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Feingold Diet and Phenol Protocol

The Phenol Protocol is a regimen that I created that includes several components: 1) the Feingold Diet which is a low salicylate/phenol diet, 2) supplements and substances that add sulfate and/or aid sulfation (and methylation), and 3) enzymes to help break down remaining phenols.   There is no way to eliminate 100% of all phenols, so this diet is not an all or nothing program.  Some people may need to be strict with keeping phenols very low, while others may only need to reduce phenols by avoiding the high phenol foods such as artificial ingredients, apples, grapes, and bananas (for some).  This protocol is often used with other diets.

Common symptoms of phenol intolerance: Dark circles under eyes, red face/ears, diarrhea, hyperactivity, impulsivity, aggression, headache, head banging/self-injury, impatience, short attention span, difficulty falling asleep, night waking for several hrs, inappropriate laughter, hives, stomachaches, bedwetting (day wetting), dyslexia, speech difficulties, tics, some forms of seizure

When to use this diet:  Use of this diet can be tricky to determine. There is no single test to determine faulty sulfation, but a qualified professional can interpret the results from several tests to get a sense of whether this approach would be helpful.  The easiest way is to just try the Feingold diet and see if it is beneficial. If you suspect a problem based on the symptoms above, implement this diet and see what results follow.

Pitfalls: It can be challenging to implement because several other diets (especially SCD) limit many foods and rely on fruit for sweets and sweeteners.  As fruits are so high in phenols, when this diet is used in conjunction with another diet the limitation of fruits can be very restricting.

When food sensitivity diets have been tried and symptoms still remain, this protocol often addresses many remaining challenges.