Overview of Therapeutic Diets

fresh vegetables on display

Comparing and Contrasting Therapeutic Diets

While each of the therapeutic diets are unique in their approach, all of the therapeutic diets presented here have certain underlying principles in common. They all seek to eliminate food items that have been shown to be harmful in general (eg, processed foods and additives) as well to eliminate, restrict, or limit food items with potentially damaging effects in IBD (eg, gluten, sugar, and/or dairy or lactose). At the same time, they all strive to increase the quantity and variety of beneficial fruits and vegetables and focus on generally healthy whole foods.


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The International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD) has provided recommendations regarding specific dietary components, food groups, and food additives that may be prudent to increase or decrease in the diet of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases to control and prevent relapse. This consensus may provide additional perspective when reviewing the food categories contained in these charts.

These tables are provided as a simplistic overview of the basic requirements of the diets and are intended to illustrate the similarities and differences between the diets. They offer a bird's eye view of restricted and allowed foods. They are not an all-inclusive list of the allowed and restricted foods, nor do they define all the rules of each diet. Thus, they should NOT be used as a guide to following any of the diets. When a diet is chosen, patients should work with a dietitian to implement the diet and properly progress through the phases/stages, referring to the documentation provided by the diet creators.

Close up of hands showing vegetables of different colours

Stages/Phases Used in the Tables

All of the diets provide some guidance, if not official stages/phases, for introducing foods when beginning. Required adherence to therapeutic diets is generally more strict than most traditional diets, which tend to allow for deviation in moderation. However, all of the diets do allow for testing other foods to some degree, either via a compliance goal or via reintroductions after sustained remission, noting that such additions are only incorporated into the diet if tolerated and may need to be consumed in moderation. Adding foods outside the allowed parameters of the diet may or may not be successful and, for some diets, is not recommended even if allowed.

With some exceptions, the Food Table below is based on the last and most inclusive phase or stage of the diet (most foods allowed) that does not involve adding back in ad-lib tolerated food choices. When beginning a therapeutic diet, if stages/phases are recommended or required, all of the potentially allowed items may not be available at once.

The phase/stage presented for each diet is as follows:

SCD and mSCD

The final stage of SCD and mSCD are described in the table. While SCD does not have official stages (it does have an introductory diet to last no more than five days and a short list of advanced foods), the stages described on pecanbread.com are often adopted by patients with symptoms and active disease. These stages are not part of the official diet but can be used as a guide when food introduction proves difficult. Both SCD and mSCD allow for introducing 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, they are not included in the food table. Many recommend sticking with the diet as written and staying within the defined parameters, so the addition of foods should be considered carefully.

IBD-AID

The IBD-AID defines three phases based on the level of symptoms present and it is extremely important to begin the diet at the proper phase. The table represents the foods allowed in the third and final phase of the diet, intended for those in remission. The IBD-AID aims for 80% compliance or above, noting that better results may come with better compliance. Any foods added within this 20% buffer are not included in the table.

AIP

The AIP is a little different from the other diets. The AIP begins with a restrictive Elimination Phase, which must be followed for a minimum of 30 days, but may require longer. It then shifts to a Reintroduction Phase in which patients test adding back in additional foods. In the Maintenance Phase, the foods that were tolerated in the Reintroduction Phase are incorporated long term into the diet. Unlike some other therapeutic diets in which reintroductions are de-emphasized or cautioned against, AIP emphasizes and encourages the adding back in of tolerated foods to achieve healthy diversity. Our table represents the Elimination Phase of AIP, which is actually the first and most restrictive phase of the diet, and not the most inclusive phase as with most of the other diets. This was done because the Elimination Phase is the only phase to define specific foods as being allowed and not allowed. It is important to note that while AIP may look very restrictive as defined in the table, the diet used in the Maintenance Phase likely will include more diversity than suggested in the table, but that diversity will be highly individualized.

