The Active Herbalist Episode 28: Oats

Avena sativa

Family: Poaceae (grass family)

History & Growing: Oats have been cultivated for thousands of years as a food source for both people and animals. While this beloved breakfast staple makes a hearty and nutritious meal, it also makes effective herbal medicine. Oats are native to Europe and are easy to grow! In fact, they make a wonderful, fast growing cover crop that can both protect and enrich soil. Originally a wild “weed” oats are now cultivated and no longer grow wild. Their history is pretty interesting, with early history likely stemming from the Fertile Crescent where they were domesticated by Neolithic peoples. (2)  As a cold-tolerant plant, oats can be planted in spring or fall. Depending on the climate, fall sown oats will either die off with repeated freezing temperatures then plowed under to contribute to soil health while minimizing erosion. In warmer climates with mild winter temperatures, fall sown oats will produce a spring harvest. Oats can be grown in a small garden or large field alike, and are not incredibly fussy in terms of growing conditions and soil. Ideally, however, the earth is fertile and not waterlogged; nitrogen-rich soil is important for excellent crops. If you plant oats by hand, like I did, you can use a rake or hoe ½-1 inch deep with rows a few inches apart, or alternate garden planting in rows with legumes. Oats are annuals and grow 1-4 feet in height.

Parts Used Medicinally: Various Aerial Portions

• Seed (cooked grain/oatmeal)
• Oatstraw (stalks and leaves)
• Milk oats: Unripe seed heads, harvested approx. 2-3 months after planting. Harvesting milky oats in their narrow availability window is very exciting and rewarding! Just press a fingernail into the seed head to check for “milk” to determine if the oats are ready for fresh tincturing. Milky oats can be also be dried and made into an infusion or decoction, but may be more gentle in nature than the fresh tincture.

Supplementation Forms:  

• Seed (cooked grain/oatmeal): culinary food source, poultice, soak/bath
• Oatstraw (stalks and leaves): infusion, broth, vinegar
• Milk oats: fresh alcohol or vinegar tincture

Taste: Salty, Sweet

Energetics: Moistening, energetically neutral (maybe slightly warming)

Actions (1):

• Seed: demulcent, emollient (softens hardness), prebiotic, laxative, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering
• Oatstraw: nutritive, tonic, mild nervine
• Milky oats: nervine trophorestorative, anti-anxiety

Oat’s Superpower: Oats, specifically milky oats tincture, have a unique affinity for burned out, always on the go, Type A folks who find themselves depleted, emotionally hardened and chronically fatigued. As previously mentioned, the herbal action “emollient” means to soften hardness, and for the ‘milky oats person’ this is particularly beneficial when feeling “emotionally brittle due to chronic stress” as noted by herbalist David Winston (6) Pairing nourishing trophorestorive milky oats with an adaptogen can be a gentle but powerful remedy for the depleted soul.

Organs & Body Systems Herb Acts Upon:

• Nervous System
  • Sajah Popham describes milky oats as food for the brain. Milky oats are gentle, nourishing, tonic, and restorative, making it an ideal remedy for just about anyone in our fast-paced, high performing society.
  • Blending milky oats with other nervine herbs or adaptogens, such as tulsi, skullcap, rose, and/or vervain, can help ease anxiety and depression, bolster resiliency and restore restful sleep, ease addictive dependency or behaviors such as smoking or alcohol dependency, and generally support people who feel easily frazzled, hyperactive and/or depleted. This herb may be beneficial for those with ADHD.
• Nutritive/Digestive System
  • Oatstraw is tasty and nutritive, high in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, silica, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium (1). This makes it a great option for those who want to build healthy strong bones! Combined with other nutritive herbs, like nettle to build a strong, healthy body. Aging populations, those with osteopenia, or those who want to improve their bone health and/or increase their vitamin and mineral intake should try this herb! Just be sure to strain infusion and soups before consuming. (4) Oatmeal is also a wonderful, fiber-rich food source that can help lower cholesterol and act as a mild laxative, which is helpful for those who struggle to achieve regular bowel movements. It is also high in key macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Oatmilk is my favorite dairy alternative!
  • Oats’ demulcent & emollient properties can be soothing for inflammation for both the skin and digestive tract.
• Topical Applications/Skin
  •  The classic poison ivy remedy! Taking a bath infused with oats has been a remedy for hot, inflamed skin conditions for many years. Fill a muslin bag or bath tea bag with oatmeal and infuse in hot water while soaking to soothe the skin. Oats can also be used as a poultice or compress for sunburn, bug bites, chicken pox, etc. I use ground oats in DIY face masks regularly. There is no denying oatmeal’s soothing affinity for the skin.
• Sexual Health:
  • Some herbalist use oats to bolster reproductive health, particularly in cases of cardiac weakness. This remedy is used more in the context of restoration and for its moistening properties, and may be beneficial for those with low libido potentially due to stress or burnout.  (6)

