Can an Elimination Diet Cause Nausea?

Last Updated: 12th January 2023 · Written by Kate Young

Elimination diets aren’t a walk in the park, especially if one of the foods you’re eliminating is something you were previously eating daily. But they’re a pretty important step following a food intolerance test.

The good news is that an elimination diet doesn’t cause nausea in and of itself. But it could indirectly be causing you nausea. There are a few ways this can happen. Let’s explore them.

Missing Essential Nutrients in Your Diet

A nutrient deficiency could cause your nausea. Beginning an elimination diet without making sure you replace the vitamins and minerals that are in the food you’re scrapping can cause various adverse reactions in your body.

Nausea is a common symptom of vitamin B12, magnesium and vitamin D deficiencies. You can essentially become deficient in these nutrients if you’ve suddenly excluded the only primary source of it from your diet. We recommend looking at the nutrients stored in the foods you’ve eliminated and seek to substitute them with foods of a similar vitamin and mineral contents.

Caffeine Withdrawal

If you’ve abruptly withdrawn from drinking coffee or consuming caffeine as part of your elimination diet, it could be a withdrawal symptom.

As caffeine is quite an addictive substance, many people can experience withdrawal effects if they suddenly stop consuming it. Symptoms include irritability, nausea, fatigue, low energy and poor concentration.

Experts recommend that those who experience these symptoms wean themselves off of caffeine, instead of quitting cold turkey. Try cutting down one cup at a time. Weakening your coffee could also help to reduce your intake. 

You’re Genuinely Under the Weather

It could just be that you’re under the weather with a cold, or feeling run down. Stress, smoking, drinking alcohol and several other factors can all contribute to lowering your immune system and make you more susceptible to catching a travelling cold.

Diabetes and other immune system disorders can also severely impact your immune system. It may just be a coincidence that feeling unwell has followed you starting an elimination diet.

Don’t let this tempt you to break your elimination diet streak. You’re much better off following through, provided you maintain nutrient balance than going back to experiencing daily frustrations and symptoms of which you can’t narrow down the cause.

To make your elimination diet even more effective, consider getting an intolerance test, to indicate which foods you’re intolerant to so that you only eliminate what’s necessary.