Researchers from the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have observed that removing animal milk from the diets of adults with eosinophilic esophagitis often leads to noticeable symptom relief. This evidence appears in a study published in Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, offering practical insights for managing this condition through dietary choices.
The study enrolled 129 adults aged 18 to 60 who had confirmed eosinophilic esophagitis. Participants were randomly assigned to two feeding regimens. One group followed a single-food elimination trial that removed only milk for six weeks. The other group adhered to a broader six-food elimination diet, excluding six common triggers for esophageal inflammation.
Results showed that 40% of participants in the single-food elimination group achieved remission after six weeks, compared to 34% in the six-food elimination group. Although the percentages differ, the gap is relatively small, indicating that eliminating dairy alone can be nearly as effective as removing six different items from the diet for many patients. This suggests that dairy avoidance may be a highly beneficial strategy for a majority of individuals with this condition.
Further observations revealed that among those who did not see remission with initial dietary changes, a substantial portion—about 80%—improved upon switching to the broader six-food elimination approach. For a subset of patients who did not respond to dietary interventions, corticosteroid medications provided another pathway to remission. This layered approach underscores the importance of individualized treatment planning in eosinophilic esophagitis.
In eosinophilic esophagitis, immune cells known as eosinophils accumulate in the esophagus, triggering inflammation that disrupts normal swallowing and digestion. Even small amounts of food can cause significant pain and discomfort for individuals with this condition, making dietary management a central component of symptom control and quality of life improvement.
Historical observations from the early 2000s established that eliminating six common dietary triggers—dairy, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, and nuts—could substantially ease the disease’s progression for many patients. While comprehensive elimination can be challenging, the more recent findings show that focusing on dairy alone may offer substantial relief with greater ease of adherence for many people with eosinophilic esophagitis.
Overall, the study’s results emphasize that for the majority of patients, quitting dairy can produce meaningful improvements in disease activity and daily functioning. The comparable outcomes between the dairy-only diet and the broader six-food plan also suggest that dietary strategies can be tailored to individual preferences and tolerances, potentially reducing the burden of strict long-term food avoidance. Physicians and patients may use these findings to design stepwise dietary trials that balance efficacy with practicality, optimizing patient engagement and long-term adherence.