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Specific carbohydrate diet

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Pro crast in a tor (talk | contribs) at 03:46, 29 April 2017 (SCD was popular in the 1920s-1950s; Gottschall re-popularized it. re-adding the summary from the two most recent review articles almost verbatim. No cherry picking and pushing a POV by only including the negative stuff, jytdog.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) is a restrictive diet first described by Sidney V. Haas (1870–1964) in 1924 to treat celiac disease[1], and further refined in his 1951 medical textbook The Management of Celiac Disease.[2] It was later re-popularized in 1987 by Elaine Gottschall, the mother of one of Haas's patients.[3]

The diet can prevent exacerbating gut damage in people with celiac disease by eliminating cereals containing gluten, but this is only symptom reduction: it does not cure any diseases.[3] For inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, medical evidence is also limited to gastrointestinal (GI) symptom reduction.[3] There is also a growing body of evidence of nonceliac gluten intolerance, and GI symptoms may be reduced with restricted diets such as SCD.[1]

History

In 1924, the first Specific Carbohydrate Diet for the treatment of celiac disease was the banana diet for pediatric patients.[4] Haas described a trial with 10 children, and all 8 children treated with bananas went into remission, and the two control children died.[5] The banana SCD was the cornerstone of celiac therapy for decades until bread shortages in the Netherlands caused by World War II caused children with celiac disease to improve, which led to the isolation of wheat proteins, not starches, as the cause of celiac disease.[5] Before the banana SCD, one of four celiac patients died.[4] After more research, he described the Specific Carbohydrate Diet as a treatment for celiac disease and inflammatory bowel disease in his 1951 medical textbook The Management of Celiac Disease.[2] The diet was later re-popularized by biochemist Elaine Gottschall the mother of one of Haas's patients, whose 1987 book Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet outlines the diet and provides guidelines and recipes.[6] Gottschall also claims SCD treats Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis, chronic diarrhea, and autism.[3]

Details and effectiveness

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet limits the use of complex carbohydrates (disaccharides and polysaccharides). Monosaccharides are allowed, and various foods including fish, aged cheese and honey are included. Prohibited foods include cereal grains, potatoes and lactose-containing dairy products.[3]

Support for the diet's effectiveness comes only from users' testimonials[1] and small clinical trials.[3] In general taking the diet confers no proven health benefit while risking imposition of an undue financial burden and potentially causing malnutrition.[1] The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America point out that there have been only limited studies of the SCD in relation to Crohn's Disease and ulcerative colitis, and while "there is no evidence to suggest that any particular food or diet causes, prevents or cures inflammatory bowel disease", they also say that "dietary recommendations are generally aimed at easing symptoms during flares".[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Hou JK, Lee D, Lewis J (October 2014). "Diet and inflammatory bowel disease: review of patient-targeted recommendations". Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. (Review). 12 (10): 1592–600. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2013.09.063. PMC 4021001. PMID 24107394.
  2. ^ a b Haas, Sidney Valentine; Haas, Merrill P. (1951). The Management of Celiac Disease. Literary Licensing. ISBN 1-258-19621-2.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Brown, Amy C; Roy, M (2010). "Does evidence exist to include dietary therapy in the treatment of Crohn's disease?". Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Review). 4 (2): 191–215. doi:10.1586/egh.10.11. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |name-list-format= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b "Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas Dies". The New York Times. December 1, 1964. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  5. ^ a b "A Brief History of Celiac Disease" (PDF). Impact: The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, Summer 2007. Summer 2007. Retrieved 2017-04-28.
  6. ^ Gottschall, Elaine (2004). Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet. Kirkton Press.
  7. ^ "The Specific Carbohydrate Diet". Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2014.

Further reading

  • Brown, Amy C; Rampertab, S Devi; Mullin, Gerard E (2011). "Existing dietary guidelines for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis". Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 5 (3): 411–425. doi:10.1586/egh.11.29. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |name-list-format= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
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