Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Are Oats Gluten Free?

lizjay

Recommended Posts

lizjay Newbie
lizjay
Posted

Does anyone out there know if oats are gluten free? My Grandmother made sone cookies with oats and she told me they were gluten free. I don't want to eat them until I know. I don't need to get sick again.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

I strongly oppose oats....they are highly contaminated with wheat. Oats themselves are ok but they are highly contaminated so stay away from them is my opinion.

lizjay Newbie
lizjay
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for your quick response. I could not find a definite answer any where.

Guest gliX
Guest gliX
Posted

Hmm, are you sure? I eat oatmeal all the time and was told by a nutritionist that they are fine to eat after a year of being gluten-free. Also, are grits gluten-free?

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

There are two issues with oats:

1) Oats are pretty much universally contaminated. Unless you grow, harvest, and process them in your own back yard, they come in contact with wheat either in the field, in the processing, or in the shipping. Independent testing has backed up the "contaminated" claim.

2) Some, but by no means all, or even the majority, of celiacs DO react to avenin, the protein in oats. It's chemical structure is similar to that of gliandin, the wheat protein, but different enough that most celiacs' immune systems don't see it as a problem. Some celiacs do react to it, however, and if they do, it can cause damage. At the moment, aside from repeated biopsies, I don't think there is a way to determine if any given celiac will react to oats without a dietary challenge. If you don't always have strong reactions, however, this could be a very misleading way to determine if you can have oats. If you're one of the celiacs who does not react to oats, however, I refer back to item 1).

(Which is unfortunate, because oats are fab for baking!)

gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted

Grits are gluten-free. They are made from corn (hominy actually, which is a large kernel corn).

Make sure they are plain though, or that the flavored grits don't have gluten in any of the added ingredients.

We don't eat oats either. Not worth the risk of contamination. We have tried McCann's Oats (which are generally recognised as being the least contaminated), but no one liked them...

God bless,

Mariann

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

gliX-yes oats are not gluten free...very much contaminated...I stay away from them completely. There was a post on here a while back that had a report about oats tested and the numbers of the wheat in them were shocking!

Nutritionists don't know everything about celiac...one told me I could have spelt!!! You have to do checking yourself because when it comes to gluten anything is possible.

avenin which is the protein in oats that tarnelberry mentioned can cause reactions and damage. It's just better to stay away from them in my opinion.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Guest gliX
Guest gliX
Posted

i've been having oatmeal for a year now, and have never even had the slightest reaction.

after this information i will try and stay away from them.

Guest gliX
Guest gliX
Posted

also, i only have a mild case of celiac, thats probably why the nutritionist told me that

and...when I first found out I had celiac my numbers were high, which is for common for someone with celiac...then i went gluten-free for a year and the numbers were normal. and then i had oats for a few months and my blood numbers remained normal, so the doctor told me oats was fine.

Guest Viola
Guest Viola
Posted

I don't think there are 'degrees' in Celiac disease, you either have it or you don't. All gluten contamination causes damage.

In Canada oats are considered not to be gluten free at any time. It's printed right on our restaurant cards.

And your right Kaiti, I've had both nutritionists and Alternative doctors tell me I could eat spelt. :o

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

gliX-There are no degrees of celiac...you have it or you don't..

If you have celiac whether or not you react to it doesn't mean a thing...some celiacs don't get symptoms.

It still does damage to your intestines.

Viola-yeah some doctors and nutririonists are not up on things like they should.New celiacs who are told this by them may learn the hard way because of their advice. It's crazy <_<

Guest gliX
Guest gliX
Posted

Well I was told I had a mild case, and my cousin has a severe case. When i was not gluten-free, I had absolutely no reaction to wheat in any way, but for my cousin, he was short and his bones were growing in irregularly.

angel-jd1 Community Regular
angel-jd1
Posted

There are varied levels of damage, NOT varied levels of celiac disease. It is a yes/no type thing. Sorry.

Many people have no symptoms at all and are still doing damage to their bodies.

