IT HAS A catchy name—and it’s making waves on TikTok—but is the elemental diet for everyone?
Far from it. “The elemental diet is a medical diet protocol that’s prescribed for people with serious gastrointestinal issues that aren’t responding to other kinds of diets or treatments,” says Christine Byrne, MPH, RD, a dietitian and the owner of Ruby Oak Nutrition in Raleigh, NC. “Some TikTok creators are using the elemental diet to relieve uncomfortable GI symptoms, which could be inspiring others to follow the diet,” she continues, noting that this is a huge red flag for her, since it’s a very restrictive diet and no one should be following it without the support and monitoring of a healthcare provider.
Keep reading to learn more about the elemental diet—and why healthcare professionals caution everyday people away from trying it.
What is the elemental diet?
Lindsay Malone, MS, RD, LD, an instructor at the department of nutrition, school of medicine at Case Western Reserve University, describes the elemental diet as a plaan that leverages partially digested, liquid meal replacement formulas (with carbs, fat, protein) plan that may reduce symptoms and provide digestive ease for those dealing with gastrointestinal illness such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
As Malone highlights, the formulas also supply required micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to serve as a complete source of nutrition. Most elemental diet protocols last two to three weeks, she says.
The idea behind the elemental diet (and the source of its name), per Byrne, is that these “elements” are easier to break down and don’t make your digestive system do as much work.
Important: The elemental diet is not something you undertake on your own. “The elemental diet should be used under medical supervision with a physician, nurse practitioner, physician’s assistant or registered dietitian. Individual needs should be calculated and formula should be mixed with water to supply 100 percent of calorie, protein, vitamin, and mineral needs,” says Malone, adding that no other foods or beverages should be consumed along with this program. “The whole purpose is to limit the work the digestive tract is doing and replete nutrients,” she says.
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According to Malone, a typical day on the elemental diet may include 12 or more scoops of elemental diet formula mixed with plain water. Depending on individual tolerance, the formula may be sipped continuously throughout the day or divided into three-to-five small “meal” periods, she clarifies.
Obviously, partaking in this diet can take a toll on your mental health. “Because there is so little variety in an elemental diet, it is recommended to fill your days with self-care and enjoyable activities to take your mind off of meals and snacks,” says Malone.
Are there benefits to the elemental diet?
An elemental diet will always be recommended and administered under the supervision of healthcare professionals. If your care team thinks it might help with your specific condition, you should always discuss the pros and cons of partaking in this protocol.
That said, for those who have been advised to partake in the elemental diet by their healthcare provider, some benefits may be gleaned from the protocol. Most of the research on the elemental diet is pertaining to SIBO, IBD, and IBS. Malone shares that in her experience, the elemental diet “can help quiet down the noise of various conditions and allow for some gut healing, but if you don’t treat the underlying causes of the problem, the elemental diet is just a band-aid.”
“Some older research shows that an elemental diet might be beneficial for healing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) if other things like an elimination diet or medication don’t work,” expands Byrne. The dietitian also points to one very small recent study, which found that an elemental diet high in amino acids (the building blocks of protein) could help with gastritis and gastroenteritis.
What about risks?
Dietitians stress that the elemental diet is not necessarily a cure-all for those with digestive disorders, and it’s certainly not recommended for healthy individuals.
“There’s no research available on how the elemental diet affects healthy people without serious GI symptoms, because no healthcare provider would recommend this diet to a healthy person,” says Byrne. “It’s lacking in fiber and often high in carbohydrates, plus it’s not much fun to drink every meal,” she adds, emphasizing that if someone is interested in trying the elemental diet as a weight loss trick, she’d caution against that. “Skipping real food can have big mental, emotional, and social consequences, and could lead to the development of a full-blown eating disorder,” says Byrne.
Malone further underscores that 14 days without food is a long time. “SIBO for example, is not going away with an elemental diet,” stresses Malone, adding that research shows antibiotics are the most effective way to treat SIBO along with supporting digestion. (In functional medicine, Malone shares that practitioners use something called a 5R—remove, replace, reinoculate, repair and rebalance—program to rebalance the gut.)
Should you try the elemental diet?
Most likely, no. “Most people do not need an elemental diet for good health,” Malonee says.
Echoing Malone, Byrne believes that there’s no reason to try the elemental diet unless you have seriously painful GI symptoms that won’t let up. “If that’s the case, you should seek out a gastroenterologist who can help you figure out what might be causing the symptoms, and a dietitian who can guide you on an elimination diet or an elemental diet if necessary,” she says.
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