Elimination diets are often marketed as the trendy way to lose weight and improve your health quickly and easily, but do they actually work?  More importantly, would an elimination diet work for you specifically?  Before you ditch any particular food permanently, FitClub breaks down the pro’s and con’s of the elimination diet.

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What is an elimination diet?

An elimination diet is one where you permanently swear off a certain type of food. Some elimination diets suggest that you completely eliminate dairy products, sugar, or the majority of carbohydrate-based foods from your diet.  These diets often promise spectacular results, including less inflammation, more energy, and a lower risk of developing a disease or medical condition.

Do elimination diets work?

In the short-term, there are advantages to elimination diets.  If you regularly suffer from fatigue or chronic inflammation, temporarily eliminating certain foods from your diet may help you pin down exactly what food group is causing your distress.  Certain foods may be processed differently by different people. For example, gluten can have negative consequences for anyone that has an intolerance to gluten or Celiac disease. Other conditions may also benefit from a short-term elimination diet, like headaches, anxiety, or gastrointestinal distress.  Depending upon which diet you’re following or the specific ailment you’re trying to alleviate, certain food groups may be entirely eliminated from your diet.

If you’re eliminating sugar from your diet, for example, you might find that you have more energy and less anxiety.  You may also benefit from short-term weight loss if the food you choose to eliminate is high in calories or added fat.

What happens if you reintroduce those foods into your diet?

Elimination diets are generally seen as helpful in the short-term to determine whether you have any allergens or food intolerances.  If your plan is to lose weight and keep it off by eliminating carbohydrates or sugar from your diet, you may be unprepared for the lifetime of consequences.  The health benefits of an elimination diet end when you reintroduce that food into your otherwise healthy diet.

You may also be missing out on key nutrients and vitamins if you try to adapt to an elimination diet without the advice of a nutritionist or medical professional.  By eliminating any one type of food, your body may not be able to operate at its best. While there is no benefit to added sugar, there is a benefit to eating healthy, unrefined carbohydrates.

Whether you’re interested in losing weight or improving your health, food definitely plays a role.  Before you jump into an elimination diet, make sure you check the diet’s promises with your doctor or a nutritionist to make sure the diet will work for you!