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 |
| L-theanine | Legal | L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea which has calming effects when consumed. Watch out for illegal additives if taking it as a supplement. | While no studies have been done examining the effects of L-theanine on IBD, this study showed that L-theanine helped protect the intestinal mucosa from bacterial toxins in an animal model.While no studies have been done examining the effects of L-theanine on IBD, this study showed that L-theanine helped protect the intestinal mucosa from bacterial toxins in an animal model. |
| Lactaid milk | Illegal | The rate of flow of galactose to the liver when one drinks lactose hydrolyzed milk is high. With lactose hydrolyzed milk, you are ingesting the two sugars: glucose and galactose at the same time. Note: Lactaid milk is lactose hydrolyzed milk | No research has been done examining the effects of Lactaid milk on IBD. |
| Lactose hydrolyzed milk | Illegal | Lactose hydrolyzed milk is the same as Lactaid milk. The lactose in milk has been broken down into galactose and glucose, enabling those who are lactose-intolerant to digest it. | No research has been done examining the effects of lactose hydrolyzed milk on IBD. |
| Lamb | Legal | Fresh and frozen are allowed if nothing has been added during processing; check the labels carefully. | Lamb is a red meat and so contains a lot of heme; a diet containing heme has been shown to shift the colonic microbiota closer to the species seen with colitis. Also, dietary heme worsened colitis and contributed to adenoma formation in this animal model. |
| Lecithin | Legal | Sometimes used as an emulsifier, lecithin is found in soybeans and egg yolk. A source of choline. | Lecithin supplemented through a retarded release mechanism caused clinical remission in a trial of patients with chronic UC. |
| Leek | Legal | A dietary source of iron, manganese, and FOS; leeks are related to garlic, onions, and shallots. | According to this review, leeks contain the flavonoid kaempferol, which has been effective in reducing colitis in an animal model. However, complex carbohydrates such as FOS act as food for bacteria, leading to excessive fermentation and intestinal permeability. |
| Lemons | Legal | A tart citrus fruit. A good source of vitamin C. | Lemon contains the polyphenol naringenin, which has been shown to inhibit pro-inflammatory signaling pathways in an IBD animal model. |
| Lentils | Legal | Dried legumes such as lentils should be soaked overnight before cooking. | No studies have been conducted examining the effects of lentils on IBD. However, consumption of lentils lowered pro-inflammatory markers in diabetic patients in this study. |
| Lettuce | Legal | All varieties of lettuce are legal. Good source of vitamin A. |
Vitamin A reduced intestinal inflammation in this animal study. |
| Leucine | Legal | Leucine is a supplement ingredient and an essential amino acid. | Leucine was shown to be positively correlated with weight gain in a pig model with colitis. |
| Licorice | Illegal | Licorice is both a demulcent and a laxative. | Licorice contains the phytoestrogen glabridin, which reduced clinical symptoms and pro-inflammatory markers in a colitis animal model. |
| Lignin | Illegal | Grinding lignin and tough stuff does not prevent certain microorganisms from thanking you for chewing up their nutrition. The little buggers then respond by eating faster and making more babies and toxins. | No research has been done on the effects of lignin and IBD. However, consumption of too much fiber can lead to an overgrowth of bacteria harmful to IBD patients. |
| Lima beans | Legal | Also known as the butter bean. Dried or fresh are permitted. Must be soaked overnight before cooking. | Lima beans have antimicrobial properties according to this study. Make sure to soak your beans if bought dry to reduce their levels of complex carbohydrates and starches. |
| Limburger cheese | Legal | May be used occasionally. Contains little to no lactose. | Consumption of cheese has been shown in this study to support healthy bacterial species and decrease harmful bacterial species. |
| Limes | Legal | A green, sour citrus fruit. A good source of vitamin C. | Limes contain multiple types of polyphenols and are anti-inflammatory, according to this study. |
| Liqueurs | Illegal | A sweet alcoholic drink. |
Alcohol causes inflammation, overgrowth of bacteria, and intestinal permeability according to this review. |
| Liquid chlorophyll | Illegal | Derived from alfalfa leaves. | More research needs to be done concerning chlorophyll and IBD. |
