Herb Profile: Oatstraw is regulating

Oatstraw tea and oats are two of the best remedies for nourishing, strengthening and regulating the entire nervous system, especially when you’re under stress or exhausted, feeling sad or grieving. It’s great for insomnia too!

Oatstraw and oats are high in nerve-cell nutrients such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, B-vitamins, vitamins E, G, and K. Oats is a good source of potassium, carotenes expressed as vitamin A and vitamin C.

Oats is one of the most protein-rich grains available. It’s high in fiber, and low in fat and calories – less than 100 per cup of cooked grain.

Oatstraw’s mild taste and gentle healing properties can help children and adults of all ages with bed-wetting and skin disorders. Regular use of oatstraw can strengthen your adrenal glands, thus helping you heal allergies and menopausal problems such as night sweats.

Herbalist and author Susun Weed writes that consistent use of oats and oatstraw (Avena) in the diet 'usually brings about noticeable improvement in coordination, bone density, length of attention span, balance, memory, sensitivity to pleasant stimuli, clarity of thinking, ability to perceive connections and remedy misconnections, ease of achieving meditative and conscious dream states and overall calmness and centredness.’

Weed writes that Avena “helps clear your blood vessels of fatty deposits and eases the beat of your heart. Avena’s ability to clear cholesterol from blood vessels is much celebrated…In addition to lowering cholesterol levels, a cup or more of oatstraw infusion (tea) daily (or several oatcakes for breakfast) will support and rebuild the heart muscles and circulatory vessels and ease those with heart spasms and palpitations. Avena helps tighten and re-elasticize your veins, eliminating varicosities and hemorrhoids, when used as a bath and a food…Avena’s ability to help you improve your sexual appetite and performance has been touted, praised and sung about for centuries. Avena’s effect is not specifically aphrodisiacal. Instead, oats and oatstraw nourish the nerves, so you receive more pleasure from touching…”

Oatstraw is available at natural food stores that sell bulk herbs.

To use: Pour just-boiled water over one tsp. herb per cup of tea. Strain and enjoy!