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Note from Cara: This is a great post by Lauren of Empowered Sustenance describing the differences between SCD and GAPS. GAPS is based on SCD, so there are many similarities, but each diet is unique.
SCD and GAPS: Reversing Disease and Food Allergies through Diet
Heralded for curing incurable diseases, reversing food allergies, and correcting brain disorders, these grain-free diets use a similar premise to bring radical health changes. In a nutshell, these healing diets eliminate polysaccharides–complex carbohydrates found in grains, starchy veggies, lactose, and sugar. Only complex carbohydrates escape through a leaky gut and cause inflammation and disease. Usually after a period of a year or two, the leaky gut heals, proper gut flora is established, and both disease and food allergies are corrected.
These grain-free diets offer radical results, but rely on creative substitutions for grain-based foods–like my Butternut Squash Pizza Crust!
Key Books
Dr. Elaine Gottschall popularized the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) in Breaking the Vicious Cycle (BTVC). This book focuses on the treatment of colitis, Chron’s disease, celiac disease, and diverticulitis. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride expanded on SCD in The Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS), which offers a solution for disorders like autism, A.D.D. and even schizophrenia.
So how are these healing diets similar, and how are they different? And which one is right for you?
Emphasis on Nourishing Foods
Perhaps most obvious difference between the two regimens is the GAPS focus on nutrient-dense food. GAPS implements healing foods like animal fats, homemade bone stocks and broths, naturally fermented foods, and vitamin-rich organ meats to correct malnutrition while healing leaky gut. Breaking the Vicious Cycle places more emphasis on what not to eat, however. In this sense, the SCD is less rigorous than GAPS.
Intro diets
Although both periods of intensive healing, the Intro Diet on SCD and GAPS have different goals. Dr. Elaine designed SCD intro diet to calm a colitis, Chron’s, or diverticulitis flare before full SCD. This Intro Diet can be used to stop cramping, bleeding, and diarrhea. So what is allowed on the SCD Intro Diet? Dr. Elaine suggests homemade chicken soup with homemade broth, meats, pureed carrots, juice, eggs, dry curd cottage cheese (which is lactose free), and gelatin. Once flare symptoms have subsided, cooked fruits and additional vegetables may be introduced, followed by the allowed legumes after about three months on the diet. The GAPS Intro Diet, admittedly more complex, concentrates on healing leaky gut so that foods may be added back into the diet without inflammation. It consists of 6 periods, and should be followed until the main digestive issues have disappeared.
Here is the basic outline of the GAPS Intro Diet: start with homemade soups, bone broths, soft tissues like marrow, and probiotic-rich sauerkraut juice. Next, add meats, raw egg yolks, ghee, and cooked vegetables. Gradually introduce fermented veggies, homemade yogurt, whey, and kefir. Finally, try fruit and grain-free baked goods.
Probiotics
Again, it is important to remember that BTVC predominantly outlines a solution to gut diseases like colitis and Chron’s and GAPS focuses on brain disorders. BTVC emphasizes eliminating pathogenic bacteria more than introducing bacteria. On SCD, probiotics come from homemade, 24 hour fermented yogurt. The yogurt starter should include lactic acid bacteria (L. bulgaricus or L. acidophilus) and not bifidus. Bifidus has a tendency to overgrow, especially when gut flora is imbalanced (source). On the other hand, Dr. Natasha suggests consuming a wide variety of probiotics including bifidus and beneficial yeasts in the form of kefir. She recommends consuming probiotic supplements in conjunction with the probiotic foods.
Kefir
Why is kefir allowed on GAPS and not mentioned in BTVC? Dr. Elaine felt that the beneficial yeasts might cause a reaction in yeast-sensitive individuals (source). Further, she found that there is still 5% lactose after 24 hour fermentation (source). Kefir can–and should–be added to the diet after healing with SCD. Dr. Natasha writes that the beneficial yeasts play an important role in keeping pathogenic yeasts under controland includes it on GAPS.
