Allergy treatments

An elimination diet is a method of identifying foods that an individual cannot consume without adverse effects. Adverse effects may be due to food allergy, food intolerance, other physiological mechanisms[citation needed], or a combination of these. When the mechanism is unknown, but a food is suspected, the mechanism may be described as a food sensitivity or a food hypersensitivity. Elimination diets typically involve entirely removing a suspected food from the diet for a period of time from two weeks to two months, and seeing whether symptoms resolve during that time.

Common reasons for undertaking an elimination diet include suspected food allergies and suspected food intolerances. An elimination diet might remove one or more common foods, such as eggs or milk, or it might remove one or more minor or non-nutritive substances, such as artificial food colorings.

An elimination diet relies on trial and error to identify specific allergies and intolerances. Typically, if symptoms resolve after the removal of a food from the diet, then the food is reintroduced to see whether the symptoms reappear. This challenge-dechallenge-rechallenge approach is particularly useful in cases with intermittent or vague symptoms.

The elimination diet is a diagnostic tool or method used to determine whether patient’s symptoms are food related. The term is sometimes used incorrectly to describe a diet which eliminates certain foods for a patient; this type of diet is more correctly called a treatment diet.