The premise of the diet is that damaged intestinal walls and bacterial overgrowth are a part of a viscious cycle that can cause havoc with the body's health and immunity. The diet restricts the type of carbohydrates that feed these bacteria, thereby restoring the body's inner ecology
“The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD™) is a strict grain-free, lactose-free, and sucrose-free dietary regimen intended for those suffering from Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Celiac Disease, IBD, and IBS.
Of all dietary components, carbohydrates have the greatest influence on intestinal microbes (yeast and bacteria) which are believed to be involved in intestinal disorders. Most intestinal microbes require carbohydrates for energy. The SCD™ works by severely limiting the availability of carbohydrates to intestinal microbes. When carbohydrates are not digested, they are not absorbed. They remain in the intestinal tract, thus encouraging microbes to multiply by providing food for them. This can lead to the formation of acids and toxins which can injure the small intestine. Once bacteria multiply within the small intestine, they can destroy the enzymes on the intestinal cell surface, preventing carbohydrate digestion and absorption. At this point, production of excessive mucus may be triggered as the intestinal tract attempts to "lubricate" itself against the irritation caused by the toxins, acids, and the presence of incompletely digested and unabsorbed carbohydrates.
The SCD™ is based on the principle that specifically selected carbohydrates requiring minimal digestion are well absorbed, leaving virtually nothing for intestinal microbes to feed on. As the microbes decrease due to lack of food, their harmful by-products also diminish. No longer needing protection, the mucus producing cells stop producing excessive mucus and carbohydrate digestion is improved. The SCD™ corrects malabsorption, allowing nutrients to enter the bloodstream and be made available to the cells of the body, thereby strengthening the immune system's ability to fight. Further debilitation is prevented, weight can return to normal, and ultimately there is a return to health”
There is also a very good 'legal' list at www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info
A paper has been written by Jeffrey A. Trelka and Brian S. Hooker entitled “Specific Carbohydrate Dietary Trial: Understanding the Effectiveness of a Specific Carbohydrate Dietary Intervention In Autistic Children." Which is an informative read on some of the key areas of a study recently conducted and can be accessed here or from Elaine Gottshall’s site. This site (see below for link) also contains several other important links including:
It should be noted that Elaine Gottshall suggests that it is best to use a modified version of the SCD™ and not the SCD™ starter diet for adults. When beginning the SCD™ for children, parents also need to be aware of the results to expect and suggests visiting this website to learn more. www.pecanbread.com. This site focuses on children and the diet (see Websites To Visit for more information)
This site makes details available for those who wish to know more about the diet. It also offers the latest SCD™™-related news as well as ongoing updates to the information presented in my book. In addition, there is a Beginner’s Guide and a growing Knowledge Base which covers all aspects of the diet. There are also testimonies and results of other people’s experiences
scdiet.org
pecanbread.com
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