Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Encyclopedia
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) is a nutritional regimen, created by Dr. Sidney V. Haas and popularized by biochemist
and author Elaine Gottschall, which restricts the use of complex carbohydrates (disaccharides and polysaccharides) and eliminates refined sugar
, all grains
and starch
from the diet. It is promoted as a way of reducing the symptom
s of irritable bowel syndrome
(IBS), Crohn's disease
, ulcerative colitis
, coeliac disease
and autism
.
Gottschall believed that, due to damage to the microvili in the body, these microvili lack the ability to break down specific types of carbohydrates (i.e., disaccharides and polysaccharides), resulting in dysbiosis
, the overgrowth of harmful bacterial flora
. In a 1924 study, Haas reported, "In cases which the diet can be controlled for a sufficient long time, recovery ensues in every instance and without nutritional relapse."
In 1922, Kleinschmidt wrote a scientific paper about the efficacy of Dr Haas's diet, stating, "The prognosis in celiac disease has undergone a complete change during the last few years. The discouraging results of the previous methods of treatment have entirely disappeared since we have followed the diet of the American, Haas." In 1928, Von den Steinen reported on a study which validated the efficacy of Dr Haas' diet and verified its results. Haas also wrote a 1955 case report on 191 patients treated with the diet.
Following the death of Dr Haas in 1964, there have been no controlled studies published of the SCD related to IBD. One trial of the SCD effects on IBD is ongoing at the Rush University Medical Center
., and a two-patient case study was reported in 2004.
Several books written by doctors and dietitians since 1998 mention or recommend this diet for specific conditions.
The purpose of the diet is to break the ongoing cycle caused by an overpopulation of harmful bacteria in the gut. When the body is able to absorb the proper nutrients from simple sugars and other carbohydrates that are easy to digest, the inflammation and other complications caused by many autoimmune diseases can be lessened. The goal is to rid the body of complex saccharides so the gut will be able to heal itself and enable further healing to occur.
The method of the diet is to keep the bacterial flora
well balanced and to allow the gut to digest all of the food it is given, thereby starving out the harmful bacteria.
Certain foods, such as commercial syrups and sugars, starchy vegetables, and dairy products are not allowed while on the diet. Other foods, such as fruits, greens, animal protein, and nuts, are allowed.
Biochemist
Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
and author Elaine Gottschall, which restricts the use of complex carbohydrates (disaccharides and polysaccharides) and eliminates refined sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
, all grains
Cereal
Cereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
and starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
from the diet. It is promoted as a way of reducing the symptom
Symptom
A symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality...
s of irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause. In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements...
(IBS), Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
, ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis
Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease . Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the colon , that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores. The main symptom of active disease is usually constant diarrhea mixed with blood, of gradual onset...
, coeliac disease
Coeliac disease
Coeliac disease , is an autoimmune disorder of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages from middle infancy onward...
and autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
.
Gottschall believed that, due to damage to the microvili in the body, these microvili lack the ability to break down specific types of carbohydrates (i.e., disaccharides and polysaccharides), resulting in dysbiosis
Dysbiosis
Dysbiosis refers to a condition with microbial imbalances on or within the body. Dysbiosis is most prominent in the digestive tract or on the skin, but can also occur on any exposed surface or mucous membrane such as the vagina, lungs, nose, sinuses, ears, nails, or eyes...
, the overgrowth of harmful bacterial flora
Bacterial flora
The bacterial flora is the community of bacteria that exists on or in the body but which are not part of the body and so exists in its own biochemical environment:*Exogenous bacteria*Flora *Gut flora*Human flora*mouth flora*Skin flora...
. In a 1924 study, Haas reported, "In cases which the diet can be controlled for a sufficient long time, recovery ensues in every instance and without nutritional relapse."
In 1922, Kleinschmidt wrote a scientific paper about the efficacy of Dr Haas's diet, stating, "The prognosis in celiac disease has undergone a complete change during the last few years. The discouraging results of the previous methods of treatment have entirely disappeared since we have followed the diet of the American, Haas." In 1928, Von den Steinen reported on a study which validated the efficacy of Dr Haas' diet and verified its results. Haas also wrote a 1955 case report on 191 patients treated with the diet.
Following the death of Dr Haas in 1964, there have been no controlled studies published of the SCD related to IBD. One trial of the SCD effects on IBD is ongoing at the Rush University Medical Center
Rush University Medical Center
Rush University Medical Center is a 676-bed academic medical center that includes hospital facilities for adults and children. It also includes the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center...
., and a two-patient case study was reported in 2004.
Several books written by doctors and dietitians since 1998 mention or recommend this diet for specific conditions.
Theory
The rationale of the diet, as described in Gottschall's Breaking the Vicious Cycle, is as follows:- When the body receives complex carbohydrates (disaccharides or polysaccharides), these substances must be broken down before they can be absorbed.
- In the body of a person who is not able to break these substances down efficiently, an influx of undigested material causes harmful bacteria to flourish.
- Bacterial overgrowth is accordingly followed by a significant increase in the waste and other irritants they produce.
- Irritation in the lining of the digestive tract results in the overproduction of mucus and injury to the digestive tract, which in turn causes malabsorption and makes it even more difficult to maintain proper digestion.
The purpose of the diet is to break the ongoing cycle caused by an overpopulation of harmful bacteria in the gut. When the body is able to absorb the proper nutrients from simple sugars and other carbohydrates that are easy to digest, the inflammation and other complications caused by many autoimmune diseases can be lessened. The goal is to rid the body of complex saccharides so the gut will be able to heal itself and enable further healing to occur.
The method of the diet is to keep the bacterial flora
Bacterial flora
The bacterial flora is the community of bacteria that exists on or in the body but which are not part of the body and so exists in its own biochemical environment:*Exogenous bacteria*Flora *Gut flora*Human flora*mouth flora*Skin flora...
well balanced and to allow the gut to digest all of the food it is given, thereby starving out the harmful bacteria.
Certain foods, such as commercial syrups and sugars, starchy vegetables, and dairy products are not allowed while on the diet. Other foods, such as fruits, greens, animal protein, and nuts, are allowed.
Criticism
The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America published "The Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Does It Work?", in which several doctors say that there have been no clinical trials to prove or disprove efficacy, so no conclusions can yet be drawn about the diet. Edward V. Loftus, Jr., M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and member of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, said, "We're not ruling out the possibility that it works, but you need more than a few successes to establish proof. In the absence of that, it's hard to recommend this or any diet." He also said, "In my experience, for every patient I see who tried the diet and it worked, there are three to four others who tried it and it didn't work." Dr. Athos Bousvaros, Associate Director of the IBD Center at Children's Hospital in Boston, thinks the diet, while difficult to follow, is probably safe, and recommends that "if you do decide to put your child on the diet, do it under the guidance of an experienced nutritionist."External links
- "Breaking the Vicious Cycle", Elaine Gottschall's informational website on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet
Media Articles
- BoingBoing article by Seth Roberts, "Grandmother Knows Best About Crohn's Disease"
- Eating Is Believing, Wall Street Journal article by Francesco Fiondella, November 11, 2002