Sidney V. Haas

Sidney Valentine Haas, M.D. (1870–1964) was a U.S. pediatrician whose research determined a dietary means of combating celiac disease.

Haas was born in Chicago and moved to New York City when he was six years old. He attended New York University Medical School and Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons.[1]

In 1924, Haas achieved notice when he published a medical paper detailing his use of a banana diet for the treatment of the eight children diagnosed with celiac disease. Haas incorrectly concluded that bananas enabled the breaking up of starches and the conversion of cane sugar into fruit sugar, which prevented the debilitating diarrhea of celiac disease.[2][3] Haas’ research led to the development of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, a nutritional regimen that restricted the use of complex carbohydrates (disaccharides and polysaccharides) and eliminated refined sugar, gluten and starch from the diet.[4] Haas never accepted the finding that gluten was the damaging part of wheat; he insisted it was starch and called the discovery about a gluten a "disservice".[5]

During his career, Haas treated over 600 cases of celiac disease. In 1951, he joined his son, Dr. Merrill P. Haas, in publishing the medical textbook The Management of Celiac Disease.[1][6]

References

  1. ^ a b "Dr. Sidney Valentine Haas Dies; Pediatrician and Researcher". The New York Times. December 1, 1964. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  2. ^ "A Brief History of Celiac Disease" (PDF). Impact: The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, Summer 2007. Summer 2007. Retrieved 2012-02-09.
  3. ^ "Medicine: A. M. A. at New Orleans". Time Magazine. May 23, 1932. Archived from the original on October 27, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  4. ^ Gottschall, Elaine, G. (1994). Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet (Revised ed.). Kirkton Press. ISBN 0-9692768-1-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Guandalini, S (2008). "Historical Perspective of Celiac Disease". In Fasano, Alessio; Troncone, Riccardo; Branski, David (eds.). Frontiers in celiac disease. Basel: Karger. p. 6. ISBN 9783805585262.
  6. ^ Haas, Sidney Valentine; Haas, Merrill P. (2011). The Management of Celiac Disease. Literary Licensing. ISBN 978-1-258-19621-9.


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