Elimination Diet

As discussed over the past week, Leaky Gut Syndrome is a condition where there is damage to the intestinal lining and larger particles of food, food that has not been digested entirely, and other toxins, pass through into the body when they shouldn’t.  In other words, they “leak” out.  When these “invaders” make their way through the intestinal lining, the immune system responds by making antibodies and the body thus reacts with symptoms.  Because of the stress Leaky Gut Syndrome puts on the body, there is a huge impact on how one feels both physically and mentally.  Often, people are misdiagnosed with another condition, when really, Leaky Gut Syndrome is the culprit.

Treatment of Leaky Gut Syndrome is simple.  It is done without the use of drugs or surgery by what is commonly referred to as an “elimination diet.”  An elimination diet consists of eliminating all  foods that people are commonly sensitive to.  This would include foods such as wheat, dairy, eggs, sugar, corn and soy. Fore more information embarking on an elimination diet, see April 9, 2010 Blog Post: Embarking On A Dairy Elimination Diet or our recent article: Discovering and Treating a Dairy Sensitivity By An Elimination Diet.

If you decide to go on an elimination diet, it’s always a good idea to do so under the supervision of a medical professional who can recommend food alternatives and a good supplement regimen.

There is a plethora of interesting information about Leaky Gut Syndrome in Gloria Gilbere’s book, “I Was Poisoned By My Body.”

Click Here

Soy products are derived from the bean of the soy plant. Compared to cow’s milk, here are some basic facts:

Per each 50 grams (1.75 ounces), soy has about:

• 15 grams of carbohydrates as compared to 2.5 grams of carbohydrates in an equal portion of cow’s milk
• soy has 10 grams of fat for those 50 grams as opposed to 1.5 grams in cow’s milk.  Keep in mind this is a plant fat vs an animal fat.
• Soy has 18 grams of protein versus 1.5 per 50 grams of cow’s milk.
• Calcium content of soy is at around 138.5 milligrams per 50 grams where milk has 56.5 milligrams. But don’t let the calcium content be the only deciding factor of consuming soy as an alternative to dairy, nor let the fat content be a deciding factor to avoid soy. Studies have indicated that soy calcium is not as readily absorbed as calcium from milk, but there are other studies that indicate that it is.

Since dairy products are an abundant source of calcium, dairy avoidance presents an issue where one would need to conscientiously consume from other sources.  Eating replacement foods high in calcium is important.  Oranges, broccoli, almonds, and many other foods contain calcium, but supplementation is often a good idea as well. An 8 ounce glass of skim milk contains about 300 milligrams of calcium as compared to 1 fresh orange which contains about 52 milligrams of calcium. The minimum recommended daily intake of calcium for an otherwise healthy person is 1,000 milligrams. That’s about four 8 ounce glasses of milk compared to 20 oranges!

All and elimination diet is is eliminating dairy from your diet completely.  It can be a great way to diagnose yourself by eliminating dairy and then monitoring whether symptoms improve.  It is also the only treatment for a dairy sensitivity.  Before you go full throttle on an elimination diet, however, there are three caveats that many fail to consider.

(1)  Many embarking on an elimination diet of avoiding dairy will try to determine whether they are feeling better or not after just a few days.  In order to truly give it a chance, a minimum of a full month on the elimination diet is needed to see whether there is a real improvement in symptoms.

(2)  Many will try out some alternatives to dairy during the elimination diet.  While trying to find out if there truly is a specific food sensitivity, this is not the time to introduce new foods into the diet.  New foods and especially alternatives to dairy that may be soy-based, which is another food that many folks are highly sensitivity to, may cause sensitivity issues in individuals already susceptible to sensitivity to dairy products.  An elimination diet to discover the truth about whether or not you are really sensitive to a suspected offending food product should be based on maintaining your regular diet minus the suspected offender.  If symptoms begin to subside as dairy is eliminated from the diet, there is a very good chance that dairy was the culprit.

