Meet Avena sativa – Oatstraw
Family: Poaceae (AKA Gramineae or “true grasses.”)
Avena
is a genus of some 30+ species, commonly called oats, which have been
cultivated for thousands of years for food for two and four leggeds.
Parts used: Aerial parts – dried stems and leaves,
flower bud (milky tops), seed (grain).
Harvest: Milky oats, oat straw, oats. Harvest the
tops and you’ll get subsequent harvests.
Taste: Bland and sweet.
Humors: Moist and cool.
Actions: Nutritive, nervine, relaxant (some say
sedative) - one that can enhance alertness (so it’s sometimes seen classified
as stimulant – because of its nutritional actions), emollient, demulcent, rejuvenative,
tonic (to the endocrine system, with an affinity to the adrenals, esp. in milky
form, and to the digestive system and the integumentary system). It is sometimes
noted as adaptogenic, antidepressant, antispasmodic,
aphrodisiac, anti-tumor/cancer, diuretic, neurotonic. It’s credited with reducing
cholesterol levels and so is considered supportive to circulatory functioning.
Composition: Hollow stems, plugged at intervals
with leaf-bearing nodes. Leaves are usually alternate with parallel veins. The
leaves are often hardened with a form of silica making them stiff, rough, and
sometimes sharp, which discourages foraging and grazing. The flowers are most
often arranged in spikelets and are usually hermaphroditic (possessing male and
female components and self-pollinating), with the exception of maize, which is
anemophilous (wind pollinated). The fruit is called a caryopsis, meaning a
simple fruit, one that we call grain.
Constituents: Carbohydrates, silicic acid,
protein, flavinoids, saponins, alkaloids, and more. Rich in calcium and other
minerals and vitamins too.
Contraindications: None, unless you
are allergic oats, celiac, sensitive to gluten. So far, both research and
experience demonstrate that gluten sensitivities aren’t triggered by using oat
straw on the skin.
With respect to gluten, Henriette
Kress says it best: “While oats doesn't by itself contain gluten,
"normal" oats usually contain minute amounts of glutenous grains.
This could be because of crop circulation (growing one grain after another
means that some of last years crop will grow this year as well), because of the
harvesters and grain storage not being completely cleaned between crops, or
because the mill doesn't take care to clean out all gluten-containing grains.
Whichever it is, gluten-sensitives do well to avoid "normal" oats.”
Some say Avena should be avoided during
pregnancy and while breast-feeding, though this seems counter intuitive and
intellectually contrary to me.
Medicinal use: Rich in calcium, phosphorus, and
potassium and other nutrients, oats are good Food and Food is Good Medicine.
Oats offer respectable nutrition and help to nourish the debilitated nervous
system. As a nutritive herb, it is rich in silica, carotenes, and folic acid
and is a good source of antioxidants and chlorogenic (phenolic/protective) acids.
Often referred to as an adrenal tonic by
contemporary herbalists, it has proven itself, time and again, as a reliable
ally for those who are exhausted and for convalescence. I’ve found it to be a
sound ally during times of mental/emotional/physical stress, especially when
tied to grief.
Addiction, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, nervous
tension, stress and all similar conditions we understand and experience show how oats (as Food, water infusion, vinegar infusion, tincture
and talisman) act as a strengthening tonic for mind and heart (and then some).
Oats are soothing & nourishing, used internally
and externally, helping to calm pain from damaged nerves and to nourish the
regeneration of damaged bones, lung, and muscles, and generally support healthy
tissue growth throughout the body.
Nervous System: Avena is sometimes referred to as a
nerve tonic, though I find that the references to “nerve tonic” point not to
the physical aspect, but rather to the subtle associations of the nervous
system … such as insomnia, depression and anxiety. I’ve found it, in all its
forms, from tea to tincture, to subdue irritability and the resulting
behaviors. Know what I mean?
Renal System: Oats are credited with prevention of
scrofula, prevention of gravel and stones in the bladder and kidneys, clearing
to urinary congestion. This sings the song of Food as Medicine to me.
Integumentary & Skeletal Systems: Oats support and strengthen the bones
and tissues, including veins, strengthening their connective tissues &
increasing their flexibility. Avena is cooling and soothing to dry, itchy skin.
For years I used a long-brew infusion to add to my baths (and to sip while
bathing) to manage my “winter skin” which was a significant challenge during my
corporate days, working in those horrid-dry “environmentally controlled”
buildings.
It’s a nutritive addition to the diet as it is rich
in silica, which is necessary for building the outer layer of skin, hair and
finger/toenails. Oats, in all forms can harmonize hormones, protect adrenal
glands, support the thyroid, and improve the strength of veins. It’s also
credited with powers to increase the libido, as any notable nutrient-rich
Food/Medicine should! Oatstraw infusion can be an ally while taking the L Dexamethasone
(Decadron), use to counter the side effects from chemotherapy, which can cause
excessive energy followed by exhaustion. It’s supportive to many in easing hot
flashes, frazzled nerves and other menopause “symptoms” (infusion or tincture: 25
gtt. bid). Micheal Moore lists: Angina pectoris, as an adjunct for fear of
death, constant guarding against pain; Functional neurocirculatory disorders;
To prevent anxieties when insomnia is feared; General insomnia in sthenic
individuals; Narcolepsy; Menopause, with sense of pressure and pain in ovaries,
uterus, sacrum, bladder with nervousness and sense of confusion; or with
melancholia after hot flashes; Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), with easily
startled disposition, easy adrenergic discharge, jumpy; Appetite poor, nervous,
weak (with Trifolium); Hysteria with adrenergic-induced exhaustion.
Chakra association: I’ve not yet settled on a
single chakra, as oats – in all of its parts – seem so supportive to us
– in all of our parts – the whole body and being.
Culinary use: Nutritional infusions, Nutritional
vinegars. All manner of cooking and baking. Oat straw as a Tisane/Tea.
resources:
David
Hoffman, Medical Herbalism
David
Winston, davidwinston.org
Guido
Masé, aradicle.blogspot.com
Henriette
Kress, Practical Herbs & henriettes-herb.com
Michael Moore, swsbm.com
Rosalee de la Foret, herbalremediesadvice.org
Susun
Weed, multiple books
A Modern Herbal, by Mrs. Maude Grieve
Culpepper’s
Complete Herbal
Wikipedia – for some of the botany descriptions
Personal
notes from multiple sources