Chocolate
An utterly significant topic, as we all know, and one that I am often asked about. Dr. Elaine prohibits any form of cocoa or cacao on SCD because of the carbohydrate structure. This is often the first treat people introduce after treatment with SCD, with no adverse reactions. Although listed on the “Foods to Avoid” list, Dr. Natasha explains that chocolate may often be incorporated into the Full GAPS Diet without issues.
Which one is right for me?
After thorough research, I’ve designed my own version of SCD and GAPS to cure my ulcerative colitis. I consume liberal amounts of traditional fats, liver, homemade broths, pastured egg yolks, and fermented veggies. For now, I am not consuming probiotic supplements and using only homemade yogurt and the fermented veggies to establish beneficial bacteria. I also avoid nuts due to sensitivities, and hence the nut-free status of Empowered Sustenance. Be sure to incorporate the nutrient-dense food from the GAPS diet and choose what probiotic route will fit your situation. I suggest going with Dr. Natasha’s suggestions for brain disorders and Dr. Elaine’s suggestions for colitis, Chron’s or diverticulitis.
About Lauren
Ever since my colitis diagnosis five years ago, I constantly learn how diet, emotions, and lifestyle fit together as the key to healing chronic disease. Last fall I started college, but my plans changed when I was unable to manage my disease with medication. At the end of the semester, I signed up for online college courses, headed back home, and threw myself wholeheartedly into treating my colitis with nutrition, holistic living, and mind-body medicine. Now, I use a combination of the SCD and GAPS Diet and a holistic lifestyle to cure my colitis. I started EmpoweredSustenance.com because I wanted to share recipes and support with others who may be experiencing similar health challenges. Eat well and heal!
One small correction. I might be wrong, but my understanding is that complex carbs are restricted on SCD not because they leak through the intestinal wall, but because they feed harmful bacteria when they aren’t fully digested (which contributes to leaky gut). Proteins are what leak through the wall (like gluten and casein) & that sets off an inflammatory response in the body. I don’t know if it matters, but the science is fascinating to me. There’s obviously a connection between harmful bacteria and leaky gut, anyway, where one leads to the other.
Thanks for your comment. I too am fascinated by the science involved but it can be difficult to comprehend.
omg I never checked, thank you for telling me! I will get it up asap
I have only learned about this today….I am gluten free for 6 months now and would like to know which of these would be best for Hashimoto’s disease? It has taken over my life, chronic pain, headaches, infections, weight steadily goes up even though I hardly eat now because of it. I have over 40(crippling) symptoms that comes w/Hashi as well as adrenal fatigue and LEAKY GUT but I had not yet heard of these diets until now. Also, how can I get these kinds of foods here in a small town? We live over an hour from whole foods stores and here in town there are NO organic, free range, hormone free anything. We need our stores to carry (cant afford to drive over an hour each week for groceries), the healthy stuff but don’t know how to get them to, any ideas?? Thank you for your time.
If you have a craigslist that covers your area you might be able to find local farmers with grass fed animals and pastured eggs – also iHerb.com carries many of the dry and canned items along with so many other things I can’t even tell you – I love this place! Use code YEG426 on your first purchase for between $5 and $10 off your first order – I get my ghee, coconut oil, coconut flour, himalayan crystal salt, palm sugar and many other products there along with most of my cleaning products. Good luck – this seems to be helping me and I have been following Lauren’s blog for a few months now.
for hashimotos:
I was diagnosed with hashimotos and celiac in january this year. I am on grain-free,soy-free,gluten-free, dairy-free diet and have been feeling great! i also take supplements (selenium, vit e, vit d, zinc , magnesium, probiotic, fish oil, vit c and vit b). if you have hashimoto’s you are not allowed to eat certain veggies (brocolli, cabage, kale…and others in the goitrigens family). read the books below. they were extremely helpful to me in understanding the hashimotos and how i can treat it naturally! after 20 days of following the protocol, my TSH dropped by 6.6% !!!
Books to read
If you are trying to reverse your Hashimoto’s disease, the below books are a must read before you start taking any supplements or medications!
Sandra Cabot: Your Thyroid Problems Solved
Dr. Nikolas R. Hedberg: The Thyroid Alternative: renew your thyroid naturally
Datis Kharrazian, DHSc, DC, MS: Why do I still have Thyroid Symptoms?
