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The Specific Carbohydrate Diet, now popular within the autism community, was originally developed for individuals suffering from Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis and chronic diarrhea. The rationale of the diet, as described in Breaking the Vicious Cycle, is as follows:
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 auto-immune diseases can be lessened. The goal is to rid the body of complex saccharides so that the gut will be able to heal itself and enable further healing to occur. The method of the diet is to keep the intestinal beneficial flora well balanced and to allow the gut to digest all of the food it is given, thereby starving out the harmful bacteria. Simple carbohydrates are allowed on the diet. Simple carbohydrates which have a single monosaccharide molecule structure that allow them to be easily digested and absorbed through the intestine wall. Complex carbohydrates are not allowed. These complex carbohydrates are which are disaccharides (double molecules) and polysaccharides (chain molecules). Complex carbohydrates are banned because they are not easily digested. Incompletely digested food becomes a breeding ground for harmful bacteria which then produce harmful by products and inflame the intestine wall. The diet works by starving out these bacteria and restoring the balance of beneificial bacteria in our gut. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is primarily allowing foods that were eaten by our ancestors over millions of years, including meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts, low-sugar fruits. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was clinically tested for over 50 years by late Dr. Sidney Haas and the late biochemist Elaine Gottschall. From feedback from the various lists and other information at least 75% of those who adhere rigidly to the diet gain significant improvement. We offering Elaine's book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, which is considered to be the bible of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. According to a parent survey compiled by Defeat Autism Now, 69% of children whose parents have tried this diet have responsded favorable. With the permission of the official website for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, www.breakingtheviciouscycle.com, we are reprinting information about the diet below. Please Note: Autism Coach does not officially endorse this diet for autism, as it was originally implemented. Having looked at the list of foods allowed and banned on the diet, I would definitely not use all the foods that are allowed, such as bacon which contains nitrites nor Aspartame is a neurotoxin. It is my thinking that it would be best used in combination with other diets, those that ban artificial ingredients, such as the Feingold diet. Also, home-made yoghurt is an intrinsic part of this diet and not all children within the autism spectrum tolerate dairy products. However, there have been reports of children being recovered from autism using this diet. This diet may be better suited to children who have milder forms of autism, as these children tend to have less toxicity and better tolerate foods such as yoghurt. Children who carry more of a toxic burden tend to be "non-responders" and to have more severe symptoms - and may respond better with a protocol such as that developed by Mother Necessity. I would love to hear from the families whose children are on this diet to get some direct feedback on how the diet is working for their children and how they are implementing the diet. If you would care to share your story, please contact me at autismcoach@comcast.net. The Science Behind The Diet Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and gluten therapy resistant Celiac are the consequence of an overgrowth and imbalance of intestinal microbial flora. The intestinal tract forms a rich ecosystem, comprised of over 400 bacterial species. Some are harmless, and others not. In the gut of a healthy person, these various communities of microbes compete with each other for scarce nutritional resources. Consequently, they exist in a state of balance, and the stomach and small intestine harbor only a sparse population of microbial flora. In the large intestine, each type inhibits an overabundance of the others, and this prevents the waste products and toxins of a particular type of microbe from overwhelming the body. The stomach and upper intestine are also protected by high acidity, and the action of peristalsis. The Vicious Cycle When the balance in the gut is disturbed, an overgrowth of intestinal flora can result. Microbes migrate to the small intestine and stomach, inhibiting digestion and competing for nutrients. The gut then becomes overloaded with the byproducts of their digestion. This bacterial overgrowth can be triggered by overuse of antacids, reduced stomach acidity due to aging, weakening of the immune system through malnutrition or poor diet, and alteration of the microbial environment through antibiotic therapy. The components of our diet, particularly carbohydrates, play an enormous role in influencing the type and number of our intestinal flora. When carbohydrates are not fully digested and absorbed, they remain in our gut, and become nutrition for the microbes we host. The microbes themselves must digest these unused carbohydrates, and they do this through the process of fermentation. The waste products of fermentation are gases, such as methane, carbon dioxide & hydrogen, and both lactic & acetic acids, as well as toxins. All serve to irritate and damage the gut. There is evidence that increased acidity in the gut due to malabsorption and fermentation of carbohydrates, may lead common harmless intestinal bacteria to mutate into more harmful ones. Further, lactic acid produced during the fermentation process has been implicated in the abnormal brain function and behavior sometimes associated with intestinal disorders. The overgrowth of bacteria into the small intestine triggers a worsening cycle of gas and acid production, which further inhibits absorption and leads to yet more harmful byproducts of fermentation. The enzymes on the surface of the small intestines are destroyed by the now present bacteria, and this further disrupts the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, leading to further bacterial overgrowth. As both the microbial flora and their byproducts damage the mucosal layer of the small intestine, it is provoked to produce excessive protective mucus, which further inhibits digestion and absorption. Damage to the mucosal layer involves injury to the microvilli of our absorptive cells. These microvilli act as the last barrier between the nutrition we take in and our bloodstream. As our absorption is inhibited, folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to impaired development of microvilli, while an abnormally thick layer of mucus prevents contact between microvilli enzymes and the carbohydrates we ingest. The small intestine responds to this spiraling irritation by producing more goblet (mucus-making) cells, creating yet more mucus. Finally, as the goblet cells become exhausted, the intestinal surface is laid bare, and is further damaged, and possibly ulcerated. As more carbohydrates are left in the gut, they cause water and nutrients to be pulled from the body into the colon, resulting in chronic diarrhea. Absorption is further hindered as diarrhea increases the rate with which food travels through the gut. The Diet "The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is based on the principle that specifically selected carbohydrates, requiring minimal digestive processes, are well absorbed and leave virtually none to be used for furthering microbial overgrowth in the intestine. As the microbial population decreases due to lack of food, its harmful byproducts also decrease, freeing the intestinal surface of injurious substances. No longer needing protection, the mucus-producing cells stop producing excessive mucus, and carbohydrate digestion is improved. Malabsorption is replaced by absorption. As the individual absorbs energy and nutrients, all the cells in the body are properly nourished, including the cells of the immune system, which then can assist in overcoming the microbial invasion." The simpler the structure of the carbohydrate, the more easily the body digests and absorbs it. Monosaccharides (single molecules of glucose, fructose, or galactose) require no splitting by digestive enzymes in order to be absorbed by the body. These are the sugars we rely on in the diet. They include those found in fruits, honey, some vegetables, and in yoghurt. Double sugar molecules (disaccharides: lactose, sucrose, maltose and isomaltose) and starches (polysaccharides) are primarily avoided on the diet. Some starches have been shown to be tolerated, particularly those in the legume family (dried beans, lentils and split peas only). However, they must be soaked for 10-12 hours prior to cooking, and the water discarded since it will contain other sugars which are indigestible, but which are removed in the soaking process. Small amounts of legumes may only be added to the diet after about three months. The starches in all grains, corn, and potatoes must be strictly avoided. Corn syrup is also excluded since it contains a mixture of 'short-chain' starches. Yoghurt Finally, the SCD diet relies on properly fermented yoghurt, and in some cases, acidophilus supplements, to help repopulate the gut with healthy intestinal flora. By increasing the population of 'good' bacteria in the gut, the overgrowth of harmful bacteria is put in check. As the competition for nutrition between the various strains of bacteria resumes, the variety of intestinal flora is brought back into balance. Yoghurt must be properly prepared by fermenting it for 24 hours. This allows enough time for the bacteria in the yoghurt culture to break down the lactose (disaccharides) in milk, into galactose (a monosaccharide). All SCD™diet yoghurt is homemade, as commercially available yoghurts are not properly fermented.
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