What is a specific carbohydrate diet (SCD)?
A specific carbohydrate diet eliminates select carbohydrates from your diet. This eases symptoms of digestive disorders like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). People who follow a specific carbohydrate diet don’t eat grains or grain products. They avoid bread, pasta and cereal. The diet is also very low in sugar and lactose (a sugar naturally found in milk and dairy products).
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Who developed the specific carbohydrate diet?
U.S. pediatrician Dr. Sidney Haas developed the specific carbohydrate diet in the 1920s to help children with celiac disease. This digestive and autoimmune disease affects people of all ages. It causes symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas and weight loss. It can affect a child’s growth and development.
The diet gained greater popularity in the late 1980s after Elaine Gottschall published a book called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet." In her book, Gottschall described how the diet improved her daughter’s IBD symptoms.
What are carbohydrates?
Carbohydrates (carbs) include fiber, starches and sugars found in certain foods and beverages. Your body changes these carbs into sugar (glucose) to give you energy.
There are two types of carbohydrates:
- Complex carbohydrates are healthier for you because they contain vitamins, minerals and fiber. They also take longer to break down, so they don’t spike your blood sugar. Complex carbs are typically starchy and fibrous foods. They include whole-grain products, beans, nuts, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
- Simple carbohydrates like foods high in sugar break down quickly. This causes a fast rise in your blood sugar (giving you energy), followed by a fast drop (leaving you fatigued). Milk and fruits have natural sugars. Added sugars show up in sweet treats like cookies and ice cream. You also find them in some condiments like ketchup and salad dressings. Simple carbohydrate foods include those made with sugar substitutes and non-nutritive sweeteners.
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How does a specific carbohydrate diet work?
Medical experts are still researching how this diet helps. It may be that people with certain digestive disorders are unable to break down some carbohydrates. As a result, undigested food particles stay in the intestines where bacteria grow and feed on them. This can lead to an overgrowth of harmful bacteria that irritates the intestines, which may lead to worsened gut symptoms and inflammation.
The specific carbohydrate diet eliminates hard-to-digest carbs. You only eat carbohydrates that are easy for your digestive system to break down and absorb. This keeps the harmful bacteria from growing, which may help you feel better and reduce inflammation.
This diet is also low in processed foods, food additives, and preservatives. Some of these foods, additives, and ingredients have been linked to gut inflammation. Avoiding these additives may be another reason people feel better on this diet.
Who needs a specific carbohydrate diet?
Children and adults with certain conditions may benefit from a specific carbohydrate diet. These chronic diseases include:
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
- Types of IBD like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and microscopic colitis.
In her book, Gottschall suggests that diet might also be helpful for diverticulitis, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, and other chronic diseases. There has been no research confirming that a specific carbohydrate diet is helpful for these diseases.
