More people are following multiple special diets at the same time to manage stomach problems or other health issues. Doctors call this “diet stacking.” While combining diets can help some people feel better, it also creates new challenges and risks that doctors and nutritionists need to watch for carefully. This review explains what diet stacking is, why it’s becoming more common, and how medical professionals can help patients do it safely without developing unhealthy eating habits.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How safe and effective it is when people follow two or more special diets at the same time to manage digestive problems or other health conditions
  • Who participated: This is a review article that examined existing research and clinical practices rather than studying specific patients directly
  • Key finding: Diet stacking is becoming increasingly common, but it requires careful medical supervision because combining multiple restrictive diets can create serious health risks, including disordered eating patterns
  • What it means for you: If you’re following multiple special diets, talk to your doctor or a specialized nutrition expert before starting. They can help make sure your diet combinations are safe and actually helping you, not causing problems

The Research Details

This is a review article, which means the authors looked at existing research, clinical guidelines, and real-world practices to understand how diet stacking works and what risks it creates. Rather than conducting their own experiment with patients, they gathered information from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic.

The authors focused on understanding when and why people combine diets (such as following a gluten-free diet AND a low-FODMAP diet at the same time), what benefits this might provide, and what dangers doctors and patients should watch out for. They also looked at what tools doctors currently have to identify patients at risk of problems from diet stacking.

This research approach is important because diet stacking is a real clinical problem that doctors are seeing more often, but there isn’t much organized guidance on how to handle it safely. By reviewing all available information, the authors can help medical professionals understand the big picture and make better decisions for their patients

This is a review article published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, which means other experts checked the work before publication. However, because it’s a review rather than original research, it summarizes what others have found rather than presenting new experimental data. The strength of the conclusions depends on the quality of the studies and practices it reviews

What the Results Show

Diet stacking is becoming more common as doctors prescribe more dietary therapies for various digestive and health conditions. Patients may combine diets for several reasons: to better control their symptoms, to manage multiple health problems at once, or for religious or cultural reasons.

The review identifies that while some diet combinations can be helpful when done correctly, they also create significant risks. The biggest concern is that following multiple restrictive diets can lead to disordered eating—unhealthy relationships with food that go beyond just following medical advice. Currently, doctors don’t have good screening tools to identify which patients are at highest risk for these problems.

The authors emphasize that diet stacking requires a team approach. Patients need careful assessment from specialized nutrition experts (called gastrointestinal dietitians) who have time to understand their full situation and can teach them how to combine diets safely. In some cases, patients may also need help from mental health professionals to ensure their eating patterns stay healthy.

The review highlights that different types of diet combinations carry different levels of risk. Some combinations make sense medically (like combining a gluten-free diet for celiac disease with a low-FODMAP diet for irritable bowel syndrome), while others may be unnecessarily restrictive. The authors note that current medical practice lacks standardized guidelines for evaluating which combinations are safe and which should be avoided or modified.

This review addresses a gap in medical literature. While individual special diets (like gluten-free diets or low-FODMAP diets) have been well-studied, there’s been little organized research on what happens when people combine multiple diets. This work brings attention to a growing clinical problem that hasn’t received enough attention from the medical community

As a review article, this work summarizes existing knowledge but doesn’t provide new experimental evidence. The authors note that validated screening tools to identify patients at risk of diet stacking complications are limited, which means doctors currently lack good ways to predict which patients will have problems. The review also highlights that there’s not enough research on many diet combinations, so recommendations must sometimes be based on clinical experience rather than strong scientific evidence

The Bottom Line

If you’re following one special diet for a medical reason and are considering adding another, consult with your doctor or a specialized nutrition expert first (moderate confidence). Don’t start multiple restrictive diets on your own without professional guidance (strong recommendation). If you’re already diet stacking, ask your doctor to refer you to a gastrointestinal dietitian who can review your complete diet plan and make sure it’s safe and effective (strong recommendation)

This is important for anyone with digestive disorders (like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, or IBS) who is considering or already following multiple special diets. It’s also relevant for people managing multiple health conditions with dietary approaches. Healthcare providers—especially gastroenterologists and dietitians—should be aware of diet stacking and screen for it during patient consultations. People without diagnosed digestive conditions should be cautious about adopting multiple restrictive diets without medical supervision

Changes from diet adjustments can take weeks to months to show up. Don’t expect immediate results, and give your body time to adjust to any changes. Work with your healthcare team to monitor how you’re feeling over several weeks before deciding if a diet combination is working

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Log each diet you’re following and track your digestive symptoms daily using a simple 1-10 scale. Also note your energy levels, mood, and any concerning eating behaviors (like avoiding foods beyond what your diet requires). Share this log with your doctor or dietitian monthly
  • Before adding a new diet to your routine, use the app to schedule a consultation with your doctor or dietitian. Set reminders to discuss your complete diet list at every medical appointment. Use the app to track which foods you’re avoiding and why, so you can spot if you’re becoming overly restrictive
  • Create a monthly check-in reminder to review your diet list with your healthcare provider. Track not just physical symptoms but also your relationship with food—are you enjoying meals? Do you feel anxious about eating? Are you getting enough nutrition? These signs matter as much as symptom control

This review discusses medical dietary practices and is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Do not start, stop, or combine dietary therapies without consulting your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian. If you’re experiencing digestive symptoms or considering multiple special diets, speak with your doctor before making changes. This information is particularly important if you have a history of eating disorders or disordered eating patterns. Your healthcare team can provide personalized guidance based on your specific health situation.