Autism Specific Carbohydrate Diet

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet is a strict nutritional regimen that is used to treat individuals who suffer from a number of chronic and autoimmune disorders, including autism. The goal of the diet is to eliminate varying forms of bowel disease (indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, chronic upset stomach). The concept of the SCD diet is not to decrease the amount of carbohydrates that an individual consumes, but rather to eliminate certain types of complex carbohydrates, which will help strengthen the digestive system. 

When these particular types of complex carbohydrates are consumed, some children with an ASD have trouble breaking them down, which leads to a bacterial overgrowth in the body. This causes damage to the digestive system, which causes digestion to become even more difficult. Thus, the diet requires individuals to consume only those specific carbohydrates that require the least amount of digestion and can quickly be absorbed by the body. If you are considering the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, you should be aware that your child’s diet might lack some nutrients because of the absence of many common foods. Because of this, you should contact your child’s pediatrician or a nutritionist to ensure that your child receives all the necessary nutrients.

Canned Vegetables, All grains: (wheat, corn, oats, buckwheat, barley, wheat germ, rye, soy, and rice), Some legumes: (bean sprouts, garbanzo beans, soybeans, chick peas, faba beans, and mungbeans), Starches: (potatoes, parsnips, and yams), Seaweed, Seaweed by products (agar, carrageenan)

All types of milk: (whole, skim, 1%, 2%, chocolate, etc.), Some Cheeses: (Feta cheese, cheese spreads, mozzarella, cream cheese, processed cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta cheese), All yogurts, Milk drinks, Milk shakes, Cream, Buttermilk, and Sour Cream

Packaged sugar, Molasses, High fructose, Fructose, Corn syrup, Syrups, Sweetened drinks, Jam, and Processed sugar

Canned meats, Most processed meats or meat with high levels of salt, fish (salami, sausages, bacon, and ham)

Bread, Pasta (starch foods in general), Canola oil, Ice cream, Chocolate, Margarine, Baking powder, Candy, Mayonnaise, Whey powder, Cocoa, Ketchup, Mixed nuts, and Carob

Most Vegetables (fresh, frozen, raw, or cooked), Asparagus, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Artichokes, Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots celery, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Zucchini, Summer squash, Rhubarb, Kale, Coriander, Basil, Butternut, Kohlrabi, Mescal, Garlic, Lettuce, Spinach, Mushrooms, Onions, Turnips, and Watercress. (Be cautious with raw vegetables when diarrhea is present.)

All natural cheeses (except the ones listed in the “foods that should be avoided” section), Cheddar cheese, Dry curd cottage cheese, Havarti cheese, Swiss cheese, and Colby cheese

Avocados, Tropical fruits, Cherries, Apples, Olives, Citrus fruits, Dates, Grapes, Olives, Tomatoes, Ripened bananas, Peaches, Cherries, Berries, Coconuts, Apricots, Pears, Oranges, Nashis, Kiwi fruit, and Melons

Blackberries, Strawberries, Black currents, Blueberries, Cranberries, and Raspberries

Peas, String beans, Shelled peanuts, Non-roasted cashews, Natural peanut butter, Lentils, Lima beans, Navy beans, and Split peas

Chestnuts, Filberts, Brazil nuts, Almonds, Walnuts, Hazel, and Pecans

Vinegar, Eggs, Weak coffee, Weak tea, Mustard, Olive oil, unflavored gelatin, Juices with no additives, Soybean oil, Corn oil, Saccharin, and Coconut oil

[Specific Carbohydrate Diet. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_Carbohydrate_Diet>]

[The Specific Carbohydrate: A Scientific Approach to Curing Irritable Bowel Diseases. < http://www.healingcrow.com/dietsmain/scd/scd.html>]