The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) treats various forms of severe inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease. Many patients have reported good results using the SCD, with relief from diarrhea, bloating and pain. However, the diet can be difficult to follow.
History
New York City pediatrician Dr. Sydney Haas first developed the Specific Carbohydrate Diet to treat celiac disease. People with celiac cannot tolerate gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Elaine Gottschall, whose daughter had been one of Dr. Haas' patients, later promoted the SCD to treat other forms of bowel disorders. Gottschall took over research on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet from Dr. Haas.
Significance
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet allows only very specific types of carbohydrates (hence the name). Adherents to the diet may consume carbs with a single molecule structure (monosaccharides) as part of the diet because they can be absorbed more easily by the small intestine. Carbs with a more complex structure (disaccharides and polysaccharides) are not allowed. The theory is that complex carbohydrates are too difficult to digest, and also feed harmful bacteria in the intestines. The bacteria, in turn, cause inflammation in the intestines, according to SCD theory.
Effects
By removing the food for the harmful bacteria, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet reduces inflammation in the small intestine, Gottschall writes in her SCD guidebook, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle." Once inflammation subsides, the patient's bowel-related symptoms, which often include pain, bloating and diarrhea, subside as well.
Considerations
By banning complex carbohydrates, the Specific Carbohydrate Diet eliminates all grains and almost all commercially available sweeteners, with the exception of honey, which is made up of sugars with a single molecule structure. The SCD also considers some starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, as "illegal" because they include complex carbohydrate molecules. However, most other foods, including fats and protein sources, are allowed.
Potential
Because the Specific Carbohydrate Diet completely eliminates grains and restricts certain vegetables, patients often have difficulty following the diet, especially when they are traveling or eating out. However, some patients with severe bowel disease who follow the diet strictly report that the Specific Carbohydrate Diet has successfully put their disease into remission.
References
- Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Beginner's Guide
- "Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet"; Elaine Gottschall, 1994
- Pecan Bread: SCD Science
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