SCD is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This is a nutritionally balanced diet focused on removing grains, most dairy products and sugars.

The diet was created specifically to help people address certain medical conditions. It has since become an important part of nutritional therapy. 

At its core the diet recognises that certain types of carbohydrate need minimal digestive processes. This is because they are readily absorbed and will not cause any microbial overgrowth in the intestine. Generally the simpler the structure of the carbohydrate, the more easily the body digests and absorbs it. But not everyone can fully digest all types of carbohydrates. And complex carbohydrates are especially difficult. 

When we have undigested carbohydrates in our gut, we over-feed bad bacteria and yeast in our intestinal tract. This triggers a nasty cycle of excess toxins, acids, and gasses in our guts, causing irritation and potentially inflammatory bowel disease.

So having been originally developed as a dietary intervention to counter Celiac Disease, the SCD has also been effective in healing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The diet is mainly used for treating Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, diverticulitis, cystic fibrosis and chronic diarrhoea. Also some specialists use it for treating SIBO.