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Herb Profiles

Milky Oat Tops + Oats

February 12, 2021

MILKY OAT TOPS & OATS

Avena sativa

Family: Poaceae

Part used: Fresh Milky Tops (Immature grain)

Energetics: Sweet, moist

Actions: Antispasmodic, anxiolytic, demulcent, nervine, nervous system trophorestoritive, nootropic, nutritive

Oats are often used in farming as a cover crop and it’s one we use on the farm regularly. For medicinal purposes, we harvest the oat tops when they’re in the milky state. You squeeze the oat tops and a thick milky substance comes out. This is the good stuff. If left alone, the seed would continue to grow into an oat groat, where it would be hulled and either kept whole or processed into oats. Oats are an incredible food for our nervous and cardiovascular systems. Oats are high in betaglucan, which helps lower cholesterol and high blood pressure, and it is high in antioxidants and is antiinflammatory. I like to use milky oats to help reduce stress, anxiety and to help support symptoms of withdrawl from certain drugs and cigarettes. It's also a great herb for firing up the libido!

Contraindications: None known.

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