Let’s Talk Oats!
Are oats gluten-free? Is it safe to eat oats if you have Celiac Disease? The answer is, “it depends.”
Here’s the skinny on the great oat debate. Pure, uncontaminated oats are, in fact, gluten-free because they are not related to gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, rye, and malt. Oats contain the protein avenin, which is non-toxic and tolerated by most people with Celiac Disease.
However, there is a small percentage (less than 1%) of Celiac patients who show a reaction to oats in their diets.
Because of this, it is best to err on the side of caution. Here’s how:
When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2008, I was referred to Dr. Murray, a Celiac specialist at the Mayo Clinic. He advised me to initially take out all forms of wheat, rye, barley, malt, and oats. He also indicated that some Celiac patients also have sensitivity to dairy and should remove it from their diets until their body heals.
When the body is fully healed, and the villi are in the small intestine are once again fully functioning (typically in six to twelve months), it is then a safe time to reintroduce dairy and then oats. It is not recommended to introduce them both at the same time because if there is a reaction, you will not know the source—the dairy or the oats.
I followed Dr. Murray’s advice. And because I love both oats and dairy, I was grateful to find that I tolerate both without any adverse reactions.
It is important to note that when reintroducing oats, you must pay attention to your body’s signals. Some people who add oats back in may experience symptoms related to the increased fiber rather than an adverse reaction from the oats.
So how do you know which it is? My advice, if you love oats and don’t want to live life without them, is to experiment. If you have a reaction, eliminate the oats again for a period of time. Then reintroduce them in small amounts and build up to a full serving to see how your body reacts.
For those of us fortunate enough to still have these wonderful little oats in our diets, we must still be very careful and vigilant about the brands we choose. Some facilities process gluten-containing foods on the same machinery or in the same facility as other gluten-containing foods and therefore pose a risk of cross-contamination.
This is why you want to scan the package for a GF label—either in the name or somewhere on the packaging. If there are no GF markings, you should stay away from that product.
Specialty gluten-free oats (like Bob’s Red Mill) that are grown, harvested, and processed in a way that prohibits them from coming in contact with gluten-containing grains are considered fully gluten-free.
Because of the extra precautions taken to produce these oats for you and me, they are oftentimes more expensive. But, in my mind, it’s a small price to pay for the safety of my gut … I’ll pay the extra all day long for the happy belly and peace of mind it offers.