Is Oat Milk Gluten Free?

Is oat milk gluten free? Oats are naturally gluten free and oat milk is one of the most popular plant based milks out there. Plant milks are made from nuts, seeds, coconut, rice and soy are gluten free.

Oats are gluten free, but it is important to know that they are often grown near wheat and processed in facilities that handle wheat products. Because of that there is a possible risk of cross contamination with gluten.

There was a Canadian study in 133 oat samples that discovered that 88% were contaminated with more than 20 parts per million of gluten. And this is the general cutoff for a food to be considered gluten free.

Is oat milk gluten free? Photo credit: iStock-fermate

If there isn’t a 3^rd party certification that says the oat milk is gluten free, then there is no guarantee it is. Some manufacturers use third party testing labs to make sure their products are under the threshold of being gluten free.

There are some research studies that show that people who have celiac disease can eat two 3.5 ounces of pure oats per day without any adverse effects.

Here are the nutrient contents of 1 cup of Oat Milk:

• Calories- 120
• Protein- 3 grams
• Fat- 5 grams
• Carbs- 16 grams
• Fiber- 2 grams

Oat milk is created by soaking whole oats in water, milling the softened mixture and straining the liquids from the solids. Oats have a good source of beta glucan and soluble fiber. Research studies have shown that the fiber in oats can boost heart health and lower LDL bad cholesterol levels.

Some of the health benefits of oats are:

• Improve heart health- oats can improve the risk factors for heart disease by lowering LDL bad cholesterol levels and raising good cholesterol levels.
• It can help improve weight loss by controlling your appetite and making you more full.
• It can help control diabetes by improving your blood sugar and insulin levels for people who have Type 2 diabetes.

It is important to know that the FDA doesn’t analyze foods for gluten content. It is up to the manufacturers to test it for themselves.

“Oats are gluten free, but it is important to know that they are often grown near wheat and processed in facilities that handle wheat products. Because of that there is a possible risk of cross contamination with gluten.” Celebrity Fitness & Nutrition Expert Obi Obadike

The Bottom Line is oat milk is gluten free but there are times where oats can be cross contaminated with nearby wheat facilities. So the best way to insure that oats or oat milk is gluten free is to make sure it has a 3^rd party certification on the package.

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References

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