The name of this Herb might get your mind thinking about sowing wild oats and you would be correct! Traditionally used as an aphrodisiac over the centuries, it perhaps got people out there doing just that! What exactly is this herb about and what do we use it for? Read on, to find out.
The common name of this herb is Wild Oats. It can also be found under the common names of Oat straw and Common Oat. This herb is found in temperate and sub-tropical climates. It is believed to have originated in the Near East and Europe. The Latin name is Avena sativa. The oat tops, also known as the aerial parts, are what is used in this plant. Traditionally, it has been used for supporting women's health and gained quite a reputation for being an aphrodisiac in both men and women. The saying "Sowing your wild oats," was thought to have originated from that particular use of this herb. It has also been used in baths in Europe for treating rheumatism, sore muscles, and even kidney problems. It has also been used for treating epilepsy, anxiety, migraines, shingles, and fatigue. It is a very powerful nervous trophorestorative. This means it helps the nervous system recover from being exhausted. Long term anxiety, depression, fatigue, tension, insomnia really take a toll on your nervous system and working properly. As such, long term use of Wild Oats can help get the nervous system back into line and help it regain its health. The active constituents (the chemical found in the herb that lend to its actions in the body) found in Wild Oats are saponins, polyphenols, sterols, nutrients (it is very high in minerals and vitamin B), monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, flavonoids, and proteins. The therapeutic actions that Wild Oats impart on the body and that we prize its use for are it being a nervous system trophorestorative, nervine, anti-depressant, sedative, antispasmodic, nutritive, demulcent and vulnerary. As explained above a trophorestorative is a herb that works on one particular body system and helps it regain optimal function. The anti-depressant activity is for mild to moderate depression. Severe depression should always be treated by a medical doctor with herbs coming on board as complimentary to whatever pharmaceuticals the doctor was prescribed. The sedative action makes it good to help treat insomnia. Anti-spasmodic means it helps with spasms throughout the body. A demulcent coats the intestines and helps reduce inflammation and a vulnerary means it is useful in healing wounds. WOW! As you can see, this one herb has many different uses throughout the body. It is prized for its ability to calm the nervous system and help with anxiety and depression, but as you see, it has many different uses as well. So, how do I usually use this herb in my practice and for my clients? Good question. I tend to lean towards its nervous system actions the most as it is top notch at helping with anxiety, insomnia, and restoring a depleted nervous system to health. I typically give this to individuals who have suffered with anxiety that leads to panic attacks as well as generalized anxiety disorders that have them feeling "on edge" constantly and not able to ever truly relax. I have also used it in blends to help restore those suffering from insomnia to an optimal sleep schedule and restoring their restful nights. I also tend to use it when someone informs me that they have a very stressful period coming up in their lives. It can help the body deal with the stress and not become too depleted. Other ways it can be used, especially in women, is as a hormone regulator. It helps regulate estrogen levels in the body. Now this can work for men as well, as men do also make estrogen, just at lower levels than women. This is probably where its use as an aphrodisiac came from. Proper levels of hormones, especially estrogen, increase ones sexual drive. Fuck yeah! It is used as a way to get extra nutrients in as well for someone suffering from a poor appetite, perhaps caused by stress, anxiety, or other reasons. Due to its nutritive content, it is also used many times to help stabilize blood sugar levels as well in diabetics. Of course, I recommend only taking any herb under the guidance of a Master Herbalist and with any medical doctors on your team being aware as well. If you think wild oats might help you, please contact me for a consult and we will work together on how to use them properly and safely for you. So you might be wondering, "How in the hell do I take these wild oats?" Usually, they are given 1 of 2 ways. The best way to dose them is through a water extraction. Which is a fancy way of saying, "tea." You would take 1-2 teaspoons of the dried wild oats and place in a cup. Pour 8 ounces (240 ml) of boiling water over them and let them steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 2-3 times a day. The other common way to dose them is through a tincture format, or an alcohol based extraction. In this way, you would take 3-5 ml/cc of the 1:5 tincture up to 3 times a day. (If you purchase a pre-made tincture from another distributor, the tincture should be labeled with its herb to alcohol ratio ie the 1:5. If it is a lower number after the 1 then it is stronger and as such will need to be dosed at a smaller amount. Please consult me before dosing a stronger tincture on your own.) The only caution with this particular herb is to proceed with caution if taking morphine as it can increase the effects of morphine and as such send you into respiratory failure. Yikes! If taking any kind of narcotic pain medications, please consult myself or your medical doctor, before taking this long term or not under the close watch of a Master Herbalist. So, in conclusion, this is a very versatile herb and can help an individual in many different ways. Go try some Wild Oats today and then go sow some wild oats after! Then come back here and let me know all about how well it worked for you. (but not with all the details. I don't need to hear that. HA) Blessed Be, Shannon
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AuthorShannon, master herbalist, shares her thoughts, educational information, and more. Archives
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