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 |
| Yams | Illegal | Tubers are generally illegal. Not the same as a sweet potato. | Yams decreased inflammation in an IBD mouse model. However, their high starch content may be harmful to patients with IBD. |
| Yogurt (commercial) | Illegal | Store-bought yogurt often has emulsifiers which break down the intestinal lining and aggravate IBD symptoms. | Emulsifiers have been shown to promote colitis in this study. |
| Yogurt (homemade) | Legal | See yogurt for instructions on how to make legal yogurt. |
Consumption of probiotic yogurt decreased inflammatory biomarkers in this clinical study. |
| Yucca root | Illegal | Also called cassava. Very starchy. | Consumption of starch has been shown to increase bacteria harmful to patients with IBD in this review. In addition, in some areas of the world, cassava has been shown to absorb harmful chemicals from the soil, such as arsenic and cadmium. |