CDED

The CDED is managed a little differently from the other diets. The CDED is divided into three phases. The first two 6-week phases are grouped together as the Induction Phase, which is used for inducing remission. The first six-week phase of the Induction Phase limits insoluble fiber to prevent bowel obstructions. The second 6-week phase adds back in many of those vegetables by week 10. The Induction Phase is the most important phase of the diet and is required for efficacy.
The Maintenance Phase is used after remission is achieved and is intended to sustain that remission. However, the principles of the diet are best represented by the Induction Phase, with the Maintenance Phase opened up to include some foods not necessarily recommended in order to promote better long-term compliance. The published studies to date are short-term following the Induction Phase. Thus the scientific evidence is most robust at this time for the Induction Phase and is still in progress for the Maintenance Phase. However, to view what the diet may include long term, it was determined that the most complete picture could be provided by listing foods for both the Induction Phase and the Maintenance Phase separately. The Maintenance Phase requires five contiguous days following the diet, then allows for a maximum of two contiguous days (generally weekends) of two free meals per day (maximum of four free meals per week), excluding only hot dogs, sausages, soft drinks, luncheon meats, bacon, and frozen dough from those free meals. Free meals are not included in the table.

Food Table

We recommend viewing these tables on a bigger screen.
Diets are Similar with Regard to the Following Foods:
Food
SCD
Final Stage
mSCD
Final Stage
IBD-AID
Final Phase
AIP
Elimination Phase
CDED
Induction Phase
CDED
Maintenance Phase
Allowed
Fish
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Weeks 1-6: 1 portion lean fish per week
After week 6: 1 can tuna per week
One portion of lean fish or other seafood per week, 1 can tuna per week
Red Meat
(not processed)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, leaner cuts emphasized
Allowed.
Grass-fed organ meats encouraged
1 portion of lean steak per week after week 6 (not recommended)
1 portion of lean steak per week only
Honey
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, local organic encouraged
Allowed
Max 3 TBSP per day
Max 3 TBSP per day (no limit on weekends)
Allowed or Selectively Allowed
Poultry
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, no skin
Allowed
Fresh chicken breast only (mandatory)
Chicken allowed (no wings or skin)
Vegetables
(Other than starchy vegetables and nightshades, which are listed separately)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, no skin
Allowed
Weeks 1-6: Cucumbers, carrot, spinach, lettuce allowed in limited quantities. Onion, garlic, ginger allowed.Weeks 7-9: Add zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower
Weeks 10-12: All veggies allowed except kale, leeks, asparagus, and artichoke.
No Leeks, Celery, or Large Amounts of Kale
Fruits
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed in moderation (2-3 servings per day)
Weeks 1-6: Bananas, apples, avocado, strawberries, melon, orange juice in limited quantities, lemon juice (fresh squeezed) as a condiment allowed.
Weeks 7-10: Pears, peaches, kiwis, and blueberries are also allowed.
Weeks 11-12: Mangos, pineapples, and oranges are also allowed.
No persimmons, pomegranate, cactus fruit, passion fruit
Fats/Oils
Most Allowed; No soybean oil, limit processed oils like canola oil
Most Allowed; No soybean oil, limit processed oils like canola oil
Allowed: Limit oils high in omega-6 and saturated fatsed
Fats from grass-fed organic meats allowed, unrefined oils allowed; no seed oils, no processed vegetable oils
Only olive oil and canola oil allowed
Only olive oil and canola oil allowed
Exclude or Restrict
Grains
(other than wheat, corn, oats, and rice, which are listed separately)
Exclude
Exclude
Barley is allowed if not celiac.
Exclude
Quinoa allowed after week 6
Allows quinoa
Dairy
Allows homemade 24-hour yogurt and cheeses aged 30 days or more
Allows homemade 24-hour yogurt and cheeses aged 30 days or more
Some allowed: Aged cheese, dry curd cottage cheese, cultured cottage cheese, plain kefir, plain yogurt
Exclude
Exclude
1 yogurt allowed per day (other dairy on weekends)
Sweeteners
(other than honey and artificial sweeteners, which are listed separately)
Exclude
Maple syrup allowed
Exclude
Allows date sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, molasses, evaporated cane juice, coconut sugar
Allows refined sugar (4 tsp per day max)
Allows refined sugar (4 tsp per day max; unlimited on weekends)
Alcohol
Some allowed: dry wine, vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, whiskey
Some allowed: dry wine, vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, whiskey
Some allowed on limited basis: dry wine, vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, whiskey per patient tolerance
Exclude
Exclude
1 cup of wine or beer allowed on weekends
Emulsifiers
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude maltodextrin, carrageenan, polysorbate-80, carboxymethyl-cellulose (CMC). Some emulsifiers, such as guar gum, may be protective.
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Processed Meat
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Artificial Sweeteners
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Processed Foods / Preservatives / Artificial Additives
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Diets Differ for The Following Foods:
Food
SCD
Final Stage
mSCD
Final Stage
IBD-AID
Final Phase
AIP
Elimination Phase
CDED
Induction Phase
CDED
Maintenance Phase
Seafood other than fish, which is listed separately
