The Science of Elemental Foods

Ideally we would all be eating a balanced diet of healthy, natural foods to get the range of nutrients we need but sometimes digestive issues can make that difficult.This page provides an overview of what elemental foods are and how their characteristics can be useful before providing a selection of clinical research related to some of their areas of use.

What is digestion?

Digestion is the intricate process through which our bodies break down the foods we eat into nutrients that can be absorbed and utilised for energy, growth, and cellular repair.

The process begins with chewing, where food is ground into smaller particles and mixed with saliva to start the process of breaking down carbohydrates.

Swallowing moves the chewed food down the throat, passing it into the oesophagus. The oesophagus is a muscular tube that carries food and liquids to the stomach and has mechanisms to prevent stomach contents from travelling back up under normal circumstances.

Once in the stomach, the food is mixed with gastric juices, which further break it down into a semi-liquid form which is then slowly released by the body into the small intestine.

In the small instestine, most nutrient absorption occurs. Here, digestive enzymes and bile work together to break nutrients into their most simple forms so they can be absorbed through the walls of the intestines and into the bloodstream, for dispersion throughout the body.

Any remaining indigestible parts of the food pass into the large intestine. In the large intestine, water and remaining minerals are absorbed, and the leftover waste is eventually excreted from the body.

What is different with elemental foods?

Each step of the digestive process can present challenges for individuals with specific health issues. By providing balanced nutrition in a more broken down form than 'normal' food and having no 'hidden' ingredients, elemental foods have features that can can help with digestion:

Where someone has trouble chewing or swallowing, the liquid form of an elemental food can help get nutrients down the throat and oesophagus and into the stomach.

Some people may have enzyme deficiencies or digestive disorders that make it hard to break down certain foods or ingredients. Elemental foods present ingredients in the most simple, pre-broken-down form to aid digestion in these cases.

Some individuals are triggered by specific ingredients found in normal foods, such as lactose, gluten, or other allergens. ElementGold Plus⁺ has been carefully formulated to avoid common trigger ingredients and all ingredients are clearly listed, including the forms of vitamins and minerals, to help identify and avoid potential 'hidden' triggers.

Those with compromised organs, such as inflammation of the stomach lining or after surgical resection, often find it difficult to digest complex foods. Elemental foods are gentle on the digestive tract, are absorbed quickly and require minimal digestive effort, making them helpful for individuals with such conditions.

How can elemental foods help with specific conditions?

There are general situations where ElementGold Plus⁺ can help, such as with chewing or swallowing difficulties and when trying to avoid trigger ingredients. Additionally, elemental foods have also been shown to be beneficial in other situations:

Crohn's Disease

Elemental diets are sometimes used as part of the management strategy for Crohn's disease, often involving the exclusive consumption of the elemental food for a period of one or more weeks. This approach helps to rest the gut, reduce inflammation, and minimise exposure to potential dietary triggers and are sometimes referred to as "gut rest diets". ElementGold Plus⁺ is specifically designed for such use and conforms to the Food for Special Medical Purposes part of the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code, including the parts making it suitable as the sole source of nutrition when used under the guidance of a medical professional. Below are several peer-reviewed studies that explore the effects and benefits of elemental diets in the context of Crohn's disease management.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)

The use of elemental diets with relation to SIBO was popularised when Pimental et al. demonstrated that a 14 day period where the sole source of nutrition was an elemental food led to a normalised lactulose breath test in 80% of participants. A lactulose test is a diagnosis for SIBO where a solution containing lactulose is consumed and an overgrowth of bacteria will cause elevated levels of hydrogen (and sometimes methane) to be detected in breath samples afterwards.

ElementGold Plus⁺ is specifically designed for such use and conforms to the Food for Special Medical Purposes part of the Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code, including the parts making it suitable as the sole source of nutrition when used under the guidance of a medical professional.

Surgical Recovery

Being easy to digest and absorb, elemental foods like ElementGold Plus⁺ can promote recovery by assisting in situations where digesting normal foods can be challenging.