Specific carbohydrate diet

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is a highly restrictive diet developed by Sidney V. Haas. It was later popularized by Elaine Gottschall, a relative of one of Haas' patients, who wrote the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle.. The diet is intended to treat various gastrointestinal disorders and systemic diseases, notably irritable bowel syndrome and dysbiosis, although there is a lack of evidence regarding its effectiveness and safety.

Details

It's recommened you talk to your doctor before starting the diet, as to make sure you'll get enough calories. At the core of the diet is two lists, one with foods that are allowed, and one with food that is prohibited. The diet does not allow any grains, and is low in sugar and lactose. It is recommended to start with an introductory period of 2 to 5 days where you only eat certain specific foods. Follwing this period other foods will be gradually added.

Due to the strickness of the diet it can be hard to follow this diet.

Allowed foods	Prohibited foods
Meats without additives, poultry, fish shellfish and eggs	Canned and most processed meats
Certain legumes, including dried navy beans, lentils, peas, split peas, unroasted cashews and peanutes in a shell, all-natural peanut butter and lima beans	All grain including corn, wheat, wheat germ, barley, oats, rice and others. This includes bread, pasta and baked goods made with grain-based flour
Dairy limited to cheeses such as cheddar, Colby, Swiss, dry curd cottage cheese; and homemade yogurt fermented for at least 24 hours	All milk and milk products high in lactose such as mild cheddar, commercial yogurt, cream and sour cream, and ice cream.
Most fresh, frozen, raw or cooked vegetables and string beans	Canned vegetables with added ingredients. Seaweed and seaweed byproducts. Starchy tubers such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and turnips
su, raw, cooked frozen or dried fruit with no added sugarar
Most nuts and nut flours	Some legumes
Most oils, white vinegar, mustard with no addetives or sugars	Canola oil and commercial mayonnaise (because of the additives)
Teas, coffee, cider and juice with no addetives or sugars
Honey	Sugar, molasses, maple syrup, sucrose, processed fructose including high-fructose corn syrup or any processed sugar. Candy, chocolate and products that contain FOS (fructooli- gosaccharides)

Theory

The theory behind SCD is rooted in how carbohydrates are digested and absorbed in the gut, particularly in individuals with compromised digestive systems. By removing certain carbohydrates, particularly complex sugars that feed these bacteria, the SCD aims to reduce bacterial overgrowth and restore a healthier gut microbiome balance.

Carbohydrate Malabsorption: Complex carbohydrates can be harder to digest because they require specific enzymes to be broken down into simpler sugars. People with digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis may have damaged or inflamed intestinal linings that impair the production of these digestive enzymes. If complex carbohydrates are not properly digested, they remain in the gut, where they can feed harmful bacteria and yeast, leading to fermentation, gas, bloating, and further damage to the gut lining.

Bacterial Overgrowth and dysbiosis: The authors theorize that undigested carbohydrates in the gut provide a food source for harmful gut bacteria, leading to an overgrowth of these microorganisms. This bacterial overgrowth can produce toxins, gases, and acids that further irritate the gut lining.

A Vicious Cycle: Elaine Gottschall theorized the relationship between malabsorption of carbohydrates, bacterial overgrowth, and gut inflammation as a "vicious cycle".

1. Impaired digestion leads to malabsorption of carbohydrates.
2. Undigested carbs ferment in the gut, fueling harmful bacteria and yeast.
3. Bacterial overgrowth and fermentation cause inflammation and damage to the intestinal lining
4. The damage to the gut makes it even harder to digest carbohydrates, perpetuating the cycle.

Risks and safety

The diet could also make it challenging to obtrain enough of certain nutrients, like vitamin B6, D, folate(B9), calcium and thiamine(B1).

See also

• Ketogenic diet

References

https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/gastroenterology/documents/IBD/CarbDiet%20PDF%20final.pdf

microbiome The full collection of microscopic organisms (especially bacteria and fungi) which are present in a particular environment, particularly inside the human body.

enzyme a substance produced by a living organism which acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.