Diet therapy in gastrointestinal disease: a commentary.

Dietary regimens in gastrointestinal disease can be divided into two categories: First, those of proven value include: (a) Disaccharide elimination for disaccharidase deficiency and exclusion of monosaccharides for sugar malabsorption; (b) gluten-free diet for celiac/sprue; (c) elimination of certain allergens because of food allergies; (d) protein restriction for portal systemic encephalopathy; (e) low-carbohydrate diet for dumping syndrome; (f) low-fiber diet for diarrheal syndromes; and (g) low-fat diet for steatorrhea. Second, controversial diets include a bland diet for acid-peptic disorders, a high-fiber diet for colonic disorders, and a low-fat diet for gallbladder disease. It is important to separate facts from fancy in the dietary management of patients with gastrointestinal disease and base the recommendations for a particular diet on available objective evidence, not on traditional or fashionable trends.