-Jessica :rolleyes:

Deby Apprentice
Deby
Posted

A doctor at the Children's Hospital in Denver (where I live) did an extensive study on oat contamination. His results were that oats are too contaminated for the gluten-free diet. The Dr is Ed Hoffenberg. He is nationally recognized as an expert in the study of celiac disease. We have him speak at our support meetings about once a year. His oat results are on the web somewhere. I'm not savvy enough to find them, but if someone else can dig them up, that would be great. Ed emailed the findings to me but I don't have them anymore.

I'm looking to get a grower to grow oats for my bakery and a miller to mill them just for me. That would be awesome as I really do enjoy oats and still succumb and eat them occasionally. Sometimes I do get a gut ache that I recognize as a celiac disease contamination issue. I grew up eating oatmeal for breakfast and as a young adult had it every morning. I miss it but bottom line is, it's not safe.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted

gliX-symptoms do not matter with celiac...someone without symptoms may have just as much damage to their intestines as someone with severe symptoms. As said in a post by Jessica...there are levels of damage but not celiac. Some people catch celiac before alot of damage is done which is good but still does not change the fact they are celiac and need to avoid gluten just as much as someone with severe damage....

I'm sorry and I hope this info has helped out :D

celiac3270 Collaborator
celiac3270
Posted

From Jessica's support group (USA Silly Yaks):

A registered dietician took 12 containers of rolled or steel cut

oats that represented 4 different lots of three brand names. The

brands being McCanns, Country Choice, and Quaker.

The ELISA R5 test was used on the 12 samples. All of the brands

showed contamination!!!

McCann's

1st- below level of detection (so under 3ppm)

2st- below 20ppm

3nd- 23ppm

4rd- 725ppm

Country Choice

1st- below 20ppm

2nd-4th ranged from 120-210ppm

Quaker

All four tested from 338-1807ppm

Under 20ppm is the codex standard used to determine Gluten

free.........but all of the brands showed some crazy levels of

contamination and were inconsistent. I wouldn't trust them!!

So...no oats for me!

Guest gliX
Guest gliX
Posted

well they definitely are contaminated but might they differ on who eats them? After a recent exam, my blood numbers were normal and intestines had changed to normal. they said everything looked good.

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

For me it's not worth the risk, It's obvious most oats are contaminated. I don't trust them so I don't eat them!

gabrielle Contributor
gabrielle
Posted

I'm sorry... But what in the world is SPELT???? :huh:

Guest Viola
Guest Viola
Posted

SPELT is a German wheat. It is lower in gluten, but not gluten free.

celiac3270 Collaborator
celiac3270
Posted

Ooh...very interesting information from Anne Lee about oats. I'll put it in a post under the coping section which I'll do later on the Celiac conference.

KaitiUSA Enthusiast
KaitiUSA
Posted
I'm sorry... But what in the world is SPELT???? :huh:

Some people falsy label it as gluten free but it is not...it is a form of wheat

plantime Contributor
plantime
Posted
I'm looking to get a grower to grow oats for my bakery and a miller to mill them just for me. That would be awesome as I really do enjoy oats

Monica, when you do, please let me know. I would love to buy some and have my morning bowl of oatmeal agin!

celiac3270 Collaborator
celiac3270
Posted

I think you'll be able to have McCanns--I'll explain in that other post when I get around to typing up 32 pgs...lol...maybe I'll just summarize it in 1/4 of that.

gabrielle Contributor
gabrielle
Posted

Thank you for letting me know! It makes sense to me that it is a German wheat- where i live it is a very German town and I see it everywhere. I am glad I didn't have any... I really wasnt sure what kind of grain it was. Thanks so much :D

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. dixonpete
      0

      Hookworm load planner

    2. AlwaysLearning
      - AlwaysLearning replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      Gluten related ??

      Get tested for vitamin deficiencies. Though neuropathy can be a symptom of celiac, it can also be caused by deficiencies due to poor digestion caused by celiac and could be easier to treat.
    3. Colleen H
      - Colleen H replied to Colleen H's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      Gluten related ??

