Modified Specific Carbohydrate Diet Introduction
Modified SCD is a diet that is derived from SCD but attempts to add back in a few select healthy whole foods to offer patients expanding options and to potentially feed a more diverse microbiome. Note that the definition of modified SCD is evolving. The specifics as to how the diet is modified could be as vague as the diet was not followed strictly (early uses of the term), to a very defined list of added foods allowed in specified amounts if tolerated.
See mSCD publications on the NTforIBD website for a listing of the research on mSCD.
mSCD Food List Overview
The food list provided is a simplistic overview of the basic requirements of the diet, offering a bird's eye view of restricted and allowed foods. It is not an all-inclusive list of the allowed and restricted foods, nor does it define all the rules of the diet. This list should NOT be used as a guide to following the diet.
The final stage of mSCD is described in the table. While mSCD does not have official stages, patients often begin with SCD (optionally following the stages described on pecanbread.com) and then proceed to mSCD after sustained remission. The mSCD allows for introduction of other healthy foods outside the normal parameters of the diet after sustained remission (generally recommended to wait until 1 or 2 years of sustained remission). Because these food additions could be anything tolerated by the patient, they are not included in the food table.
mSCD Food Table
| Fish | Allowed |
| Seafood other than fish, which is listed separately | Allowed |
| Poultry | Allowed |
| Red Meat (not processed) | Allowed |
| Oats | Allowed (gluten-free oats only): |
| Rice | Allowed: |
| Fresh Legumes/Beans | Allowed |
| Nightshades (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes [not sweet potatoes], eggplant, peppers, goji berries, etc) | Allowed |
| Vegetables other than starchy vegetables and nightshades, which are listed separately | Allowed |
| Fruits | Allowed |
| Nuts | Allowed |
| Honey | Allowed |
| Eggs | Allowed |
| Cocoa | Allowed (only 100% cocoa powder, not Dutch processed) |
| Coffee | Allowed |
| Dried Legumes/Beans | Certain dried legumes allowed: Peanuts, navy beans, lima beans, black beans, lentils, split peas; soaking required |
| Starchy Vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, etc) | Some allowed: Sweet potatoes, maybe white potatoes, organic preferred to avoid bud product: |
| Dairy | Allows homemade 24-hour yogurt and cheeses aged 30 days or more |
| Seeds | Most allowed: no chia or flax |
| Sweeteners other than honey and artificial sweeteners, which are listed separately | Maple syrup allowed |
| Fats/Oils | Most Allowed; No soybean oil, limit processed oils like canola oil |
| Alcohol | Some allowed: dry wine, vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, whiskey |
| Processed Meat | Exclude |
| Wheat/Gluten | Exclude |
| Corn | Exclude |
| Grains other than wheat, corn, oats, and rice, which are listed separately | Exclude |
| Artificial Sweeteners | Exclude |
| Processed Foods/Preservatives/Artificial Additives | Exclude |
| Formula (PEN; eg, Boost®, Ensure®, Pediasure®, Modulen IBD®) | Exclude |
| Emulsifiers | Exclude |
