Are oat flakes wheat free?

Bob Z

i looked it up on google i found this so i'm still don't know
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten_sensitivity#The_oat_controversy

Does anyone here know?

brigadoon

Hey Bob, I'm assuming that you're asking whether the gluten in oats has the same effect as that in wheat, rye and barley?
There is some controversy as to whether this is so but from what I have researched and experienced personally the answer seems to be no.
It would appear that oats are safe for people sensitive to wheat to eat in realistic quantities. I personally eat porridge for breakfast daily and snack on oatcakes and homemade flapjacks almost daily with no ill effect.
The impression that I got from what I read around the place was that intolerance to gluten/wheat is not cut and dried; that some people are hyper sensitive to it and therefore will react to any traces of gluten in anything. Which is pretty much everything that the 'normals' eat.
Interestingly I actually can't eat gluten free wheat products, I experience exactly the same physical (as opposed to psychological) symptoms as regular wheat products. I have also eaten small quantities of rye with no apparent ill effect so I really think it's a trial and error thing.

jdivision

I react to the gluten in it but had originally been okay on it. As my body adjusted to having no gluten (aside from the oats) i found I began getting reactions to the oats. So I had to eventually give it up. But it's a personal thing, you're basically just going to have to try or avoid.
Brigadoon is correct about some of the gluten free products - I react to some gluten free bagels for example and a certain supermarket's gf fruit cake

teacosy

The coeliac society explain the situation regarding the gluten content of oats in Ireland here;

http://www.coeliac.ie/health_professionals/dietary_management/effective_education_on_gf_diet

Bob Z

its the wheat i'm wondering about. I'm mostly ok with gluten

metamorphosis

OP - oats and wheat are not the same which is why people went on about gluten. Some people intolerant to wheat react fine to gluten in oats, others are not. If you are mostly okay with gluten, oats on appropriate quantities should be ok then. No one will know more than you - you will be able to tell whether they agree with you or not.

brigadoon

Bob Z wrote: »

its the wheat i'm wondering about. I'm mostly ok with gluten

I'm a bit confused?
Are you intolerant to wheat or are you just choosing to avoid it? Like are you following the paleolithic diet or something?
If you are intolerant to wheat it is the gluten present in the wheat that you are actually reacting to. The gluten in oats is of a different type so you may or may not have a problem with it.
If you aren't intolerant to wheat and you decide to suddenly cut it entirely out of your diet it can put serious strain on your system if you then suddenly reintroduce it. I have heard of someone who followed many fad diets, cut out wheat for months and then suddenly reintroduced it and induced coeliac disease in herself. I should imagine that she must have had a predisposition to the disease but caution should still be taken as diet and nutrition have a huge effect on our overall health.

Bob Z

brigadoon wrote: »

I'm a bit confused?
Are you intolerant to wheat or are you just choosing to avoid it? Like are you following the paleolithic diet or something?
If you are intolerant to wheat it is the gluten present in the wheat that you are actually reacting to. The gluten in oats is of a different type so you may or may not have a problem with it.
If you aren't intolerant to wheat and you decide to suddenly cut it entirely out of your diet it can put serious strain on your system if you then suddenly reintroduce it. I have heard of someone who followed many fad diets, cut out wheat for months and then suddenly reintroduced it and induced coeliac disease in herself. I should imagine that she must have had a predisposition to the disease but caution should still be taken as diet and nutrition have a huge effect on our overall health.

I'm allergic to wheat and intolerant to gluten. I still occaisonally take wheat in things like biscuits but I try to avoid it.

El_Dangeroso

brigadoon wrote: »

I'm a bit confused?
Are you intolerant to wheat or are you just choosing to avoid it? Like are you following the paleolithic diet or something?
If you are intolerant to wheat it is the gluten present in the wheat that you are actually reacting to. The gluten in oats is of a different type so you may or may not have a problem with it.
If you aren't intolerant to wheat and you decide to suddenly cut it entirely out of your diet it can put serious strain on your system if you then suddenly reintroduce it. I have heard of someone who followed many fad diets, cut out wheat for months and then suddenly reintroduced it and induced coeliac disease in herself. I should imagine that she must have had a predisposition to the disease but caution should still be taken as diet and nutrition have a huge effect on our overall health.

I used to think that gluten was the only thing in wheat you could be allergic to, not so apparently, there are other proteins in wheat you can have a immune response to. You can be allergic to wheat and tolerate gluten just fine.

Also, you categorically cannot induce celiac disease in yourself by cutting out wheat from the diet. The lady you refer to already had it, but probably never connected the symptoms which can be very vague (this is why nearly half of all celiacs are unaware of their condition). When you give up wheat as a celiac, the gut gets a break from the constant bombardment and completely freaks out when it encounters gluten again, this reaction intensifies over time. The longer you go without gluten if you are even intolerant, not full blown celiac, the more intense your body's rejection of it is.