Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Diet
The Gut And Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet starts with a strict elimination diet, followed by maintenance and reintroduction phases, that may last for years. Although a part of the diet involves reducing food intake, it was not specifically created for weight management.
Detox JuicesGAPS claims to heal those with increased intestinal permeability (AKA a leaky gut) by eliminating certain foods that trigger it and to improve digestive and psychological health. The promotional material advocates it as a natural treatment for people with digestive problems or neurological conditions (such as depression, autism and learning difficulties).
What Does GAPS Involve?
The diet recommends removing all grains, pasteurized dairy, starchy vegetables and refined carbohydrates and swapping these for fish, eggs, broths, stews and fermented foods. The GAPS protocol also recommends a range of supplements including probiotics, essential fatty acids, digestive enzymes and cod-liver oil which happen to be for sale on the website.
Fad or Credible?
The dietary restriction component of this diet will undoubtedly help with weight loss, though the restriction is quite extreme and puts you at risk of malnutrition. There is no evidence the GAPS diet regime resolves the rare instances of increased intestinal permeability. With a lack of scientific evidence we call this one a fad, and we strongly advise against it.
Related Pages
- Guide to Analyzing Diets
- Comparison of diets — a complete list
- About Probiotics
- Is coffee bad for you?
- Is chocolate bad for you?
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