The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ is predicated on the understanding that 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. By altering the nutrition we take in, we can effect the constitution of our intestinal flora, and bring it back into balance, healing our digestive tracts and restoring proper absorption.
Source: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/p/science-behind-the-diet/
The principles of SCD were laid down by Dr. Sidney Valentine as he treated Celiacs and other IBD patients in the 1950s. One of his patients was Elaine Gottschall’s daughter who at the time was very sick with ulcerative colitis. Dr. Haas helped Elaine’s daughter to achieve lasting remission through diet and the use of fermented foods.
Elaine Gottschall then dedicated her life to researching the diet – gut connection. She coined the named the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and released the science and ground rules in her life’s work “Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Intestinal health through diet”.