THE FINAL STEP OF ELIMINATION DIET

The final step takes us to the least rigorous form of elimination diet, in which most fruits, vegetables, fish and meats are allowed, but wheat and other cereals, milk, eggs and other common offenders are excluded. This diet is quite good enough for many people, but those with multiple sensitivities tend to slip through the net because they are still eating some foods which cause symptoms.

One other form of elimination diet should be mentioned here. This uses elemental diets during the exclusion phase, rather than any foods. Elemental diets are made from various ordinary foods, but these are treated to break down the food molecules into smaller pieces. They are similar to the hydrolysate formulas used for babies who are sensitive to cow’s milk but they are designed to be eaten – or rather drunk – by adults. In theory, the molecules that remain in the elemental diet are too small to cause any allergic reactions or other problems. In practice, some people with established food sensitivity do react to them, because the fragments of molecules they contain are too reminiscent of the original molecules. For many people, however, they are very effective.

Various drawbacks are associated with elemental diets. Firstly they taste dreadful. Secondly they are very expensive – the cost of living on them and nothing else is about £20 per day. Although they are available on the National Health, they are classified as ‘borderline substances’ which means that they can only be prescribed for certain named illnesses – suspected food sensitivity is not one of these. The elemental diet that most doctors prefer to use is Vivo-nex, and this is only available on prescription. Another form of elemental diet, Elemental 028, is available without prescription, but this contains sugar (sucrose) to which some people are sensitive. Nevertheless, it might be useful as a last resort for someone who is intolerant of a great many foods and has therefore not succeeded with an elimination diet. You should not try out an elemental diet without the help and advice of your doctor.

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Tags: Allergies