Following dietary therapy can be challenging. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet has evolved over the years since Dr. Sydney Haas first reported on it. Since then we have learned much but there is still much more for us to learn. Below are foods that are allowed (legal) and foods that are not allowed (illegal) based off of Dr. Sydney Haas's initial description of the diet and Elaine Gottschal's Breaking the Vicious Cycle and our current research. In addition this food list includes up to date evidence based information on current research in foods.
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| Type of Food | SCD Approval | Explanation | NiMBAL Research |
| Saccharin | Legal | An artificial sweetener derived from coal tar. | Extensive epidemiological studies have linked saccharin consumption with IBD incidence. |
| Safflower oil | Legal | Oil made from the seeds of the safflower. | An animal model of IBD fed safflower oil had the most severe tissue damage and increased immune molecules compared to animals fed canola oil or fish oil. |
| Sage | Legal | An aromatic herb used in cooking and as an essential oil. | A mixture of sage and bitter apple induced tissue healing, improved inflammatory biomarkers, and increased anti-inflammatory cytokines in a mouse model of colitis. |
| Sago starch | Illegal | A starch made from the fruit of palm trees. | No research has been conducted on the effects of sago on IBD. However, starch has been shown to aggravate IBD symptoms. |
| Sake | Illegal |
Fermented rice wine. Contains sugar. |
Alcohol causes inflammation, overgrowth of bacteria, and intestinal permeability in this review. More research needs to be done on sake and IBD. |
| Salt | Legal | Ordinary iodized table salt, although it sometimes contains dextrose, is legal because it is important to get iodine. | A high salt diet was shown to increase the intestinal immune response and worsen colitis in an animal model. |
| Sashimi | Legal | Japanese sushi-style raw fish served all by itself without rice. | Fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to increase bacteria responsible for producing anti-inflammatory molecules. |
| Sauerkraut | Legal | Fermented cabbage with lactic acid bacteria. Only for advanced SCD'ers. | Probiotics containing lactic acid bacteria gave beneficial effects to patients with UC according to this clinical review. |
| Seaweed | Illegal | Seaweed is high in polysaccharides and therefore is illegal. | Glucans from seaweed inhibited the immune and inflammatory response in the intestines of an animal model. Seaweed glucans also improved clinical symptoms, gut bacteria, and inflammation in an animal model with colitis, according to this review. |
| Seed butters | Illegal | A paste made from seeds. Examples include sunflower butter, sesame butter, hemp butter, and pumpkin seed butter. | No research has been done on seed butter and IBD. |
| Seed flour | Illegal | High in fiber and starch. | No research has been conducted on the effects of seed flour on IBD. However, starch has been shown to aggravate IBD symptoms. |
| Seeds | Legal | Permissible after 3 months of no symptoms. | Seeds contain complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates act as food for bacteria, leading to excessive fermentation and intestinal permeability, so go slowly when adding them to your diet. |
| Sesame oil | Legal | Oil made from sesame seeds with a strong taste. | Sesame oil decreased inflammation and induced healing of the intestinal mucus layer in a rat model of colitis. |
| Sesame seeds | Illegal | Maybe tried after 3 months with no symptoms. | Sesame seeds contain sesamol, which has mucosal protective properties according to this study. |
| Sharifa | Legal | Also known as custard apple or cherimoya. | No studies have been done examining the effects of sharifa on IBD. |
| Shellfish | Legal | Fresh and frozen are allowed if nothing has been added during processing; check the labels carefully. | Shellfish are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B. Omega-3 fatty acids improved the gut microbiome and exerted anti-inflammatory effects in this study. |
| Sherry | Illegal | Spanish wine made from white grapes. | No research has been done on sherry and IBD. However, alcohol causes inflammation, overgrowth of bacteria, and intestinal permeability in this review. |
| Silica | Legal | (supplement ingredient) | Silica is sometimes used in pharmaceuticals to help selectively target the drugs to the intestines. However, nanoparticles themselves can be disruptive for the mucus layer. |
| Silicon dioxide | Legal | (supplement ingredient) | Nanoparticles such as silicon dioxide cross and disrupt the mucus layer in the intestine, which makes it easier for microbes to translocate and cause inflammation. |
| Slippery elm | Illegal | It is a mucilaginous herb. Mucilaginous herbs are loaded with starch. This starch is food for the pathogens that the SCD is designed to starve out. |
Slippery elm exerted antioxidant activity in patients with ulcerative colitis. Consumption of starch has been shown to increase bacteria harmful to patients with IBD in this review. |
| Smoked meats | Illegal | Unless you know with certainty that no sugar has been added during the smoking process, they are not permitted. | Smoked meats also contain benzo[a]pyrene, which has been shown to worsen inflammation and intestinal lesions in an animal model. |
| Sodium benzoate | Legal | A common preservative. | No research has been done on sodium benzoate and IBD. |
| Sodium glycinate | Illegal | A non-essential amino acid found in gelatin. | No research has been done on sodium glycinate and IBD. |
| Sorbitol | Illegal | Sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are all sugar alcohols and are not SCD legal. They fall under the category of indigestible carbs and sugars, and so allow companies to label things 'sugar free', even though they are providing nutrition to the bacteria that live in your digestive tract. | Sorbitol did not exacerbate IBD symptoms when compared to fructans. |
| Sour cream | Illegal | Contains dairy as well as emulsifiers. | Emulsifiers have been shown to promote colitis in this study. |
| Soy | Illegal | Comes from the soybean legume. |
Soy and wheat contain trypsin inhibitors, which cause intestinal inflammation. However, isoflavones from soy alleviated colitis in an animal model, and soy was also shown to increase anti-inflammatory cytokines in this colitis animal model. |
