Many people rely on oats or oatmeal to provide them with a better and healthier alternative to cereals for breakfast, but does it really stand on its claim to fame as a gluten-free substitute?
Nutritionists and dietitians believe that the oats in itself is naturally gluten-free, however, it is the combination of other grains that make up ‘health food’ formulations where it gets its gluten.
But to shed light on what gluten is and what it can do for the body, gluten is a group of proteins that is found in grains such as rye, wheat and barley, which gives breads and pastries their flexibility when formed into a dough and gives it its chewy texture.
However, studies have shown that it is considered as one of the few harmful proteins that could be damaging to the body and is a culprit behind celiac disease. Gluten contains a unique amino acid structure that makes it difficult for the enzymes in the digestive tract to break down.
The effects of gluten is more pronounced in people with celiac disease where it is responsible for triggering an autoimmune response to the protein, with symptoms ranging from severe stomach pain, excessive bruising/bleeding, diarrhea, bloating, anemia, fatigue and flatulence, among others. Failure to seek medical attention for celiac disease could be deadly.
Studies have shown that oats in its pure form is gluten-free and people with celiac disease or wheat allergy have consumed 50 to 100 grams of oats without any negative effects.
Another study also reported findings where no adverse effects were seen among 106 celiac patients for eight years when they were provided with a daily diet of oats.
The only time when oats are believed to contain gluten is when it is harvested along with other grain crops like wheat and barley that are rich in gluten and gets mixed with oats.
Gluten contamination on oats can be as simple as a few grains of wheat or barley getting mixed up with oats or when they are processed together in a milling facility, which is often the result of people with celiac disease wondering how they experienced symptoms when eating oats.
Researchers pointed out that people with celiac disease are highly sensitive to gluten since a minute 20 parts per million is enough to cause a negative reaction.
The post Is It Safe To Say That Oats Are Gluten Free? appeared first on NUTRITION CLUB CANADA.
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