Over the years, there have been numerous studies examining diet and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Six decades ago, prior to the identification of gluten as the principal offending agent, S.V. Haas successfully developed the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) for the treatment of celiac disease. The SCD has as its basis a strict grain-free, sugar-free, and complex carbohydrate-free dietary regimen. In theory, it is similar to an elemental diet, the thought being that foods easily absorbed provide bowel rest. The SCD, however, strives to use readily available foods such as fruits, meats, nuts, eggs, and vegetables. In addition, it is thought the SCD may alter gut flora and thus remove bacterial antigens thought to be responsible for the immune hypersensitivity seen in IBD.

After reviewing two cases in which individuals adhering to a strict SCD showed a positive outcome, it was decided to conduct an internet survey to ascertain whether there were other cases to support such findings.