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Excluded
1 portion of seafood or lean fish per week, 1 can tuna per week
Wheat/Gluten
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude wheat. Gluten in barley is allowed if not celiac. Gluten in rye is unknown.
Exclude
1 slice whole grain bread allowed per day after week 6
2 slices whole grain bread allowed per day (1 cup cooked pasta may be substitued for bread twice per week)
Corn
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Allowed after week 10
Allowed
Oats
Exclude
Allowed (gluten-free oats only):
Per Day: Maximum of 2 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Per Week: Minimum of 3 servings and maximum of 6 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Serving Size: 1 cup
Allowed (gluten-free oats if celiac), steel cut and oat groats encouraged, longer cooking times and additional water may be required
Exclude
1/2 cup dry oatmeal per week allowed after week 6 (gluten-free oats preferred but not mandatory)
1/2 cup dry oatmeal allowed per week (gluten-free oats preferred but not mandatory)
Rice
Exclude
Allowed:
Per Day: Maximum of 2 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Per Week: Minimum of 3 servings and maximum of 6 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Serving Size: 1
Organic rice allowed in limited amounts after 6 months and if health is stabilized
Exclude
Unlimited rice and rice flour or noodles are allowed
Unlimited rice and rice flour or noodles are allowed
Dried Legumes/Beans
Certain dried legumes allowed: Peanuts, navy beans, lima beans, black beans, lentils, split peas; soaking required
Certain dried legumes allowed: Peanuts, navy beans, lima beans, black beans, lentils, split peas; soaking required
Allowed, may need to vary texture and take digestive enzymes prior to consumption
Exclude
1/2 cup dry beans/legumes allowed per day after week 6
1 1/2 cup dry beans/legumes allowed per day
Starchy Vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, etc)
Exclude
Some allowed: Sweet potatoes, maybe white potatoes, organic preferred to avoid bud product:
Per Day: Maximum of 2 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Per Week: Minimum of 3 servings and maximum of 6 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Serving Size: 1 cup
Most Allowed: Exclude white potatoes
Allowed if not nightshades
Weeks 1-6: Potatoes only allowed
Weeks 7-9: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams allowed.
Weeks 10-12: Allowed
Allowed
Nightshades (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes [not sweet potatoes], eggplant, peppers, goji berries, etc)
Most allowed: no white potatoes
Allowed
Mostly Allowed. Exclude White Potatoes
Exclude
Weeks 1-6: Tomatoes and Potatoes allowed.
Weeks 7-9: Red Peppers also allowed.
Weeks 10-12: Allowed
Allowed
Nuts
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Exclude
8 almonds or walnuts allowed per day after week 6
8 almonds or walnuts allowed per day
Seeds
Most allowed: no chia or flax
Most allowed: no chia or flax
Allowed
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Eggs
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed: encourage omega-3 eggs
Exclude
Allowed (mandatory: 2 per day)
Allowed
Cocoa
Exclude
Allowed (only 100% cocoa powder, not Dutch processed)
Allowed
Exclude
Exclude
Allowed
Coffee
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Exclude
Exclude
Allowed: Black coffee allowed (any coffee allowed on weekends)
Formula (PEN; eg, Boost®, Ensure®, Pediasure®, Modulen IBD®)
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude: encourage whole food smoothies and supplements
Exclude
Allowed (recommended)
Allowed
Food Table Organized By Food Type:
Food
SCD
Final Stage
mSCD
Final Stage
IBD-AID
Final Phase
AIP
Elimination Phase
CDED
Induction Phase
CDED
Maintenance Phase
Fish
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Weeks 1-6: 1 portion lean fish per week
After week 6: 1 can tuna per week
One portion of lean fish or other seafood per week, 1 can tuna per week
Seafood other than fish, which is listed separately
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Excluded
1 portion of seafood or lean fish per week, 1 can tuna per week
Poultry
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, no skin
Allowed
Fresh chicken breast only (mandatory)
Chicken allowed (no wings or skin)
Red Meat
(not processed)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, leaner cuts emphasized
Allowed.
Grass-fed organ meats encouraged
1 portion of lean steak per week after week 6 (not recommended)
1 portion of lean steak per week only
Processed Meat
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Grains
Wheat/Gluten
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude wheat. Gluten in barley is allowed if not celiac. Gluten in rye is unknown.
Exclude
1 slice whole grain bread allowed per day after week 6
2 slices whole grain bread allowed per day (1 cup cooked pasta may be substitued for bread twice per week)
Corn
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Allowed after week 10
Allowed
Oats
Exclude
Allowed (gluten-free oats only):
Per Day: Maximum of 2 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Per Week: Minimum of 3 servings and maximum of 6 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Serving Size: 1 cup
Allowed (gluten-free oats if celiac), steel cut and oat groats encouraged, longer cooking times and additional water may be required
Exclude
1/2 cup dry oatmeal per week allowed after week 6 (gluten-free oats preferred but not mandatory)
1/2 cup dry oatmeal allowed per week (gluten-free oats preferred but not mandatory)
Rice
Exclude
Allowed:
Per Day: Maximum of 2 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Per Week: Minimum of 3 servings and maximum of 6 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Serving Size: 1
