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Milky Oats
Avena sativa |
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A nutritive herb to the nervous system, providing
relief from stress, debility, exhaustion. Oats are a good source of B
vitamins and calcium. |
| Oats, as well
as making a nutritious porridge, is one of the best remedies for
"nourishing" the nervous system, particularly when one is under stress.
Avena sativa is one of about twenty five different species of
oats in the family Poaceae (Gramineae). Avena is the Latin name
for oats and sativa means sown or cultivated. The mature seed of
the oat plant is used as a popular cereal grain and is harvested in late
summer or early autumn. The ground husks surrounding the mature seeds
become oat bran. Eating oats and oat bran is a positive contribution to
anyone’s diet, providing vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein, & complex
carbohydrates in abundance. Herbalists use the premature, "milky" seed .
The seeds are harvested, usually in late August, depending on
geographical location and growing season, while they are in a liquid or
"milky stage". At this time the oats have the highest concentration of
nutrients and active chemical constituents. These constituents include
starch, alkaloids such as avenine and trigonelline, saponins, flavonoids,
sterols, b-carotene,
vitamins B1(thiamin), B2 (riboflavin), D, & E (tocopherols), as well as
calcium, mucin, and silicic acid. The fresh milky oats are then
extracted in grain alcohol to be used as a nervine tonic. Herbalists
also make use of the oatstraw, which is harvested after the mature seeds
have been collected, and it is cut up and used to make tea. Milky oats
extracts are one of the best remedies available for treating nervous
debility and exhaustion, especially when associated with depression,
stress, and mental and emotional fatigue. It is used as a nervine tonic
to strengthen the whole of the nervous system. It can be taken for
recovery from nervous and emotional exhaustion with accompanying
depression and lethargy, or it can be taken as a preventative measure
when coping with stressful situations. When treating nervous exhaustion,
keep in mind that one should avoid caffeine, nicotine, alcohol and
illicit drugs since they all contribute to the problem. Stress
management and relaxation should be emphasized. Milky oats can be used
safely on a daily basis and have no toxic side effects or drug
interactions. People with Celiac’s disease should not use any oat
products as oats contain gluten. Oats have also been used traditionally
in topical applications. Oatmeal baths are quite popular treatments for
many external skin conditions such as poison ivy, poison oak, rashes,
eczema, shingles, chicken pox, and sores. Oatmeal can also be prepared
and applied lukewarm as a poultice. |
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