Role of oats in celiac disease

Table 1 Main nutritional components of oats

	Components	Properties	Ref.
Proteins	Albumins, globulins, prolamins, and glutenins	Oats are distinct among cereals due to their higher protein concentration and distinct protein composition. The major storage proteins are globulins	[50, 51]
Carbohydrates	β-glucan, glucose, fructose, pentosans, saccharose, kestose, neokestose, bifurcose, neobifurcose, acid galactoarabinoxylan, etc	β-glucan is the most important component because it is a constituent of the dietary fibre obtained from oats. β-glucan has important functional and nutritional properties, and exhibits a high viscosity at relatively low concentrations	[52, 53]
Lipids	Oat lipids are highly unsaturated and contain several essential fatty acids	Oats, after corn, have the highest lipid content of any cereal. Oat lipids include very high levels of antioxidants	[54, 55]
Antioxidants	Vitamin E (tocols), phytic acid, phenolic compounds, avenanthramides, flavonoids, and sterols	Antioxidants may reduce serum cholesterol concentrations, and inhibit the growth of certain cancer cells	[55]

Table 2 Health benefits of oats

Effect	Findings	Ref.
Hypocholesterolemic	An effect derived from β-glucan content, and demonstrated in normal and hypercholesterolemic subjects. The statistical significance of this cholesterol reduction has been variable, and remains controversial	[15, 18]
Hypoglycaemic	Studies have suggested that oat consumption can significantly decrease insulin response, fasting blood glucose levels, and the incidence of postprandial hyperglycaemia. However, some studies have failed to identify a diet-related effect on glycaemic control or a person’s insulinemic response to oat-enriched products	[56-58]
Prevention of cancer	Selenium, present in oats, is involved in DNA repair and associated with a reduced risk for cancer; especially colon cancer. Furthermore, it is found in foods with a high fibre content	[59-61]
Reduction of hypertension	Soluble fibre-rich whole oats may be effective when consumed as dietary therapy for the prevention and adjunct treatment of hypertension	[62]
Immunomodulatory	β-glucans act by stimulating the immune system and inhibiting the growth of various bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites	[63]
Antioxidant	Oats contain chemicals with potential antioxidant properties; e.g., vitamin E (tocols), phytic acid, and phenolic compounds, etc	[55]
Antiatherogenic	In vivo studies of atherosclerosis showed that oat bran reduced plasma cholesterol levels. However, it was difficult to determine whether its antiatherogenic effect was a result of reduced plasma cholesterol alone, or if additional effects of other oat components contributed to the result	[64]
Obesity control	Studies revealed that oats effectively reduced obesity, as well as indexes of serum lipid levels and liver function. These effects were observed when using β-glucan with the proper molecular weight	[14, 52]