If the elimination diet has helped with your complaints/symptoms, it is often followed by a provocation diet, also called the reintroduction phase (which follows after the elimination phase) or the (food) provocation test.
During the provocation diet (or the reintroduction phase) you reintroduce the eliminated products into your diet in order to discover which of these products lead to the complaints.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any) diet. The elimination diet can be dangerous for you, for instance due to nutritional shortages that can occur.
You can find several books about the elimination diet. For instance, Elimination Diet, The elimination diet and The IBS Elimination Diet and Cookbook.
Examples of elimination diets listed on this site are the GAPS diet, the AIP diet, the FODMAP diet and the RED diet.
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As you see fit
With the professional help of a dietitian it should be easier to reach your goals. Please contact a dietician in your area or talk to a doctor before starting any diet.
Please take note that most diets do not have a scientific basis.
Consult your doctor or dietician before starting a diet, especially if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or kidney disease.
If you think you might have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia), it is important to look for professional help. Contact your (house) doctor or find help elsewhere. Here you can find a list of several websites that can provide (online) help. These sites also provide information for people that know someone with an eating disorder.