[Oats can be included in gluten-free diet]

In the management of coeliac disease, it has been widely accepted that oats must also be excluded from the diet, along with wheat, rye and barley. The article consists in a review of published reports, and an account of our experience of including oats in the gluten-free diets of adults. Oats were found to be safe and well tolerated by adults with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis, though the risk of wheat contamination of commercial oat products remains a cause of concern. Similar findings were reported from a study of adolescents, but no such studies have been made of small children. Thus, the inclusion of oats, known to be a fibre-rich, naturally gluten-free food, would broaden the range of foodstuffs tolerable to coeliac patients, though for safety reasons they should be used only by adults until more information is available.