How the Specific Carbohydrate Diet changed the life of a man with Crohn's disease.

From childhood into his early 20s, Jeffrey Berger lived with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. Crohn's causes inflammation in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. It's associated with an array of unpleasant symptoms, including fatigue; loose or bloody stools; unexplained weight loss; frequent, recurring diarrhea; abdominal pain and cramping; and reduced appetite.

On most days, Berger lived with one or more of these symptoms. In 1985, the inflammation became so bad that he was hospitalized for two weeks for "bowel rest," getting his nutrition intraveneously. Berger’s life improved in 1995, when he went to a book event in San Francisco for Elaine Gottschall, author of “Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet.” The book describes the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, an eating plan that eliminates all disaccharides and polysaccharides, which are carbohydrates with more than one molecule structure. That means no grains, sugar or starchy vegetables.

After hearing Gottschall speak, Berger immediately adopted the diet, which has "suppressed or reversed my Crohn’s disease (and) led me into remission," he says. Berger, now 57, believes in the science of the diet so much, he's started seven Facebook groups to offer education and support for people who follow the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. He's also the founder and executive director of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet Association.