Soy is found in many products that may not be so obvious, such as non-dairy creamers, lunch meat and sausage links, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A soy elimination diet is intended to identify if soy products are the cause of adverse reactions. An elimination diet is not intended to diagnose and needs to be performed in consultation with your doctor. If the soy elimination diet demonstrates that you do develop symptoms after consuming soy products, your doctor will recommend allergy testing to confirm the diagnosis.
Soy Allergy
Soy is considered a common food that causes an allergic reaction. It is not as common in adults as it is in children, with only about 4 percent of adults suffering from a soy allergy, according to MayoClinic.com. A soy allergy causes your immune system to overreact to the proteins found in soybeans. The body will create certain antibodies to fight off the soy proteins in order to protect itself from the allergen. The antibodies cause histamine to form in different parts of the body causing inflammation and swelling. A soy allergy can lead to a severe allergic reaction that could be life-threatening.
Identification
In order to properly implement a soy elimination diet, you need to be able to identify products that contain soy. Soy is a widely used product in many foods. Food manufactures are required by law to disclose the use of soy in a pre-packaged food product. Common products that contain soy are miso, tempeh, tamari, tofu, soy sauce and vegetable broth, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Ingredients to be aware of include vegetable gum, starch, hydrolyzed plant protein, textured vegetable protein and soy protein. When dining out, ask your server to disclose any soy ingredients in the food.
Elimination Diet
AskDrSears.com recommends removing all soy products from your diet for 1 to 2 weeks before reintroducing soy products. At the completion of eliminating all soy products, the intention is to slowly add diverse soy products to observe your body's reaction. Keep a food journal of what soy-based food you eat, how much of it and how your body reacts to it. At the completion of reintroduction, discuss your findings with your doctor. If you develop concerning symptoms during the reintroduction period, stop the diet and call your doctor.
Consideration
Adverse reactions after eating soy may not be related to an allergy exclusively. MayoClinic.com states that you can develop similar symptoms from soy intolerance. Soy intolerance will only cause digestive symptoms to develop. Soy intolerance is the digestive system's inability to properly digest the proteins or sugars found in soy products. Further medical evaluation may be needed to determine the cause of your symptoms.
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