1008 - Best Diet to Repair Gut Health (Important New Research)
Dr. Ruscio Radio, DC: Health, Nutrition and Functional Healthcare
Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC
4.6 • 804 Ratings
🗓️ 2 March 2026
⏱️ 25 minutes
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Summary
Could an enzyme deficiency explain why you have food intolerances causing bloating, loose bowels, reflux, brain fog, joint pain, skin issues, and more? Namely, sucrase isomaltase.
This enzyme, known as the sucrase-isomaltase enzyme, may be deficient in many people dealing with chronic GI issues. One study found that 8% of people were at an increased genetic risk for this deficiency (https://jpedres.org/articles/frequency-of-congenital-sucrase-isomaltase-deficiency-by-whole-exome-sequencing-is-it-really-rare/doi/jpr.galenos.2024.65625?utm_). Another study found that 25% with chronic GI symptoms had issues breaking down sucrose (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36304608/).
Thankfully, a diet exists for this which has been studied and shown to be very effective. In fact, it's been shown to be as or even more effective than some of the best diets we currently have for improving gut health – therefore maybe the best diet for gut health?
Let's break down what this enzyme deficiency is, what the diet is, SSRD, and how this diet applies and can be helpful even for those with underlying fungal or bacterial overgrowth and leaky gut.
📖 Free Low Sucrose Diet Guide: https://drruscio.com/guides/get-low-sucrose-starch-diet-guide/ (16:19)
💊 Elemental Heal: https://store.drruscio.com/products/elemental-heal-whey-free (18:50)
💊 Digestive Enzyme with HCL: (19:40)
https://store.drruscio.com/products/digestive-enzyme-with-hcl?variant=5245788684325
💊 Intoleran Starchway Digestive Enzymes: (19:52):
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📌Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:18 Enzyme Deficiency: CSID
03:46 Study Setup
06:27 Study Results
08:19 Why the SSRD Diet Might be Best
11:22 Microbiota Impacts
12:40 Testing
13:35 SSRD Diet Guidelines
18:41 Supplements
20:01 Key Points
Featured Studies
📉Frequency of Congenital Sucrase-Isomaltase Deficiency by Whole Exome Sequencing: Is It Really Rare?
📉The Relationship between Gastrointestinal Health, Micronutrient Concentrations, and Autoimmunity: A Focus on the Thyroid: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36079838/
📉Sucrose intolerance in adults with common functional gastrointestinal symptoms:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36304608/
📉A Starch- and Sucrose-Reduced Diet Has Similar Efficiency as Low FODMAP in IBS:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39275354/
📉The Relationship between Gastrointestinal Health, Micronutrient Concentrations, and Autoimmunity: A Focus on the Thyroid: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36079838/
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Music featured in this video: "Modern Technology" by Andrew G, https://audiojungle.net/user/andrew_g
*Full transcript available on YouTube by clicking the "Show transcript" button on the bottom right of the video.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to Dr. Rucho Radio, providing practical and science-based solutions to feeling your best. |
| 0:14.8 | To stay up to date on the latest topics, as well as all of our prior episodes, make sure to subscribe in your podcast player. |
| 0:22.2 | For weekly updates, visit Dr. Russo.com. |
| 0:25.6 | Could an enzyme deficiency explain why you have food intolerances causing bloating, loose bowels, |
| 0:31.2 | reflux, joint pain, skin eruptions, really any number of symptoms that seem to be triggered |
| 0:36.8 | by foods? Nam, namely an enzyme deficiency |
| 0:40.1 | known as sucrose isomaltase, and a version of this enzyme deficiency may affect anywhere |
| 0:47.8 | from 8 to 25% of the population. Thankfully, a diet exists for this enzyme deficiency, and it's actually been studied against |
| 0:59.0 | one of the best gut healing diets we have and shown to be as if not more effective, so perhaps |
| 1:06.3 | we could say this might be the best diet for gut health. |
| 1:10.6 | Let's break down what this enzyme deficiency is, |
| 1:14.5 | what the corresponding diet is known as the SSRD diet, and how this diet applies and can be |
| 1:22.1 | helpful for those with, of course, this enzyme deficiency, but even go as far as supporting underlying |
| 1:29.1 | fungal overgrowth, bacterial overgrowth, leaky gut, and health imbalance in the microbiota. |
| 1:36.6 | And if you're new here, welcome. I'm Michael Rucho. I'm a doctor in clinical practice. I also work |
| 1:42.2 | as an adjunct professor and as a clinical researcher |
| 1:45.2 | with a few papers published and more in the works. Okay, so let's talk more about this enzyme deficiency. |
| 1:52.9 | The acronym is CSID or congenital sucrose isomalase deficiency. Now previously, this was thought to be rare, 1% perhaps less of the |
| 2:04.5 | population. But as I alluded to a moment ago, more contemporary researchers finding that this |
| 2:10.4 | enzyme deficiency, like so many things, is not binary black and white, but rather can present |
| 2:16.0 | and exist on a spectrum. |
| 2:23.5 | One study found that 8% of individuals studied had this deficiency. |
... |
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