Milky Oats Monograph
Such powerfully nourishing medicine is the humble Oat. Avena sativa, of the poaceae family, is a tall, slender, annual grass with gray-green blades and drooping floral plumes. It is thought to have originated in Europe and has been cultivated for either animal or human consumption since 1,000 BC.
Avena sativa can be understood as three distinct plant parts contained within one nourishing umbrella. The dried stems are brewed into an herbal tea called Oat Straw, the mature seeds are dried and milled into Oatmeal, and the fresh immature seeds are used medicinally as Milky Oats. While each part is wonderfully useful, today we will focus on Milky Oats.
You know you’ve found Milky Oats in their optimum medicinal state when you squeeze the unripe seed between your fingers, feel a pop, and see the milky white colored latex burst out. Energetically Milky Oats are sweet, cooling, moistening, neutral in temperature, nutritive, and soothing. They are associated with the Moon and the Air element and have an affinity for the nervous system and brain.
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Milky Oats are considered a neurotrophorestorative, meaning their primary actions involve rebuilding and restoring balance and function to a nervous system that has been fried, depleted, and exhausted. The demulcent action of Milky Oats adds deeply reparative moisture to tissues and mucus membranes that have been burnt out by relentless grind culture and sympathetic nervous system excess. Milky Oats also impacts the enteric nervous system- the gut brain- and can be beneficial for nervous dyspepsia, poor nutrient absorption, and other stress-induced digestive upsets. Milky Oats may not be for everyone, but they are specifically indicated for the burnt-out, overstressed, underappreciated Type A folks and those suffering from PTSD and trauma. They are safe for children, pregnancy and lactation but do require caution- or even avoidance- with gluten sensitivities and celiac disease.
Milky Oats are one of my top three plant allies. As a highly self-critical Type A Mama, my nerves need all the love they can get, and Milky Oats provides this (as I learn to provide it myself). I take them in my daily glycerite formula and have noticed significant improvement in my nervous system function over time.
Have you met Milky Oats before? I’d love to hear your experiences- let me know in the comments.
