No pun intended. You have to use common sense. Perhaps little bits of things are well tolerated for many IBSers but at a certain point you may have problems. The EFI diet is about playing it safe really, to give yourself the best chance you can have. For me science is NOT a big part of it. Why? because there is no science behind IBS. There is nothing physically wrong with someone with IBS. The gut functions improperly and we do the best with it for the most part. When science can explain and cure it that will be great! But until then do what works for you and start with what works for most people. Start with Heather's guidelines and see how you do and what else bothers you. Personally I can handle a little shaving of parmesan very well and the casein in soy cheese; both things on occassion only. I have gotten very sick from ice cream and brie cheese when I have wanted to be normal and just eat them. So that is my reasoning. I prefer to play it safe rather than deliberate on proteins not being proven hard to digest or egg yolks being ok for some or yogurt supposedly being good for you. There is so much information out there to mess a person up and we all know how things can go from good for you to bad for you week by week so I do what works for me.
-------------------- IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!