Gluten-free diet
A person following a gluten-free diet can't eat cereals, cereal products or foods containing wheat, barley and rye. Oat protein doesn't contain the type of gluten found in wheat, rye or barley and is therefore suitable for a gluten-free diet. Here you can find the answers to your questions on pure oats, a gluten-free diet and coeliac disease.
How can pure oats help in a change of diet?
Changing to a gluten-free diet means many changes to your diet. Adding pure oats to a gluten-free diet makes it easier to follow because the oats bring more variety and taste to the diet. Oats are also often the only familiar cereal among gluten-free cereals which means it brings good memories of earlier tasty foods. The use of pure oat products makes cooking at home easier as they are tasty and suitable for the whole family.
What are pure oats?
Pure oats are oats that haven't been in contact with gluten cereals at any point during the production process. As such, normal oats are not pure oats, even though they would be nothing but oats!
Where do pure oats come from?
Finnish Provena products are manufactured from definitely pure, gluten-free oats and they contain all the good qualities of oats. With the help of Provena products, a gluten-free diet remains diverse and tasty as you can enjoy delicious breakfasts and snacks and yummy baked goods without worry.
Is it worth giving up cereals entirely in a gluten-free diet?
Cereal products make up the basis of even a gluten-free diet. According to nutritional recommendations over half of your energy intake should be from carbohydrates. Without cereals this target is almost impossible to achieve. The daily fibre intake recommendation of 25–35 g is also only possible if your diet contains plenty of cereal products. For those following a gluten-free diet, sufficient fibre intake is indeed a challenge.
Why is oat fibre good for you?
For people following a gluten-free diet, the cereal highest in fibre and suitable for coeliacs is oats. Oats are wonderfully nutritious as they contain carbohydrates, protein and fats in appropriate proportions.
Provena products made from pure oats contain lots of fibre, which is the basis for a healthy stomach. The health benefits of oats are based largely on its soluble fibre, betaglucane, which has been proven to have several positive health effects.
What is coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is a life-long illness in which the gluten in wheat, rye and barley damages the membranes of the small intestine. The absorption of nutrients is disrupted due to damage to the intestinal villi. Typical symptoms of coeliac disease are various gastrointestinal complaints, fatigue and anaemia. Some patients may not show any symptoms at all. Coeliac disease can also manifest as dermatitis herpetiformis, which causes a very itchy rash characterised by small blisters on the skin.
What causes coeliac disease?
The cause of coeliac disease is not yet known but in order for it to manifest a certain hereditary sensitivity and gluten are needed. In addition it is possible that yet another factor, which currently remains unknown, could have an effect.
Is coeliac disease common?
The number of coeliacs is increasing rapidly partly due to improvements in diagnosis. New research shows that coeliac disease could be present in upto 2% of the population.
How is coeliac disease treated?
The only treatment for coeliac disease is a lifelong and strictly gluten-free diet. A person with coeliac disease cannot therefore consume foods or products containing wheat, rye or barley. When gluten is cut out of the diet, the coeliac's symptoms disappear and the intestinal membrane recovers over time. Lactose intolerance, where lactose causes stomach complaints, is also linked to untreated coeliac disease. As the intestinal villi heal, the ability to tolerate lactose also improves.
Is there room for flexibility in a diet?
The diet must be followed throughout your whole life as the intestinal villi will become damaged from even a small amount of gluten. The repair of the intestinal villi can take anywhere from six months to a year, and untreated coeliac disease causes vulnerability to many other illnesses. By following a gluten-free diet a coeliac can remain symptom-free without a reduction in working capacity or increase in the risk of falling ill.