(3)  Last, many people have multiple sensitivities, such as dairy and egg or dairy and gluten, so sometimes the elimination diet will not give the improvement that was hoped for when indeed there is a dairy sensitivity, but it’s just in conjunction with another food sensitivity.

It is a good idea to take a total and complete inventory of symptoms prior to beginning the elimination diet and assess symptoms every 1-2 weeks for change. After several months on an elimination diet the gut begins to heal and some dairy-sensitive individuals can reintroduce dairy slowly and over time. Remember though that after years of being sick with symptoms, it takes time to heal so that should be done only after a fair amount of time on an elimination diet (at least 3 months) and slowly and cautiously as well. Reintroducing dairy to a sensitive person may or may not cause a recurrence of symptoms. If symptoms recur, then eliminate the dairy again. If symptoms do not reoccur, it is still wise to limit dairy intake indefinitely so as to not risk creating the sensitivity all over again.

And remember:  Nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY feels!

Lactose-Free Milk—Lactose free is only a viable for people with a lactose intolerance.  For those with a dairy allergy, this is certainly not a feasible option as it contains the same proteins as milks and is just as allergic for those with a dairy allergy.

Goat Milk and Other Ruminant Milk—“Ruminant” being other animals who chew cud and cloven hoofed.  Goat and sheep and other ruminant milk have similar proteins to cow’s milk and as such have a high degree of cross-reactivity.  That means if you’re allergic to cow’s milk you’ll probably be allergic to other ruminant milks.  These milks also contain lactose so if you’re lactose intolerant then you should avoid these also.

Soy Milk—Soy Milk is the most widely available dairy-free milk alternative and can be found on shelves as well as next to milk in supermarkets.  With the widespread competition between providers, it is also one of the most cost effective milk alternatives.  It’s also high in protein and has a very distinct taste.  Before pouring a huge bowl of cereal, be sure you like the taste.

Nut Milks—Almond is the most common but others are available.  Nut milk is high in protein and useful for baking.  The taste blends well with baked goods and coffee.  The only drawback is that nuts are sometimes an allergen for those with nut allergies.

Rice Milk—Rice milk is not especially allergenic, making it a good choice for those trying to provide allergen free foods for children.  It’s not very useful for cooking and unless heavily fortified, does not provide much protein.  Its best use is for cereal or as a beverage.

Hemp Milk—Hemp is a new addition to the milk alternatives and may be difficult to find in some places.  It has more protein than rice milk but not as much as soy.  It contains enough protein to cook some sauces.

Oat Milk–Oat milk has a moderate amount of protein, making it more useful than rice milk for cooking. However, it’s still not a true replacement for cow’s milk in baking.   Oat milk is fairly mild and nutty tasting, and is a natural match for hot cereals and many breakfast foods.

A Dairy Sensitivity often starts with a condition called “Leaky Gut.”  Leaky Gut is a condition of the intestinal lining that is the result of damage to the intestinal lining.  It causes increased gastrointestinal permeability, which makes it less able to protect the internal environment as well as to filter needed nutrients and other biological substances. Inversely, some bacteria and their toxins, incompletely digested proteins and fats, and waste not normally absorbed may ”leak” out of the intestines into the blood stream.  YIKES!

The causes of Leaky Gut Syndrome range from chronic inflammation to damage from taking large amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) to cytotoxic drugs and radiation or certain antibiotics to excessive alcohol consumption to compromised immunity.

The Food Sensitivity / Leaky Gut connection is kinda like asking the question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”  We know that when we heal the leaky gut, we often cure the food sensitivity.  But did the food sensitivity cause the leaky gut to start?  We don’t know.  BUT, what we do know is that if you eliminate foods you are sensitive to, the leaky gut often heals as well and you can reintroduce those foods into your diet down the road.  That is said with much caution though because if there is a food you are sensitive to, such as dairy, it is really best to avoid that food indefinitely so as to not re-damage the gut again.