Organic rice allowed in limited amounts after 6 months and if health is stabilized
Exclude
Unlimited rice and rice flour or noodles are allowed
Unlimited rice and rice flour or noodles are allowed
Grains
(other than wheat, corn, oats, and rice, which are listed separately)
Exclude
Exclude
Barley is allowed if not celiac.
Exclude
Quinoa allowed after week 6
Allows quinoa
Vegetables, Legumes, and Fruits
Dried Legumes/Beans
Certain dried legumes allowed: Peanuts, navy beans, lima beans, black beans, lentils, split peas; soaking required
Certain dried legumes allowed: Peanuts, navy beans, lima beans, black beans, lentils, split peas; soaking required
Allowed, may need to vary texture and take digestive enzymes prior to consumption
Exclude
1/2 cup dry beans/legumes allowed per day after week 6
1 1/2 cup dry beans/legumes allowed per day
Fresh Legumes/beans (peas, green beans, etc)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, may need to vary texture and take digestive enzymes prior to consumption
Exclude: Peas and green beans are not allowed but are one of the first foods recommended for reintroduction.
Allowed after week 10
Allowed
Starchy Vegetables (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, parsnips, etc)
Exclude
Some allowed: Sweet potatoes, maybe white potatoes, organic preferred to avoid bud product:
Per Day: Maximum of 2 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Per Week: Minimum of 3 servings and maximum of 6 servings of any combination of rice/oats/sweet potato
Serving Size: 1 cup
Most Allowed: Exclude white potatoes
Allowed if not nightshades
Weeks 1-6: Potatoes only allowed
Weeks 7-9: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams allowed.
Weeks 10-12: Allowed
Allowed
Nightshades (tomatoes, tomatillos, white potatoes [not sweet potatoes], eggplant, peppers, goji berries, etc)
Most allowed: no white potatoes
Allowed
Mostly Allowed. Exclude White Potatoes
Exclude
Weeks 1-6: Tomatoes and Potatoes allowed.
Weeks 7-9: Red Peppers also allowed.
Weeks 10-12: Allowed
Allowed
Vegetables
(Other than starchy vegetables and nightshades, which are listed separately)
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, no skin
Allowed
Weeks 1-6: Cucumbers, carrot, spinach, lettuce allowed in limited quantities. Onion, garlic, ginger allowed.Weeks 7-9: Add zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower
Weeks 10-12: All veggies allowed except kale, leeks, asparagus, and artichoke.
No Leeks, Celery, or Large Amounts of Kale
Fruits
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed in moderation (2-3 servings per day)
Weeks 1-6: Bananas, apples, avocado, strawberries, melon, orange juice in limited quantities, lemon juice (fresh squeezed) as a condiment allowed.
Weeks 7-10: Pears, peaches, kiwis, and blueberries are also allowed.
Weeks 11-12: Mangos, pineapples, and oranges are also allowed.
No persimmons, pomegranate, cactus fruit, passion fruit
Dairy
Dairy
Allows homemade 24-hour yogurt and cheeses aged 30 days or more
Allows homemade 24-hour yogurt and cheeses aged 30 days or more
Some allowed: Aged cheese, dry curd cottage cheese, cultured cottage cheese, plain kefir, plain yogurt
Exclude
Exclude
1 yogurt allowed per day (other dairy on weekends)
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Exclude
8 almonds or walnuts allowed per day after week 6
8 almonds or walnuts allowed per day
Seeds
Most allowed: no chia or flax
Most allowed: no chia or flax
Allowed
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Sweeteners
Honey
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed, local organic encouraged
Allowed
Max 3 TBSP per day
Max 3 TBSP per day (no limit on weekends)
Artificial Sweeteners
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Sweeteners
(other than honey and artificial sweeteners, which are listed separately)
Exclude
Maple syrup allowed
Exclude
Allows date sugar, maple syrup, maple sugar, molasses, evaporated cane juice, coconut sugar
Allows refined sugar (4 tsp per day max)
Allows refined sugar (4 tsp per day max; unlimited on weekends)
Other
Processed Foods / Preservatives / Artificial Additives
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude
Eggs
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed: encourage omega-3 eggs
Exclude
Allowed (mandatory: 2 per day)
Allowed
Fats/Oils
Most Allowed; No soybean oil, limit processed oils like canola oil
Most Allowed; No soybean oil, limit processed oils like canola oil
Allowed: Limit oils high in omega-6 and saturated fatsed
Fats from grass-fed organic meats allowed, unrefined oils allowed; no seed oils, no processed vegetable oils
Only olive oil and canola oil allowed
Only olive oil and canola oil allowed
Cocoa
Exclude
Allowed (only 100% cocoa powder, not Dutch processed)
Allowed
Exclude
Exclude
Allowed
Coffee
Allowed
Allowed
Allowed
Exclude
Exclude
Allowed: Black coffee allowed (any coffee allowed on weekends)
Alcohol
Some allowed: dry wine, vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, whiskey
Some allowed: dry wine, vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, whiskey
Some allowed on limited basis: dry wine, vodka, gin, rye, Scotch, bourbon, whiskey per patient tolerance
Exclude
Exclude
1 cup of wine or beer allowed on weekends
Formula (PEN; eg, Boost®, Ensure®, Pediasure®, Modulen IBD®)
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude: encourage whole food smoothies and supplements
Exclude
Allowed (recommended)
Allowed
Emulsifiers
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude maltodextrin, carrageenan, polysorbate-80, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). Some emulsifiers, such as guar gum, may be protective.
Exclude
Exclude
Exclude

