Condition
Treatment Support
anti-addictive, nerve tonifier
Application
fresh plant tincture, capsules
Wild Oats
(Avena fatua, A. sativa)
Botanical Information
Common grass throughout the northern hemisphere. The small fruiting parts, called spikelets, are collected when the starch of the grain is still white.
Working with Wild Oats
Part(s) Used
Spikelets
Herb Forms
Tincture, bulk herb for tea.
Wild oats is one of the first herbs herbalists think of for any kind of nerve trauma, nervous system weakness, or for addictions. It is a mild herb used to nurture the nervous system and counteract mild depression. Its restorative and nerve-strengthening effects are said to make it useful for withdrawal from addictions (i.e., nicotine and morphine), and it is found in a number of commercial formulas for kicking the smoking habit. Wild oats reportedly has been used for nervous exhaustion, general weakness, nervous heartbeat, and insomnia. This herb can also be beneficial for nerve weakness from too much mental work.
Herbalists generally consider a tincture of wild oak spikelets harvested at the "milky" stage, when the starch in the grain itself is still liquid, to be the strongest form of the remedy. Optimum results come after taking the herb for a few months, and it can be taken for at least a year.
Dried wild oat stalks are often recommended as a mineral tonic, but it is doubtful if it contains enough minerals to make it worthwhile.
Wild Oats has a taste of SWEET, BLAND and a temperature of COOL.
Cautions
None noted.
Conditions treated with Wild Oats
Condition
Treatment Support
Application
Condition
Treatment Support
nerve tonic
Application
tincture, tea
Condition
Treatment Support
nerve tonic
Application
tincture
Condition
Treatment Support
tonifying nervine
Application
tincture, tea
Condition
Treatment Support
nerve tonic
Application
tincture of fresh spikelets
Condition
Treatment Support
anti-addictive
Application
tincture, tea
Condition
Treatment Support
nerve tonic
Application
fresh plant tincture
Condition
Treatment Support
nerve tonic
Application
fresh plant tincture
Condition
Treatment Support
nerve tonic
Application
fresh plant tincture
The information given here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. The information is drawn from numerous sources—both traditional medicine practice, from the clinical experience of many herbalists currently practicing, and supported by decades of scientific research from the author. The research most consulted includes human clinical trials that help to determine the most effective and safe herbs for various needs, the best doses, and types of preparations.
The information offered in this database is not intended as a substitute for any that may have been prescribed by your health practitioner or physician.
