Celiac disease is one of the most common digestive disorders in the U.S. occurring in one out of every 133 otherwise healthy individuals, according to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center. If you have celiac disease, your body identifies certain plant proteins, or glutens as foreign bodies and launches an attack. While some grains are clearly forbidden for those with celiac disease, there's still controversy about oats.
Identification
The Celiac Sprue Association identifies three forms of gluten that trigger celiac disease: gliadin from wheat, secalin from rye and hordein in barley. If you have celiac disease, you must abstain from all foods and beverages that contain wheat, rye or barley. Oats contain a different form of gluten called avenin and the CSA says the evidence about the effect of avenin on those with celiac disease is not as clear-cut.
Consequences
If you have celiac disease and ingest forbidden forms of gluten, your immune system tries to destroy that protein. In the process, there can be significant damage to the villi, which are small finger-like projections on the lining of your small intestine. Damaged villi become less effective at absorbing vital nutrients from food passing through your gut, and you may become malnourished. If you continue ingesting these types of gluten, you may develop osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and infertility, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.
What to Expect
While some individuals with celiac disease can eat oats without any noticeable autoimmune response, others develop abdominal cramping, diarrhea, constipation and associated symptoms that indicate the villi are being damaged. Unfortunately, there is no approved diagnostic test to determine how you'll respond to oats.
Warnings
Even if you don't have an autoimmune reaction to the avenin in oats, you may put yourself at risk when you eat oat products, says MayoClinic.com. Oats can be cross-contaminated by the gluten from wheat and other grains growing in near-by fields, or during the manufacturing process.
Expert Insight
MayoClinic.com reports, "Doctors generally recommend avoiding oats unless they are specifically labeled gluten-free. The question of whether people eating a gluten-free diet can consumer pure oat products remains a subject of scientific debate."
