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The "oats" question remains unanswered. There is often a very small amount of gluten in oats – this is from the cross-contamination of oats from the gluten-grains. This occurs in the planting, harvesting, transport and processing of oat. It is almost impossible to avoid some cross-contamination. There has been controversy for years as to whether it is okay, or nor okay, to eat oat if you have Coeliac Disease. Some people are extraordinarily sensitive to gluten, so that even the tiniest bit of gluten makes them feel unwell. On the other hand, other people can eat small amounts of gluten and get no symptoms, whatsoever. However, the gluten (in those without symptoms) could still be causing them damage. So, those people who do not get any symptoms when they eat gluten can usually take oat without a problem. However, there is still a question of is there enough gluten in oat to give subtle changes in the gut.
There are varying degrees of sensitivity to gluten. Also, individuals will also find that their own gluten tolerance changes over the years. Two clinical studies do provide good evidence that oats do not damage the gut mucosa in people with Coeliac Disease. Guidelines from some Coeliac Societies now accept that moderate amounts of oats can be consumed by most coeliacs without risk. It is important to emphasise that the oats must be free of other contaminating cereals. The ability to use oats in your diet gives an important source of fibre as well as other important nutrients. One way to check out how you are tolerating oats in your body is to get regular blood test checks for gluten (IgG-gliadin) and for tissue damage (tTG). |
