<<Disclaimer:  Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
I just read the NEJM article about oats for celiacs. I am a little
concerned about this study. First, it was only 100 individuals in the
study, is this enough of an example to represent the entire celiac
population? Second, it was only for 1 year, is this long enough for
long-term side effects? While I would love to eat oats, am I skeptical
that this study may be premature.
 
 I think that there are a lot of people on this listserv who have not
been formally diagnosised with celiac disease. I would also like to note
something about the patients. "Patients were also excluded if their
diagnosis was not definite- for example, if there was any other reason
for villous atrophy such as cancer, previous irradiation, collagenous
disease, or inflammatory bowel disease." Also, noteworthy is that some
of the patients (one in the control group and two in the oat group)
withdrew because of complaints of dermatitis herpetiformis: worsening of
itching without any signs of dermatitis.
 
I strongly believe that people should seek the advice of their doctors
before adding oats back to their diet. Also, read this article so that
you can be knowledgable about you are eating. I would like to hear other
people's input about this study.
 
Lauren Brown
Brookline, MA