What is the GAPS diet?
The GAPS diet is an elimination diet developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. Despite brain-gut connection and the importance of maintaining healthy gut bacteria, there's no evidence that the GAPS diet is effective.
The GAPS diet is an elimination diet developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. It's promoted as a treatment for people with brain disorders such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and autoimmune diseases. However, many health professionals have criticized the GAPS diet as being too restrictive and promoting unsupported health claims.
GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome or Gut and Physiology Syndrome, terms invented by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The theory behind the GAPS diet is that many neurological and other health problems are caused by leaky gut syndrome and an imbalance in the microbes that live in your digestive system.
The GAPS diet is only intended to be used for a few years. It eliminates all grains, pasteurized dairy, starchy vegetables, and refined carbohydrates. Dr. Campbell-McBride claims that people who need the GAPS diet have impaired digestion, which makes it difficult for their bodies to break down food and get valuable nutrition from it, which causes:
- Systemic inflammation
- Malnutrition
- Low stomach acid
- Leaky gut (holes in your digestive lining)
- Impaired liver function
- An overgrowth of harmful bacteria in your digestive system
Phases of the GAPS diet
There are three phases of the GAPS diet, including:
The Introduction Phase
This phase of the diet is the most intense. It's broken down into seven stages. It starts with a very limited diet of:
- Room temperature water
- Probiotics
- Bone broth from meat or fish
- Ginger tea with a little honey
- Homemade, unpasteurized yogurt or kefir if you aren't sensitive to it
As you progress through each stage, you can gradually add more foods, although the diet remains very limited. This stage can last for three weeks to one year.
The Full GAPS Diet
The full GAPS diet can last up to two years, although Dr. Campbell-McBride says that many of her patients stay on the full diet long-term. During the full GAPS diet, you should primarily eat the following foods:
- Fresh meat that's hormone-free
- Fish
- Shellfish
- Animal fat
- Organic eggs
- Fermented foods such as yogurt and kefir
- Fresh vegetables and fruits
While you're on the full GAPS diet, there are many other rules, such as:
- Include bone broth with every meal
- Don't eat fruit and meat together
- Don't eat packaged or canned foods
- Don't microwave your food
The Reintroduction Phase
When you've experienced normal digestion for six months, you can start slowly reintroducing foods into your diet. You should introduce foods individually in very small amounts. You can increase the amount if you don't notice any symptoms after two or three days. Even when you've come off the diet, you should continue avoiding highly processed and sugary foods.
Supplements and Detoxification
The GAPS diet also recommends extensive supplements, including:
- Probiotics
- Essential fatty acids
- Cod liver oil
- Digestive enzymes
- Vitamins and minerals
Finally, the GAPS diet claims that toxins are everywhere that contribute to your body's toxic load. You should participate in detoxification methods and keep your house free of chemicals.
The importance of gut health
There is some evidence of a connection between your gut and your brain. Intestinal or stomach upset can cause anxiety, stress, or depression. Conversely, anxiety, stress, and depression can also cause you to have an upset stomach.
Leaky gut syndrome is not a currently recognized medical condition, but there are diseases associated with intestinal permeability. Intestinal permeability, when your gut lining lets bacterial and other potentially infectious particles leak out of your gut, is a recognized medical condition. However, doctors aren't sure that it's a condition by itself or that it causes other conditions.
Your gut contains millions of microbes that help with digestion and play a role in your immune system. Your gut contains 70% of your immune system, so nutrition plays a key role in your immune function. A fiber-rich diet supports the microbes in your diet and reduces inflammation that can be related to chronic diseases.
Questionable claims of the GAPS diet
Despite brain-gut connection and the importance of maintaining healthy gut bacteria, there's no evidence that the GAPS diet is effective. Dr. Campbell-McBride makes many claims that aren't backed by science and promotes practices that go against traditional medical advice.
For instance, she claims that the following neurological conditions are all caused by digestive disorders:
- Autism
- ADHD
- Schizophrenia
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Depression
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Bipolar disorder
In addition, Dr. Campbell-McBride suggests that the following medical conditions can be healed by her diet:
- Celiac disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Type 1 diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis
- Autoimmune skin problems
- Hashimoto's disease
- Asthma, eczema
- Allergies
- Food allergies and intolerance
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Fibromyalgia
- Endocrine disorders
- All chronic digestive disorders
None of these claims have been backed up by research. There have been no studies done to support the GAPS diet. In addition, there are quite a few claims and recommendations in the GAPS diet that are potentially dangerous, including:
- Vaccines may cause diabetes, celiac disease, and other health problems
- Antibiotics damage immune cells
- Children who have siblings with ADHD or other conditions should not be vaccinated until their gut flora is "normalized"
- Eating raw eggs
- Eating unpasteurized dairy
- Assuming black diarrhea was caused by a food sensitivity
- Fasting cures conditions from rheumatoid arthritis to cancer
- Brushing teeth with olive oil instead of toothpaste
- Consuming 50% of dietary fat as saturated fat
Should you follow the GAPS diet?
There is no research to support that the GAPS diet can cure the 74 diseases it claims to help. The early phases of the GAPS diet may not provide enough nutrition. The full GAPS diet is healthy but may be difficult to follow.
Medically Reviewed on 10/18/2022
References
SOURCES:
Cleveland Clinic: "Leaky Gut Syndrome."
Gapsdiet.com: "GAPS Outline," "Full GAPS Diet," "Introduction Diet," "What is GAPS?"
Harvard Health Publishing: "The gut-brain connection."
Science-Based Medicine: "GAPS Diet."
UCLA Health: "If you want to boost immunity, look to the gut."
