Unkilned and large amounts of oats in the coeliac disease diet: a randomized, controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
There is evidence for the long-term safety of oats as part of a gluten-free diet in coeliac disease (CD). Oats is generally processed by kilning, which theoretically may change its antigenic properties and be the reason that it is tolerated by patients with CD. The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of large amounts of unkilned oats, comparing its use with kilned oats in adult coeliac patients.


METHODS
The study group included 13 men and 19 women with CD in remission. The goal of daily intake of oats was 100 g during one year. These patients using oats as part of their gluten-free diet were randomized to two treatment groups. One group used regular oats and the other unkilned oats. After 6 months the patients changed the treatment groups. Food intake, symptoms, histology of the small intestine and the levels of endomysial antibodies were noted.


RESULTS
No marked changes were found in the duodenal biopsies, in the levels of endomysial antibodies or in the well-being of the patients. Compliance with the diet did not change during the follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Large amounts of both unkilned and regular kilned oats are well tolerated by adult patients with CD. Oats is therefore not harmful, even in its unkilned form, which indicates that its antigenic nature is not changed by common industrial food processing in such a way that would prevent the provoking of CD.
Kemppainen
Tarja A
TA
School of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.
Heikkinen
Markku T
MT
Ristikankare
Matti K
MK
Kosma
Veli-Matti
VM
Sontag-Strohm
Tuula S
TS
Brinck
Outi
O
Salovaara
Hannu O
HO
Julkunen
Risto J
RJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018554:Avena; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005511:Food Handling; D005983:Glutens / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011336:Probability; D055315:Prolamins; D012016:Reference Values; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D010940:Plant Proteins; D055315:Prolamins; D005983:Glutens