Food Table Overview

Overview of generalized similarities (Some diets may be outliers in some categories):
Food Type
General Consensus
Details
Allowed
Seafood/Poultry/Red Meat
Allowed
Allowed on all the therapeutic diets. CDED does not recommend red meat, restricts the amounts of red meat and seafood, and limits poultry to chicken excluding skin, wings, and organ meat. IBD-AID suggests limiting saturated fats.
Vegetables (nonstarchy)
Allowed
Allowed on all therapeutic diets. AIP excludes nightshades. CDED excludes a few specific vegetables.
Fruits
Allowed
Allowed on all therapeutic diets. CDED excludes a few specific fruits.
Honey
Allowed
Allowed on all diets. Limited to 3 TBSP per day on CDED.
Mostly Allowed
Fresh Legumes
Mostly Allowed
Allowed on all diets except AIP.
Eggs
Mostly Allowed
Allowed on all diets except AIP.
Coffee
Mostly Allowed
Allowed on all diets except AIP and the Induction Phase of CDED.
Mixed
Dried Legumes
Mixed
SCD and mSCD allow specific dried legumes (soaking required). IBD-AID allows dried legumes. AIP excludes them. CDED limits the quantity.
Vegetables (starchy)
Mixed
CDED allows starchy vegetables, SCD excludes starchy vegetables, other diets restrict certain starchy vegetables.
Nuts
Mixed
SCD, mSCD, and IBD-AID allow nuts (nut butters may be easier to digest in early stages/phases). CDED allows a limited amount of walnuts or almonds per day. AIP excludes nuts.
Seeds
Mixed
IBD-AID allows seeds (may need to be pureed in phase I/II). SCD and mSCD do not allow flax or chia. Seeds are not allowed in AIP or CDED.
Cocoa
Mixed
Cocoa (honey sweetened if sweetened) is allowed on mSCD and IBD-AID and the Maintenance Phase of CDED. It is excluded from SCD and AIP.
Restricted
Grains
Restricted
Wheat/gluten is excluded in all diets except CDED, which allows limited amounts of whole grain bread or pasta per day. Corn is excluded in all diets except CDED, which allows after week 10.Oats and Rice are mixed (mSCD, IBD-AID, and CDED allow oats; mSCD and CDED allow rice). CDED allows Quinoa. IBD-AID allows Barley if not celiac. Other grains are not allowed.
Dairy
Restricted
AIP and CDED Induction Phase exclude all dairy. CDED Maintenance Phase allows a limited amount of yogurt per week. SCD and mSCD allows aged cheese and 24-hour fermented yogurt. IBD-AID allows yogurt, kefir, aged cheese.
Sweeteners
(other than honey and artificial sweeteners)
Restricted
mSCD allows maple syrup. AIP allows date sugar, maple syrup, molasses, evaporated cane juice, and coconut sugar. CDED allows a very small amount of refined sugar.
Oils
Restricted
SCD and mSCD exclude soybean oil. IBD-AID limits oils high in saturated fats. CDED allows only olive oil and canola oil. AIP does not allow seed oils or processed vegetable oils.
Alcohol
Restricted
SCD, mSCD, and IBD-AID allow some forms of alcohol, as does CDED on weekends in its Maintenance Phase.
Excluded
Processed Meat
Excluded
All diets exclude processed meats.
Artificial Sweeteners
Excluded
All diets exclude artificial sweeteners
Processed Foods / Additives / Preservatives
Excluded
All diets exclude processed foods/additives/preservatives.

