Oats, Avena sativa

Family:

Poaceae

Part Used:

Aerial parts.

Energetics & Taste:

sweet and moistening.

Habitat:

Native to Europe but has been cultivated since 1,000 BC and is naturalized worldwide.

Key Benefits:

The entire oat plant is a powerhouse of nutrients, offering a rich source of vitamins and minerals including silica, magnesium, calcium, iron, protein, B vitamins, phosphorus, chromium, and vitamins A and C. Oatstraw, in particular, is celebrated for its high silica content, making it an excellent choice for strengthening hair, skin, teeth, bones, and nails. While the dried milky oat tops can also serve as a nutritive tonic, they truly shine when used fresh as a nervous system trophorestorative, helping to build and restore a depleted nervous system.

The sweet, nourishing taste of milky oats is due to their moistening polysaccharides, making them ideal for those with a "fried" nervous system—think dry, weak, and frazzled. This herb is a lifeline for those burning the candle at both ends, suffering from nervous system exhaustion, or feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands. Symptoms like anxiety, irritability, depression, insomnia, lack of focus, and fatigue can all find relief with milky oats.

Beyond its benefits for the nervous system, milky oats also support the endocrine system, helping to alleviate adrenal exhaustion, sexual weakness, and hormonal imbalances linked to chronic stress. For those so burnt out that they experience a lack of energy, desire, and hypersensitivity to touch due to frazzled nerves, milky oats offer gentle yet profound relief. Additionally, this herb is a specific remedy for occipital headaches and sharp, shock-like pain that extends into the neck.