      Thank you so much for your response Yes it seems as though things get very painful as time goes on. I'm not eating gluten as far as I know. However, I'm not sure of cross contamination. My system seems to weaken to hidden spices and other possibilities. ??? if cross contamination is possible...I am in a super sensitive mode of celiac disease...
    4. Jmartes71
      - Jmartes71 replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      My only proof

      EXACTLY! I was asked yesterday on my LAST video call with Standford and I stated exactly yes absolutely this is why I need the name! One, get proper care, two, not get worse.Im falling apart, stressed out, in pain and just opened email from Stanford stating I was rude ect.I want that video reviewed by higher ups and see if that women still has a job or not...
    5. AlwaysLearning
      - AlwaysLearning replied to Jmartes71's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      4

      My only proof

      We feel your pain. It took me 20+ years of regularly going to doctors desperate for answers only to be told there was nothing wrong with me … when I was 20 pounds underweight, suffering from severe nutritional deficiencies, and in a great deal of pain. I had to figure it out for myself. If you're in the U.S., not having an official diagnosis does m...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,089
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Clare Durham
    Newest Member
    Clare Durham
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • AlwaysLearning
      Gluten related ??

      By AlwaysLearning · Posted

      Get tested for vitamin deficiencies.  Though neuropathy can be a symptom of celiac, it can also be caused by deficiencies due to poor digestion caused by celiac and could be easier to treat.
    • Colleen H
      Gluten related ??

      By Colleen H · Posted

      Thank you so much for your response  Yes it seems as though things get very painful as time goes on.  I'm not eating gluten as far as I know.  However, I'm not sure of cross contamination.  My system seems to weaken to hidden spices and other possibilities. ???  if cross contamination is possible...I am in a super sensitive mode of celiac disease.. Neuropathy from head to toes
    • Jmartes71
      My only proof

      By Jmartes71 · Posted

      EXACTLY! I was asked yesterday on my LAST video call with Standford and I stated exactly yes absolutely this is why I need the name! One, get proper care, two, not get worse.Im falling apart, stressed out, in pain and just opened email from Stanford stating I was rude ect.I want that video reviewed by higher ups and see if that women still has a job or not.Im saying this because I've been medically screwed and asking for help because bills don't pay itself. This could be malpratice siit but im not good at finding lawyers
    • AlwaysLearning
      My only proof

      By AlwaysLearning · Posted

      We feel your pain. It took me 20+ years of regularly going to doctors desperate for answers only to be told there was nothing wrong with me … when I was 20 pounds underweight, suffering from severe nutritional deficiencies, and in a great deal of pain. I had to figure it out for myself. If you're in the U.S., not having an official diagnosis does mean you can't claim a tax deduction for the extra expense of gluten-free foods. But it can also be a good thing. Pre-existing conditions might be a reason why a health insurance company might reject your application or charge you more money. No official diagnosis means you don't have a pre-existing condition. I really hope you don't live in the U.S. and don't have these challenges. Do you need an official diagnosis for a specific reason? Else, I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you're diligent in remaining gluten free, your body should be healing as much as possible so there isn't much else you could do anyway. And there are plenty of us out here who never got that official diagnosis because we couldn't eat enough gluten to get tested. Now that the IL-2 test is available, I suppose I could take it, but I don't feel the need. Someone else not believing me really isn't my problem as long as I can stay in control of my own food.
    • AlwaysLearning
      Gluten related ??

      By AlwaysLearning · Posted

      If you're just starting out in being gluten free, I would expect it to take months before you learned enough about hidden sources of gluten before you stopped making major mistakes. Ice cream? Not safe unless they say it is gluten free. Spaghetti sauce? Not safe unless is says gluten-free. Natural ingredients? Who knows what's in there. You pretty much need to cook with whole ingredients yourself to avoid it completely. Most gluten-free products should be safe, but while you're in the hypersensitive phase right after going gluten free, you may notice that when something like a microwave meal seems to not be gluten-free … then you find out that it is produced in a shared facility where it can become contaminated. My reactions were much-more severe after going gluten free. The analogy that I use is that you had a whole army of soldiers waiting for some gluten to attack, and now that you took away their target, when the stragglers from the gluten army accidentally wander onto the battlefield, you still have your entire army going out and attacking them. Expect it to take two years before all of the training facilities that were producing your soldiers have fallen into disrepair and are no longer producing soldiers. But that is two years after you stop accidentally glutening yourself. Every time you do eat gluten, another training facility can be built and more soldiers will be waiting to attack. Good luck figuring things out.   
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.