Oats contain avenin, which is a protein similar to gluten. However, research has shown that most people with coeliac disease can safely eat avenin as it is very different to the gluten in wheat, rye & barley. New research here
Problems can occur if oats are produced on the same farms that grow wheat, barley and rye, as the oats can become contaminated with these other grains.
It's up to you to decide whether to include uncontaminated oats in your diet.
The benefit of oats:
- can add variety to the gluten-free diet
- are a good source of soluble fibre, which helps to keep a healthy gut, can help to treat high cholesterol and can help to keep blood sugars stable. Read more on our article on Betaglucan in Oats
If you suffer from food intolerances and in particular a gluten-free allergy, it is imperative to introduce a new food to your diet slowly. Make sure, especially if you are a coeliac and you wish to do a food challenge with the oats that you are working with your health professional.
The best advice we can offer is to take a great deal of care before introducing oats into your diet, which includes speaking with your healthcare provider about this dietary change. There is no way to determine if you will react, so proceed with caution. Verify that the oats you are using are pure, uncontaminated. Gloriously Free Uncontaminated Oats are the only oats product grown in Australia that follow the Global Oats Protocol and are the Gold Standard for pure oats.
Experts recommend that up to 50g of dry pure oats are considered safe.
This equals approximately 1/2 cup of rolled oats
We suggest you start with a 50g serving
How often can I eat oats?
Some who add oats to their diet may experience GI symptoms. This may actually be a result of the increased fibre that oats provide instead of a reaction to the oats themselves. So it is recommended that a person starting out eating smaller portions every other day, rather than the full serving size daily until so their intestines can adjust to the increased amount of fibre.
It is also suggested that newly diagnosed ceoliac patients give their gut a chance to heal before introducing oats back into their diet (approximately 6 months to one year after their initial diagnosis). Please be in contact with your health care provider while introducing gluten-free oats back into your diet.