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- Another Study Okays Oats for Celiac Patients
Another Study Okays Oats for Celiac Patients
- By Jefferson Adams
- Published 03/24/2008
- Celiac Disease and Oats: Are They Gluten-Free?
-
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Jefferson Adams
Jefferson Adams is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. His poems and essays have appeared in Antioch Review, Blue Mesa Review, CALIBAN, Hayden's Ferry Review, and The Mississippi Review, among others.
View all articles by Jefferson AdamsAnother Study Okays Oats for Celiac Patients
Celiac.com 03/26/2008 - According to the results of a recent study,
adults with diet-treated celiac disease show no elevation in
anti-avenin IgA by oats. Celiac disease is effectively treated with a
gluten-free diet that is free of wheat, rye, barley and related grains. While
it is well known that wheat, rye and barley trigger the disease, for
decades there has been controversy about the safety of oats.
Recent evidence from a number of studies has supported the idea that oats are safe for people with celiac disease. In several countries, oats are now on the list of safe foods for people with celiac disease. The studies on oats and celiac disease have had various designs, but most have been small, and often with high patient drop-out rates. To date, there has only been a single randomized and double-blinded study measuring the effects of oats on celiac patients. The studies have been nearly unanimous in concluding that consumption of oats is safe to celiac disease patients.
Most of these clinical studies have assessed blood histology in reaction to oats, or measured normalization after patients had been diagnosed with celiac disease and were already following gluten-free diets. Three large studies from Finland have investigated the effect of dietary oats and their influence on antibody levels to wheat gluten and to tissue transglutaminase. Previous studies have shown that people with untreated celiac disease show elevated IgA antibodies in reaction oat avenins. However, only one study on treated celiac disease patients has investigated IgA antibodies to oats.
Researchers know of just three confirmed cases of active celiac disease flaring up again in adults after these people ingested oats, which indicates that intolerance to oats among celiacs may be rare, but also may in fact have some role to play in celiac disease. It also points to the need for clinical monitoring of celiac disease patients who eat oats.
A research team made up of Vigdis Guttormsen, Astrid Løvik, Asta Bye; Jorunn Bratlie, Lars Mørkrid, and Knut E. A. Lundin recently conducted a small study to determine whether treated adult celiac disease patients who ate oats showed elevated levels if IgA. The research team compared blood samples of 136 adult patients with treated celiac disease against 139 controls. The team used ELISA to test the blood samples to measure IgA against oats avenin, wheat gliadin and tissue trans-glutaminase.
Eighty-two of the celiac disease patients had been eating oats as part of their gluten-free diet for 6 months or more. Both the oats-eating and non-oats-eating celiac disease patients showed no significant differences in IgA against oats. However, both groups did show elevated levels of IgA against wheat, oats and tissue tTG compared to healthy controls. The groups also showed a significant positive correlation between anti-avenin and antigliadin IgA (pB0.0001), and between anti-avenin and anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA (p 0.0012).
The researchers concluded that eating oats does not cause increased levels of IgA in adult celiac disease patients on a gluten-free diet. The findings support the notion that most adult celiac disease patients can tolerate oats.
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 43:2, 161 - 165.
Recent evidence from a number of studies has supported the idea that oats are safe for people with celiac disease. In several countries, oats are now on the list of safe foods for people with celiac disease. The studies on oats and celiac disease have had various designs, but most have been small, and often with high patient drop-out rates. To date, there has only been a single randomized and double-blinded study measuring the effects of oats on celiac patients. The studies have been nearly unanimous in concluding that consumption of oats is safe to celiac disease patients.
Most of these clinical studies have assessed blood histology in reaction to oats, or measured normalization after patients had been diagnosed with celiac disease and were already following gluten-free diets. Three large studies from Finland have investigated the effect of dietary oats and their influence on antibody levels to wheat gluten and to tissue transglutaminase. Previous studies have shown that people with untreated celiac disease show elevated IgA antibodies in reaction oat avenins. However, only one study on treated celiac disease patients has investigated IgA antibodies to oats.
Researchers know of just three confirmed cases of active celiac disease flaring up again in adults after these people ingested oats, which indicates that intolerance to oats among celiacs may be rare, but also may in fact have some role to play in celiac disease. It also points to the need for clinical monitoring of celiac disease patients who eat oats.
A research team made up of Vigdis Guttormsen, Astrid Løvik, Asta Bye; Jorunn Bratlie, Lars Mørkrid, and Knut E. A. Lundin recently conducted a small study to determine whether treated adult celiac disease patients who ate oats showed elevated levels if IgA. The research team compared blood samples of 136 adult patients with treated celiac disease against 139 controls. The team used ELISA to test the blood samples to measure IgA against oats avenin, wheat gliadin and tissue trans-glutaminase.
Eighty-two of the celiac disease patients had been eating oats as part of their gluten-free diet for 6 months or more. Both the oats-eating and non-oats-eating celiac disease patients showed no significant differences in IgA against oats. However, both groups did show elevated levels of IgA against wheat, oats and tissue tTG compared to healthy controls. The groups also showed a significant positive correlation between anti-avenin and antigliadin IgA (pB0.0001), and between anti-avenin and anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA (p 0.0012).
The researchers concluded that eating oats does not cause increased levels of IgA in adult celiac disease patients on a gluten-free diet. The findings support the notion that most adult celiac disease patients can tolerate oats.
Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, 43:2, 161 - 165.
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Comments
#1 ( k bard)
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Very clear and helpful. I've been eating oatmeal for over a year, having been on the gluten free diet for 10 years. No ill effects, ever.
#2 ( Harry Nichoalds)
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I have been on a strict (99-100%) gluten free diet for over 25 years. Ii'm over 80....I've waited for word on oats...thank you.
#3 ( Tara W)
I've reacted to oatmeal before. I have read that in the U.S. most oats are processed on the same equipment that's used for wheat processing and that the amount of gluten contamination can vary widely. I have found that I can tolerate organic oats with no problem -- maybe because it's processed more carefully?
#4 ( Frank D)
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Since I was diagnosed 5 years ago after 40 years of mistakes I have been eating oats. I try not to eat anything that was processed on machinery that process wheat. For me it is not worth the risk. I do not ever want to feel that way again.
#5 ( Jamia H)
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I knew I reacted to oats, and looked forward to obtaining gluten-free oatmeal. However, I also reacted to the certified gluten-free (expensive!) oats as well, with symptoms quite similar to what happens when I've eaten gluten. Although avenin sensitivity may be rare, it is obviously present for me!
#6 ( Mary T)
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When I was diagnosed 4 years ago, I had read about the oatmeal being a safe produce to consume. I continue to eat oatmeal without any side effects. I guess I am one of the lucky ones.