Nutritional Supplements to Use While Implementing an Elimination Diet

Yes, during the elimination diet, your physician, trained in functional medicine, will work to supplement any micronutrients your body may be deficient in after your examination and help all your systems function effectively. Along with vitamins, minerals, and omega-3s (active and highly absorbable forms are preferred), they will also provide you with the best forms of herbal supplements and amino acids to support phase 2 reactions in the liver, intestinal flora, and antioxidant mechanisms.

As standard practice, blood tests do not accurately reflect vitamin, mineral, or omega-3 levels at the tissue level. Measuring vitamins and minerals in tissues, or even within cells, is only possible with advanced laboratory tests. While it is ideal to have all of these tests performed before and after supplementation, they can also be performed at a later time during the treatment process, depending on the course of the disease, to avoid excessive financial burden on the patient.

In conclusion, it is possible to achieve successful results without any testing using an elimination diet and supplements. However, if the expected results are not achieved despite the diet and supplements, it is beneficial to have tests performed. For those planning an elimination diet without any testing, it's definitely beneficial to take a quality Omega-3 supplement (preferably after dinner) with 1200mg of EPA+DHA daily and two magnesium capsules daily (250mg of elemental Mg total daily).

These two can be used for a long time without any testing. Additionally, for vitamin D deficiency, which is very common in the general population, a bottle of 580 drops (580,000 Units) can be used without testing. It's also beneficial to take 10 drops of D3K2 daily and have your vitamin D levels measured after finishing the bottle in two months before continuing use. It's crucial to source these products from reputable brands. A reference brand is one I can recommend and whose ingredients I know.

If our patient's financial situation allows, our first choice is a cellular food sensitivity test, followed by intracellular mineral and toxin tests, and finally, tests for gut health and leaky gut parameters. We may also request detailed microbiota tests related to cardiovascular health, depending on our patient's risk status.

Genetic testing can be used to examine your SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) status to determine if any enzymes involved in antioxidant or detoxification are slowing down.

An elimination diet is a crucial practice within the first of the 3 "Y"s of Functional Medicine.