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Oats-what's The Deal?

clbevilacqua

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clbevilacqua Explorer
clbevilacqua
Posted

Just wondering what's going on with oats? It is on some countries don't eat lists but ok on others. Some celiacs can eat them some can't (I can eat them occasionally, but my daughter can't touch them). I have read that they do not contain gluten themselves so is it just a cross-contamination risk? or is there a low level immune response that I am not noticing in me? If it is just cc, why is it any different then the risk when I go out to eat in a restaurant or to someone else's house? And if it is just cc, why does it seem to affect some people so much more than others? Like I said just wondering........

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tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

There's a two-fold issue with oats:

1) no mainstream available-in-the-US brand of oats are free of contamination, or have contamination at levels regularly below the 200ppm CODEX standard. there are two companies in the US and one in Canada that grow, mill, and transport gluten-free oats that are not contaminated, but are much more expensive.

2) regardless of contamination, approximately 10% of celiacs react to the oat protein, avenin, with a classic celiac reaction themselves. there is no test to determine if you react to pure oats themselves.

happygirl Collaborator
happygirl
Posted

Here's what I know, and it seems like there are two issues at hand (this is all simplified, maybe someone else can add more!)

1. Most commercially grown oats (including Quaker) are grow in fields that are rotated with wheat/gluten. So they believe in the processing, wheat can get mixed in, which would explain why some people react to oats. There are some oats (McCann's is one brand) that is purposely grown in non-wheat rotated fields and has been said to be safe, by experts...but others disagree.

go to www.celiac.com and on the right, do a search for "oats" you will see the following articles, plus about 30 more

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-06106158051.62

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-06106158051.62

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-06106158051.62

https://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodi...-06106158051.62

2. another thought is along the lines of the fact that the oat protein is structurally similar to the gluten protein, so that is why some react. Other experts say it causes damage in all.

Some people on the board eat uncontaminated oats, and others do not.

tiffany-apparently we just posted at the same time :)

jaten Enthusiast
jaten
Posted

When I was diagnosed 11 mos ago, my GI said, "We're going to talk heart-to-heart, and I want you to look in my eyes and know how serious I am. You are a very sick lady. You have a serious disease. The good news is that you will get better with time if you do exactly what I am going to tell you to do. For the rest of your life you will be on an extremely strict diet.....yada yada yada....yada yada yada....no oats or oat products, no matter what you hear about

them....yada yada yada "

Good enough for me.

new to LI Newbie
new to LI
Posted

I maybe one of the lucky ones but i eat two different oatmeals regulary. McCains irsh oatmeal and Lara's rolled oats. the first is out of irland (duh) and the other canada.

grace-inspired Rookie
grace-inspired
Posted

We have been giving some concideration to growing our own hull-less oats next year. I guess by then we will know iff the gluten free diet has benefited us and introducing oats will be like the ultimate test...if we grow them our selves--there is NO risk of contamination--

I think you can get them from teritorial seed. Maybe we will even have extra ;)

Christina

Indiana

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

Some people react to even pure oats so there is no guarantee you will be ok with it. Another thing to take into consideration is that the brands available in the US are all contaminated with high levels of wheat. If you must have oats you need to go with a brand that is grown, transported, and in a facility alone without wheat.

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