Diet Management in Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs): Updates and Key Questions Dietary Approaches in EGIDs Diet is an optional therapy for managing EGIDs, as certain foods can trigger inflammation and symptoms. Successfully using diet as a treatment requires identifying and removing these trigger foods while maintaining good nutrition and quality of life. Effective practice requires a structured removal of the common causative food groups (dairy, wheat, gluten, egg, soya, fish, and nuts) in either a step-up or a step-down approach called an elimination diet, followed by repeat biopsies and targeted food reintroduction guided by healthcare professionals. A personalised plan developed with a dietitian experienced in EGIDs helps ensure the best possible symptom control and nutritional balance, as this is a chronic disease that requires ongoing compliance to maintain positive effects. Learn more about dietary approaches in children and adults ❗Dietary changes should be made with professional guidance. Please consult your healthcare provider for further advice. Diets in EGIDs – Expert Updates and Answers to Common Questions Presented by: Lucy Jackman, Paediatric Dietitian at Great Ormond Street Hospital Hannah Hunter, Adult Allergy Dietitian at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital Help us develop more resources like this Key Questions Covered in the Video: Types of EGIDS: overview What are eosinophils? I have been told to start a liquid-only (elemental) diet using a special milk. I haven’t tried any other dietary treatments yet. Is this really the only option? What are the other diet options? There are so many exclusion diets for EoE! Which should we start with? I have been prescribed steroids for my EoE. Which diet should I follow? Does diet help with other EGIDs? How long do I need to exclude the food for? Can I just put it back in after that time, and my EoE will be cured? Can’t I just have an allergy test to tell me what the food trigger is? If I remove all these foods, how do I make sure my diet is adequate? A lot of “free from” foods seem like they are ultra-processed foods (UPFs). I’ve heard UPFs are bad for your health and gut; should I also avoid these? I have heard different advice. Do I need to avoid gluten (wheat, rye, barley, and oats) or just wheat? Do I need to avoid all legumes if avoiding soya? How do I know if a food contains something I need to avoid? What about may contain? I’m worried about eating out. Any top tips? How do I know if the diet is working? Does the pollen season impact the diet? My symptoms are awful, but my gastro said my EoE is in remission Do I need to use a ladder to reintroduce foods following exclusion? I have eaten something by mistake during my elimination diet. What should I do? I now know that milk is my trigger. How strict do I need to be? Can I have a little bit of chocolate or cake on my birthday? What’s next if the SFED has not worked? What are EGIDs Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGIDs) are chronic inflammatory conditions in which a type of white blood cell called an eosinophil accumulates in the lining of the digestive tract. This abnormal immune response can affect different parts of the gut from the oesophagus to the colon, causing symptoms such as abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing, nausea, diarrhoea, or poor growth in children. EGIDs include several conditions, the most common being Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE), which affects 1 in 700 people. Further Resources and Support: Adult Diets in EoE Children's Diets in EoE One-Food vs Four-Food Elimination Diets for Paediatric EoE Pollen Season and EoE: How It Affects Diet Treatment Allergy-Friendly Recipes for EGIDS Find an EoE/EGID Specialist - Map This resource was developed with support from the National Lottery Community Fund. Manage Cookie Preferences