title: The elimination diet as a diagnostic tool.
abstract: Many family physicians overlook the role that food and food additives play in health problems. An elimination diet is a safe and cost-effective method of evaluating adverse reactions to foods in some patients with common medical problems. Patients whose symptoms improve or clear while they are on the diet are then challenged with the omitted foods one at a time to establish food-symptom relationships.
authors.affiliation: Little Rock Family Practice Clinic, Arkansas.
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hedges
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005503:Food Additives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D005503:Food Additives