People who have been diagnosed with celiac disease and gluten or wheat allergies are advised by their doctors to switch to a gluten free diet.
This means they have to avoid any food that contains rye, barley, and most importantly, wheat.
This can be a difficult task, as so many of the foods we eat today contain some form of wheat - even fried foods are often breaded in wheat flour.
If you've been advised to switch to a gluten free diet, it may help to understand just what gluten is.
Gluten is a protein compound found in products made from the grains mentioned above.
If you've ever enjoyed a chewy bagel, it was gluten that gives that bagel its texture and chewiness.
Gluten holds baked goods like breads and cakes together - low gluten breads are often crumbly.
High gluten doughs are very elastic and stretchy - think of pizza dough.
Gluten in bread dough also assists the baking process; as bread rises, the yeast forms gas which is trapped in the layers of elastic gluten molecules.
The trapped pockets of gas are what make bread so light and airy.
Some people with celiac disease have been advised to avoid oats.
Although oats are not a source of gluten, they are often processed in the same factories as wheat and other products that do contain gluten.
There are oat products available that have been certified pure and uncontaminated, and should be safe for anyone on a gluten free diet.
However, for unknown reasons, some celiacs still have adverse reactions.
Because of this, if you've been advised to avoid gluten, it's best to check with your doctor or dietician before eating oat products.