Allergic to Oat Bran

Question:

I recently found out I am allergic to oat bran, but not oats. Do rolled oats or oat flour contain oat bran? How do I know which oat products to avoid? Help please!

From,

Sara

Answer:

Hi Sara. The anatomy of all grains, including oats, consists of three parts: the endosperm, germ and bran. Rolled oats and oat flour consisting of the whole grain will contain all three parts, including the oat bran. Some oat products are processed to remove the oat bran from the other parts of the oat and will be marketed with the title of "oat bran," meaning the endosperm and germ have been removed. If it is in fact the oat bran you are reacting to, you should avoid all whole oats and whole oat flour, because they contain all three parts, including the oat bran. I always recommend that specific food sensitivities such as this and the corresponding dietary treatment should be discussed with your doctor and a registered dietitian.

Sincerely,

Rachel Begun, MS, RD

This article was originally posted by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, find it here.