Eating Disorders Diet

The most important dietary change for people with eating disorders is to eat a sufficient amount of calories without purging. To accomplish this, most will need psychological as well as nutrition counseling.

Individuals with both bulimia and anorexia are likely to report a craving for sugar; people with bulimia eat more sweets and carbohydrates, particularly during binges, than do healthy individuals. In a double-blind study, bulimic subjects were reported to have significantly more mood changes after receiving glucose (corn sugar) injections compared to placebo injections. Preliminary evidence suggests that purging results in low blood sugar, which might increase the incidence of repeated bingeing and purging by stimulating appetite or altering mood.

In a preliminary trial, researchers fed ten bulimic women a diet free of all alcohol,caffeine, refined sugar, and foods containing white flour, added salt, monosodium glutamate, and flavor enhancers. They were also given 1 gram of vitamin C, 50 mg of a vitamin B-complex, and a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement. Cigarette smoking was not allowed during the trial. After three weeks, all women on this diet plan stopped bingeing whereas another ten bulimic women consuming a normal diet continued to binge. When the women who had been eating a normal diet were also placed on the more healthful diet plan, they too stopped bingeing. All 20 women remained binge-free for more than two and a half years.