Theoretically, oatmeal is gluten-free because it is made from oats, not wheat. Gluten intolerance refers to products that contain wheat. However, even oatmeal is not necessarily tolerated by everyone who is gluten-intolerant. You should know this before you test the tolerance of oatmeal on yourself.

Can you eat oatmeal if you have coeliac disease?

Oatmeal contains avenin, which is a gluten-like protein. Experience shows that most people with coeliac disease can tolerate the protein avenin.

Problems with gluten tolerance can occur, however, if oatmeal is produced together with wheat, barley and rye in the same factory, as the oatmeal can be mixed with the other grains or with traces of these grains. Only absolutely pure oatmeal, i.e. without traces of other grains, can be eaten by people with coeliac disease.

Particularly sensitive people do not always tolerate even gluten-free, uncontaminated oat products.

You can decide for yourself whether you want to try gluten-free oatmeal. Many people prefer not to try it at all. 100% Gluten-free oatmeal can be tried at any stage of a diet. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor about it.

The positive effects of oatmeal 

Oatmeal adds a little more variety to a gluten-free diet. They contain a lot of soluble fibre, which keeps the digestive tract healthy. In addition, oatmeal helps balance cholesterol levels and stabilises blood sugar levels.

Which oat flakes are suitable for coeliac condition

There are companies that specialise in offering 100% uncontaminated oatmeal, which means they produce oatmeal in a factory where no other grains are traded.

According to EU law, a product may only be labelled gluten-free if it contains at most minimal traces of gluten, the amount being 1/50000.

Many health food shops offer guaranteed gluten-free products, and some supermarkets also sell gluten-free oatmeal. However, those who suffer from coeliac disease may only buy oatmeal with the "glutenfei" label.