Digestive Health Irritable Bowel Syndrome Nutrition How the Elemental Diet Works By Barbara Bolen, PhD twitter Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome. Learn about our editorial process Barbara Bolen, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on September 21, 2020 linkedin Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH, is board-certified in gastroentrology. He is the vice chair for ambulatory services for the department of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, where he is also a professor. He was the founding editor and co-editor in chief of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Learn about our Medical Review Board Robert Burakoff, MD, MPH on September 21, 2020 Print The elemental diet is a liquid diet used predominantly to help people to recover from certain health problems. The diet gets its name from the fact that nutrients are introduced into the body in as close to their elemental form as possible. There are several commercial formulations available as options for people who need to be on the diet. David Sacks/The Image Bank/Getty Images Why an Elemental Diet Is Used An elemental diet allows for the absorption of nutrients in the most easily digestible form. Therefore, it is predominantly used by individuals who have severe digestive illness. It is thought that all nutrients are absorbed within the beginning of the small intestine, thus allowing the large intestine to "rest." When the Diet Would Be Used An elemental diet is rarely used. When they are used it is only valid for a very restricted population, typically those who have had surgery involving the digestive tract, or rarely, those with unusual cases of malabsorption and short-gut syndrome. In addition to use with people who have severe digestive illness, there has been some more recent research focus on the use of the diet for people who have Crohn's disease, refractory celiac disease, and SIBO. How It Works Elemental diet formulations may be taken in the body through the form of a liquid drink or may be administered through a feeding tube. The amount of liquid will be slowly increased over the first few days to reduce unwanted side effects such as diarrhea or abdominal pain. When the diet is being used to help to rest the gastrointestinal tract, no other foods or liquids other than water are allowed, although an exception may be made for plain tea or coffee. In other cases, the diet may be used as a dietary supplement. Because the diet contains a full range of nutrients, it is theorized that a person could subsist on the diet for a long time. However, the elemental diet should never be used without medical supervision. The Formula Elemental diet liquids contain nutrients in an easily digestible form. Typical formulations include: Essential and non-essential amino acidsGlucose (an easily digested carbohydrate)Vitamins (fat- and water-soluble)MineralsElectrolytesSmall amount of fat (less than 1%) Possible Side Effects The most common problem with the elemental diet is the fact that the taste can be quite difficult to tolerate, even with the use of flavoring agents. Some patients report abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea, particularly if too much is ingested too quickly. Patients who have diabetes may experience high blood sugar levels. The elemental diet may also be inappropriate for a person who has kidney disease. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier. Sign up and get yours now! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Zadak Z, Kent-Smith L. Basics in clinical nutrition: Commercially prepared formulas. European e-Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. 2009;4(5)e212-e215. doi:10.1016/j.eclnm.2009.05.005 Tsertsvadze A, Gurung T, Court R, Clarke A, Sutcliffe P. Clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of elemental nutrition for the maintenance of remission in Crohn's disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Technol Assess. 2015;19(26):1-138. doi:10.3310/hta19260 Durchschein F, Petritsch W, Hammer HF. Diet therapy for inflammatory bowel diseases: The established and the new. World J Gastroenterol. 2016;22(7):2179–2194. doi:10.3748/wjg.v22.i7.2179 Hunter J. Elemental diet and the nutritional treatment of Crohn's disease. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2015;8(1):4–5. Additional Reading Russel RI. Elemental diets. Gut. 1975;16(1):68–79. doi:10.1136/gut.16.1.68