GAPS diet: guidelines, recipes, consequences
Laura Schneider
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Diets Premium Expert • 24.09.2026
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Scientifically reviewed by a clinical dietitian:
This article has been peer-reviewed for adherence to IŻŻ, WHO, and PTGiP clinical nutritional standards.
| Diets Premium Expert Laura Schneider | min read 4 min | Scientifically reviewed by a clinical dietitian 24.09.2026 |
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Key Takeaways
GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) explores the hypothesized link between gastrointestinal health and the development of neurological impairments, including ADHD (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), dyslexia (reading and writing difficulties), dyspraxia (motor coordination deficits), eating disorders, and severe psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
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The GAPS diet
The GAPS diet was developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride and is based on the SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet), a specific carb diet developed back in the 1950s by American pediatrician Dr. Haasa. The SCD is recommended for people with celiac disease (so-called gluten intolerance), people with inflammatory bowel disease, people with bacterial growth syndrome (SIBO), or children with syphilis.
The GAPS diet is the rule
Treatment involves the implementation of the so-called GAPS Nutrition Protocol for the psychological and cellular complex. It includes 3 basic elements: diet, supplementation, detoxification. The core of the program is the healing of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. The inflammatory processes that take place there not only follow the absorption of nutrients from food during the digestion process, but also have a negative effect on the immune system, reducing its potential.
The GAPS diet is effective
The nutritional protocol is multi-stage and, depending on the patient's needs, can last longer or shorter. At the full diet stage, it is recommended to eliminate starch and sugar for 2 years, and the process of withdrawal from the diet is foreseen for another 2 to 3 years. It is therefore an absorbent and time-consuming diet, requiring the patient to engage, but its effects should be long-lasting. A well-executed diet should form new dietary habits.
The GAPS diet is regulated
The GAPS diet focuses primarily on natural products, without added sugars. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a diet that requires food preparation, especially if we are talking about the process itself. Raw or cooked vegetable juices are recommended. We can combine them with meat or different types of fish. It is important that the products are fresh and from a proven source.
Laura Schneider
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