Traditional Uses:

• Used to fill mattresses and support those who suffered from rheumatism (5)
• Treat hot, itchy, irritated and/or inflamed skin conditions such as leprosy. (5)
• Food herb for animals and people
• Used for healing after typhoid fever (6)

Current Uses (& Studies/Research):

• “In an Australian study, athletes who consumed an oat-based diet for 3 weeks saw a 4% improvement in stamina. As such, oats are considered to help maintain muscle function during exercise.” (5)
• Rat studies indicate oat supplementation could have a positive effect on sciatic nerve repair. (7)

When to Reach for Herb & In What Form:

• Depletion and nervous system rejuvenation: milky oats tincture! 1-3 squirts per day, ideally paired with an adaptogen like tulsi
• Nutritional tonic / mineral resource: oastraw decoction 1-3 cups per day, or oatmeal as a food source 1-2 servings per day.

Dosage & Preparation:

• Notably a “higher dose” herb
• Decoction: 2 tsp dried oatstraw or 1 TBS dried milky oat tops per 1 cup of water 1-3xs/day. Note an infusion is still a great way to supplement oatstraw or dried oat tops, but a simmered decoction for 20 minutes will be more potent! If making a large batch, use 1 oz dried herb to 1 quart water (6)
• Tincture: 1 tsp or 1 droppersful 1-3xs/day.
  • Fresh tincture ratio: 1:2 @ 95% alcohol

Contraindications:

• Gluten intolerant or those with Celiac should use caution: oats do not contain gluten, but cross contamination with commercial oat products is possible. Oats contain avenin, and some similar reactions may occur to sensitive people.
• Note recovering alcoholics using milky oats should opt for fresh tinctures made without alcohol

Elemental, Planetary & Dosha Discussion:

• Moon Ruled plant (white, milky latex, nourishing qualities help restore + improve sleep) with an affinity for the nervous system.
• A remedy that could be very powerful for the VATA dosha, as its restoring to the nervous system and moistening. As Sajah Popham points out in his blog, The Importance of Moistening Plants, many VATA / nervous system remedies can be cooling and drying, which can aggravate the cold, dry patterning already present for this dosha.

Citations & Recommended Reading:

1. The Healing Garden, Juliet Blankespoor
2. New World Encyclopedia: OAT
3. The Importance of Moistening Plants, Sajah Popham
4. Body Into Balance, Maria Noel Groves
5. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Andrew Chevallier
6. Oat Uses and Plant Profile, Learning Herbs by Rosalee de La Foret
7. Darzian Rostami Z, Asghari A, Jahandideh A, Mortazavi P, Akbarzadeh A. Effect of Oat (Avena Sativa L.) Extract on Experimental Sciatic Nerve Injury in Rats. Arch Razi Inst. 2020 Jun;75(2):249-256. doi: 10.22092/ari.2019.124805.1288. Epub 2020 Jun 1. PMID: 32621455; PMCID: PMC8418878.

Recipe of the Week:

Restore & Renew Tea Blend:

Ingredients: 1-2 teaspoons of each: Organic dried oatstraw or milky oat tops, nettle, chamomile, rose, tulsi, and / or licorice root.

Directions:

• For most potent drink: simmer oat straw and licorice root in 1.5 -2 cups hot water for 20 minutes. Add chamomile, tulsi, rose and nettle. Cover and allow to steep for 10 minutes longer. Strain and enjoy.
• OR: Combine herbs in a tea ball or tea bag. Steep in hot water for 15-30 minutes, strain and enjoy. Still medicinal, but simmering is the secret sauce for herbs like oat straw and licorice!