Characteristics of the Diets

Characteristic
SCD
Final Stage
mSCD
Final Stage
IBD-AID
Final Phase
AIP
Elimination Phase
CDED
Induction Phase
CDED
Maintenance Phase
Stages/Phases
Intro diet for up to 5 days. No other required stages, although some foods like beans/lentils are advanced. Pecanbread website has suggested stages for those wishing to follow them when symptomatic.
Intro diet for up to 5 days. Typically, strict SCD is done before modified SCD is attempted.
Three phases defined based on level of symptoms: Phase 1: Basics, Phase 2: Introduction of more foods/textures, Phase 3: Remission.
Elimination Phase (minimum of 30 days), Reintroduction Phase, and Maintenance Phase.
Induction Phase consists of two 6-week phases with a food-list associated with each phase. Induction Phase is followed by the Maintenance Phase.
Maintenance phase is the last phase of the diet and requires 5 contiguous days following the diet as defined, which then can be followed with a max of 2 contiguous days with 2 free meals per week. Free meals can deviate from the diet with some restrictions. Maintenance phase is preceded by the Induction Phase.
Allowed Deviation from Diet
100% strict for first year or two.
100% strict for first year or two
Diet aims for 80% compliance or above, but better results may come with better compliance.
100% strict for in the Elimination Phase, which lasts a few months or more as needed. Reintroduction Phase allows adding back of foods as tolerated.
100% strict in the Induction Phase.
In the Maintenance Phase, four free meals a week are allowed, in which other foods can be consumed (with some restrictions).
Limits Amounts of Foods
No
Yes for the new additions (sweet potatoes, rice, oats, cocoa, and maple syrup)
No
Yes for fruits
Yes
Yes
Mandatory Foods
No
No
IBD-AID Essential 8 - mandatory amounts of certain food types should be targeted per day.
No
Yes
No
Studied in Children/Adults
Both
Studies of mSCD in Children are still ongoing.
Adults
Adults
Both
Studies on Maintenance Phase are in progress.
Studied in Ulcerative Colitis (UC)/Crohn's Disease (CD)
Both
Studies of mSCD for both CD and UC are still ongoing.
Both
Both
CD only
Studies of Maintenance Phase in CD are still ongoing.
Length of Time in Use
Long Time

First described by Dr. Haas in 1924 and expanded and popularized by Elaine Gottschall for more common use in IBD.

First study published in 2014.
New

Still in ongoing study.
Relatively New

First study published in 2014, ongoing studies include one in pregnant women.
Relatively New

2010: AIP first appeared as a brief list of foods to avoid in addition to standard Paleo for autoimmune disease in the book The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and on the website The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, refined later by Sarah Ballantyne.

First study in IBD published in 2017.
Relatively NewFirst study published in 2014.
New

Studies on the Maintenance Phase are still ongoing.
Published Research
Studies on mSCD as it is defined above are still ongoing.
Studies on the Maintenance Phase of CDED are still ongoing.
Somebody in the kitch - view from the back while preparing healthy foods. Cutting board with various healthy foodsPink Milkshake and fruits on a white table and pink backgroundWoman stirring in a pot with vegetables.on the stove

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