If you are a female, please review the following books, as well:
Sandra Cabot: Infertility: the hidden causes
Sandra Cabot: How not to kill your husband – Dr. Cabot’s manual to hormone happiness
Also – read this blog
http://hopeforhashimotosdisease.blogspot.com/
I haven’t started with either protocol b/c I don’t have any of those diseases, I DO have leaky gut and am primarily Primal/Paleo. I just haven’t quite decided what route to go on. So…my reply is not to starting the program but where to find the ingredients. I rely HEAVILY on Amazon Prime. I pay $80 a year for free 2-day shipping for most everything (I too live in a very rural area in Southern MN and there isn’t much here and I can’t drive hours to get what I need at physical stores) It’s totally worth it to me. I can get almost eveyrthing I need from there (excluding grass-fed meats etc but there are places like US Wellness meats or http://www.eatwild.com and http://www.localharvest.org which will tell you where to get local harvest and grass-fed meat in your area). It IS doable (and many times Amazon is less expensive than buying in physical stores plus as of this writing, no tax!). The bloggers are an IMMENSE help and support as you get started. Be sure to ask questions. GOOD LUCK!
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thanks so much for this! I’ve been wondering. Now I need to decide which protocol I want to do. I don’t have any disease or disorder, just a general feeling of malaise. Leaky gut for sure, candida for sure. Now I need suggestions on what to do next! Is paleo enough? Should I be doing a specific protocol? I just don’t know. Sigh.
Hi, Just wondering what you think about the amount of carbs on the GAPS or SCD diet? Health professionals have told us it’s too low carb for children who have digestive disorders such as UC or Crohn’s. WHat do you think?
Magnificent web site. Plenty of useful information here.
I’m sending it to several friends ans also sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you in your effort!
The Paleo Diet is not presented as just a diet, but as a lifestyle choice.
The apple seed can thus potentially sprout into an apple tree.
Conversely, unsaturated fats have reverse health effects.
Hi,
About 2 years ago I dont know what happened to my gut but all of a sudden I couldnt have dairy anymore. I would get bloating and gas whenever I did. Was put on PPIs for about 3-4 months. Stopped them and will hopefully NEVER take them again. Now my symptoms of bloating are returning and I get lots of gas…. I am thinking of either starting SCD or GAPS diet. I know I need to start taking charge and heal myself before it gets out if hand. NOT TO MENTION IVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF NEUROLOGICAL PROBLEMS :( It started with numbness in hands and feet, and now its getting worse and worse:( Was also very deficient in Vitamin D, and low in B12. Ive just gotten my levels up again. Will these diets put my vitamin d or b12 level at risk?? Which diet would you recommend for me??
Please help! Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks a lot.
Nada,
Sounds like you might have SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth). Go to your doctor, get the hydrogen breath test to see if you have it or not. If you come up positive, they’ll put you on special antibiotics (you might get very sick as the bacteria dies off in large quantities), and then you can start SCD and eventually recover. A naturopath will also help you with proper supplements as you fight the bacteria. Regular doctors are only helpful to a point. Get ready for yeast overgrowth to rear its ugly head as they take over the spot left behind by the bacteria. Good luck.
Hi Cara,
You do a beautiful job here on your site. Your tone is really lovely, calm, and knowledgeable. Well done and keep healing!!! Please check out by blog too, if you are interested.
All the best, Megan
Hi, I wanted to know which diet is good for GERD?
Having read this post, I’m thinking I could sure do well to at least give this a try. I don’t do well with really prohibitive food plans though (it’s like an invitation to rebel) so I hate to force myself to try something if I don’t need to be quite as strict. Every test my osteopath has given me has come back normal except for candida and leaky gut. Paleo theoretically should work. But I’ve been on it a year (not super faithfully except for avoiding gluten faithfully) and I’m only marginally feeling better. I actually weigh more than when I started which makes me think something else is going on – hence my interest in GAPS and SCD :-) I wish I just had clearcut answers b/c then at least I could follow the rules and understand how they would help me. Does that make sense?