<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> The purpose of this post is to follow up a recent query of mine as to whether other celiacs were eating oats. I am not interested in opening the oat debate. Briefly, a study appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, I believe two years ago. The study suggested that celiacs could consider adding oats to their diets. This was based on the chemical structure of oats, as well as, a following of a small groups of celiacs who ate oats over a 6 month period and did not show any negative changes in their biopsies. Citing many reasons why they thought the study was flawed,i.e., because it did not follow celiacs for a long enough period of time and because it did consider that immunities change as people get older, the national celiac support group in Omaha and my local chapter vehemently came out against celiacs eating oats. For those of you who are interested, I'm sure you can research this further by going back to earlier posts. Notwithstanding this negative response, several gastroenterologists, including mine, have said it is probably o.k. to eat oats. I have been eating oats for two years with no negative response and continue to have negative antibody tests. Others responded to my query as follows: 1. " I have read most of the articles and believe that oats are safe. As such I have been eating oats several times a week. After eating them for 10 months, I had another biopsy and it showed no damage from eating the oats. In fact, the small intestine was in better shape than with the previous biopsy. I think oats are safe for me." 2. "I, too, am eating oats, albeit in a less supervised manner than you. I ate oats between my first and second biopsies and passed my second biopsy. My MD suggested that I continue to watch the literature, but that I could eat oats w/o further monitoring so long as the literature was nebulous." 3. "I saw my gi specialist last week and he said you know that you should be able to eat oats. I discussed it with him only briefly. The concern is the rolled oat and rolled wheat grain would look similar and not be able to be told apart. How are you getting pure oats? " 4. "I have been eating oatmeal several times a month for the past two years. I have had four biopses in that period of time and I have been fine with no sign of any damage.My biopses have been while my doctors were looking for what was wrong with me and each time they thought they should check to see if I had any damage. They finally found what was wrong,It has nothing to do with CD." 5. "I will eat energy bars that list oat bran or oat fiber in the ingredients, but I will not eat rolled oats or whole oats out of the concern that they are processed with wheat flour." 6. "My daughter had eaten oats for over a year without any adverse affects but now has some stomach pain. We are taking her off oats until the pain stops. We don't think its the oats, it is probably cross-contamination from processed foods but we are concerned about the pain. If and when she begins to eat oats again it will probably be whole oats rather than manufactured cereals with oat flour in it. You are right about oats, it opens alot of possibilities. That's is why we began the cereals with oats." 7. "I allow myself one bowl of oatmeal a week. " I buy organic steel cut oats directly from the farmer/ miller so I know it is not cross contaminated with wheat. 8. "Me too ! I started with the tiniest amount...After several weeks I felt sure it was ok, and I have been enjoying the most wonderful oatmeal and peanut butter cookies ever since." 9. "I eat oats for the past 6 months and antibody levels have not risen. I haven't had repeat biopsys though. Eating oats does make it a lot nicer." 10. Arrowhead Mills may have a supplier that only deals with corn and oats. I don't have an answer for all of you regarding the cross contamination question. If anyone does, the oat eaters on the list would sure apreciate a post. Happy Holidays to all of you and a healthy gluten free New Year !! Diane Smith