| Soy lecithin | Legal | Derived from soy (illegal). Lecithin can also be found in egg yolks. | Lecithin supplemented through a retarded release mechanism caused clinical remission in a trial of patients with chronic UC. |
| Soy sauce | Illegal | Soy sauce is a fermented soy product and also contains wheat, so it is illegal. | This cross-sectional study showed that a gluten-free diet reduced clinical symptoms in patients with IBD. |
| Soybean milk | Illegal | Liquid made from ground soybeans. Often contains additional illegal additives. |
Soy and wheat contain trypsin inhibitors, which cause intestinal inflammation. However, isoflavones from soy alleviated colitis in an animal model, and soy was also shown to increase anti-inflammatory cytokines in this colitis animal model. |
| Soybean oil | Illegal | A cooking oil extracted from the soybean. |
Soy and wheat contain trypsin inhibitors, which cause intestinal inflammation. However, isoflavones from soy alleviated colitis in an animal model, and soy was also shown to increase anti-inflammatory cytokines in this colitis animal model. |
| Soybeans | Illegal | A legume rich in protein. |
Soy and wheat contain trypsin inhibitors, which cause intestinal inflammation. However, isoflavones from soy alleviated colitis in an animal model, and soy was also shown to increase anti-inflammatory cytokines in this colitis animal model. |
| Spearmint tea | Legal | Tea made from an herb related to peppermint. | While no research has been conducted on spearmint and IBD, spearmint was found to reduce inflammatory cytokine production in an animal model challenged by bacterial toxins. |
| Spelt | Illegal | A type of wheat which contains gluten. | This cross-sectional study showed that a gluten-free diet reduced clinical symptoms in patients with IBD. Gluten-rich foods often also have high levels of FODMAPS, which increase IBD-symptomatic bacteria. Many IBD patients also are celiac, which is why avoiding gluten often helps. More research is needed to understand if gluten itself (without FODMAPS) is harmful for non-celiac patients. |
| Spices | Legal | Spices of all kinds may be used but avoid spice mixtures; buy spices separately. | Multiple spices have anti-inflammatory abilities. |
| Spinach | Legal | A healthy leafy green vegetable. | Spinach was shown to reduce symptoms of IBD in this animal study. |
| Spirulina | Illegal | We do not use algae (spirulina) because IBD involves the immune system and can aggravate an already disturbed immune system. | A few basic research studies suggest anti-inflammatory effects of components of algae. However, spirulina contains a high concentration of iron, which can aggravate IBD. Spirulina is also mucilaginous, which can lead to a harmful overgrowth of bacteria. |
| Splenda | Illegal | The commercial name for sucralose, an artificial sweetener. | Splenda has been shown to cause overgrowth of Proteobacteria as well as Escherichia coli, and dysregulate levels of total aerobic bacteria, which is harmful for patients with IBD. |
| Split peas | Legal | Should be soaked overnight if bought dry. | Green pea was shown to attenuate colitis in an animal model. |
| Sprouted grain bread | Illegal | Even though it is sprouted, this bread still contains gluten and FODMAPS. | This cross-sectional study showed that a gluten-free diet reduced clinical symptoms in patients with IBD. Gluten-rich foods often also have high levels of FODMAPS, which increase IBD-symptomatic bacteria. Many IBD patients are celiac, which is why avoiding gluten often helps. More research is needed to understand if gluten itself (without FODMAPS) is harmful for non-celiac patients. |
| Squash | Legal | Both winter and summer squashes are legal. | No research has been done on squash and IBD. However, the figleaf squash was shown to improve inflammatory biomarkers and act as an antioxidant in this study of diabetic mice. |
| Stevia | Illegal |
Its molecular structure resembles a steroid and the effects are unknown. |
Stevia glycosides inhibit the growth of Lactobacillus reuteri, but also have been found to have bacteriostatic effects on E. coli, according to this study. However the potentially positive effect with controlling E. coli growth, stevia has many unknown effects on the intestine that it would not be recommended to use until those are better understood. |
| Stilton cheese | Legal | A hard cheese which is either blue or white. May be used occasionally. | Consumption of cheese has been shown in this study to support healthy bacterial species and decrease harmful bacterial species. |
| String beans | Legal | Also called green beans. | Beans have many beneficial properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities, according to this review. Research needs to be conducted on string beans and IBD. |
| Sucralose | Illegal | Also called Splenda. An artificial sweetener. | Splenda has been shown to cause overgrowth of Proteobacteria as well as Escherichia coli, and dysregulate levels of total aerobic bacteria, which is harmful for patients with IBD. |
| Sulfites | Legal |
When a fruit such as peaches (dried) and coconut is sulfated, it means it has been exposed to sulfur to keep the color from darkening. Some people are allergic to sulfated products but most of us are not bothered by them. |
Sulfites are food for a few bacteria, for example B. wadsworthia which has been shown to induce colitis by modulating the immune system according to this study. |
| Sunflower oil | Legal | A rich source of omega-6 fatty acids. | The effects of sunflower oil and fish oil on patients with UC were examined in this study. Fish oil was more effective than sunflower oil in reducing clinical symptoms and immune cells. |
| Swede | Legal | Another name for rutabaga. It is very fibrous, so go slow and be careful. | This study showed a component of swede reduces inflammation in mice with colitis. |
| Sweet potatoes | Illegal | Root vegetables are generally illegal due to their high starch content. | Consumption of starch has been shown to increase bacteria harmful to patients with IBD in this review. |
| Swiss cheese | Legal | A hard cheese from the United States. May be used freely. | Consumption of cheese was shown in this study to support healthy gut bacteria. |
