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Date: | Wed, 20 Jan 1999 07:07:42 -0600 |
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Aimee-
My 3yr old daughter was diagnosed with CD on Dec 10, 1998. Her
pediatric GI and her nutritionist have both told us (my wife and
I) that oats are OK and do not contain gluten. I am no expert but
I have cited two research papers that make oats look safe.
There is a research paper on the topic titled
`Absence of oats toxicity in adult coeliac disease'
at
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/313/7068/1300
Here are the final 3 paragraphs:
This study shows the safety of adding oats to the gluten-free diet
of 10 patients with coeliac disease. Seven of the patients have
continued to take the same quantity of oats for more than 12 months
without adverse effect. These findings are in agreement with a
recently published study.2 In that study, however, the authors
stated that they excluded coeliac patients with "severe" disease.
No such policy was adopted in our study, and two of our patients
were subsequently shown to be exquisitely sensitive when given a
gluten micro-challenge. A third patient was also shown to be very
sensitive to trace quantities of gluten taken inadvertently.
Activation of the immune system by cereal protein is likely to be
centrally involved in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease,3 and
evidence of immunological stimulation is a sensitive marker of
disease activation. Such evidence includes lymphocyte infiltration
of the surface epithelium4 and the production of antibodies to
endomysium and gliadin. Oats challenge caused no change in these
parameters whereas in the patients given a gluten microchallenge,
abnormalities were observed.
Our results suggest that oats cereal is neither toxic nor immunogenic
in coeliac disease. This has important implications for the coeliac
population since the inclusion of oats would substantially improve
the fibre and nutrient content of their gluten-free diet.5 The
knowledge that oats are not toxic may help to define the toxic
moiety in other cereals.
The paper cited above cites a 1995 paper titled
`A comparison of diets with and without oats in adults with celiac disease.'
at
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&form=6&uid=7675045&Dopt=r
This paper says:
BACKGROUND. Wheat, rye, and barley damage the small-intestinal
mucosa of patients with celiac disease; maize and rice are harmless.
The effects of a diet containing oats are uncertain.
METHODS. In a randomized trial, we compared the effects of gluten-free
diets without oats and with oats (with a goal of 50 to 70 g per
day from three sources: two types of wheat-starch flour mixed with
an equal amount of oats, muesli containing 60 percent oats, and
rolled-oat breakfast cereal). Fifty-two adults with celiac disease
in remission were followed for 6 months and 40 with newly diagnosed
disease for 12 months. Endoscopy with duodenal biopsy was performed
at the beginning and end of the study.
RESULTS. The mean (+/- SD) oat intake in the oat group was 49.9
+/- 14.7 g per day at 6 months for patients in remission and 46.6
+/- 13.3 g per day at 12 months for patients with newly diagnosed
disease. The oat and control groups did not differ significantly
in nutritional status, symptoms, or laboratory measures. Patients
in remission, regardless of diet, did not have worsening architecture
of the duodenal villi or increased mononuclear-cell infiltration.
All the patients with new diagnoses were in remission at one year,
except for one in the control group. Six patients in the oat groups
and five in the control group withdrew from the study.
CONCLUSIONS. Moderate amounts of oats can be included in a gluten-free
diet for most adult patients with celiac disease without adverse
effects.
Quentin Fennessy
(father of a 3yr old daughter with CD)
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