Concerning Oats
The consumptin of oats is still being debated for the celiac population. Some
authorities feel it is not safe until more studies are done, while others
feel it is beneficial to include it in the celiac diet. The following
are two conflicting
statements about oats and celiacs. Until the debate is resolved, each individual
must decide for themselves whether to include oats in their diet. Please
consult with your physician before beginning the consumption of
oats.
An article about this study can be seen on Celiac.com. 3/08
The following was included in a newsletter sent from the Celiac Disease Center
at Columbia University in February 2005. If you are interested in receiving
the Celiac Disease Center email newsletters, you may sign up on their
website at www.celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu.
The Stanford Celiac Research Foundation also used this same piece in
their June email newsletter.
We advise those with celiac disease to consider adding oats to their diet. Oats are gluten free; they add satiety, nutrient value, fiber and diversity to the gluten-free diet. Multiple studies show that the majority of patients with celiac disease tolerate oats. These studies are from Europe as well as the United States. The study from the United States examined the effect of adding commercially available oats to the gluten-free diet in children who had recently been diagnosed with celiac disease. Over a six month period, those consuming oats did just as well as those who did not.
Oats are a source of fiber. Increasing fiber in the diet has many benefits from lowering cholesterol, helping maintain regular bowel function to added satiety. However, in adding fiber to the diet it is important to add the fiber slowly. Increasing the fiber content of the diet all at once can lead to bloating, increased flatulence and abdominal cramps. These side effects can be avoided by adding the fiber (oats) gradually, giving the body a chance to adjust. A reasonable approach is to start by using a 1/4 portion of oats for a few days then increase to 1/2 then to a full portion.
There is a potential problem with contamination from other grains. Oats are often grown on the same fields or milled in mills that grow or mill other grains. Therefore although the oat itself may be safe it may have gotten contaminated in the processing. We recommend using oats from a facility that processes only oats and no other grains. We recommend McCann's Irish Oats. The company states that their product is produced in factories dedicated to oats. They recognize that some of the batches have shown contamination with gluten. The company is closing down the one factory from which those batches came.
Another issue is that patients may have a sensitivity to the protein portion of oats and develop intestinal inflammation and villous atrophy. This is very rare.
We recommend the use of oats only after you have stabilized on the gluten-free diet. This would typically involve blood tests for celiac antibodies becoming negative, and may involve a follow-up biopsy. While on the diet, patients should be monitored with celiac serologic-blood tests. If symptoms occur one should be appropriately assessed to determine if the problem is due to the added fiber or a reaction to the protein in oats and aggravation of celiac disease.
The following are excerpts taken from the website of the national support
group Celiac Sprue Association (CSA), www.csaceliacs.org
The term "gluten" is, in a sense, a generic term for the storage proteins that
are found in grains. In reality, each type of protein - gliadin in wheat, secalin
in rye, hordein in barley, avenin in oats, zein in corn and oryzenin in rice
- is slightly different from the others. The "gluten" in wheat, rye, barley,
and in a much lower amount, oats, contains particular amino acid sequences that
are harmful to persons with celiac disease.
The appropriateness of oats in the gluten-free diet has been pondered for over
20 years. Studies continue with mixed conclusions on this subject of whether
the consumption of oats evokes an immune response in those with celiac disease
and dermatitis herpetiformis. Until it can be determined if the responses that
occur are due to cross-contamination in commercially processed oats, to the
protein structure of the grain or to other individual differences, CSA recommends
that excluding oats is the only risk free choice for those on a gluten-free
diet. As always, the individual is responsible to make decisions that he or
she deems best for optimum health and well-being.
There is evidently a common cross-contamination problem with
oats grown and prepared in the traditional way. When tested most commercially
prepared
regular
oats had unacceptable amounts of gluten. However, there are now three companies
that grow and produce oats in very strict procedures to eliminate the cc
problems. One of these may be found at the Henry's markets in San Diego.
These companies
are:
Bob's Red Mill
www.bobsredmill.com
Cream Hill Estates
www.creamhillestates.com
1-866-727-3628
Gluten Free Oats
www.glutenfreeoats.com
307-754-2058
