Oats Avena sativa L.

The humble oat epitomizes the concept of food as your best medicine. Oatmeal is very inexpensive, easy to prepare, and has equally important nutritional and health benefits.

Whole oats contain beta-glucans which help to lower cholesterol levels naturally. ¹ The complex carbohydrates give your body a long lasting energy boost, and stimulate the immune system. Oats also contain a daily dose of B vitamins to fight stress. The old saying "Sowing your wild oats", refers to the long held view that oats help support a healthy libido. The presence of steroidal saponins, and beta sitosterol in raw oats could indeed have an effect on balancing hormonal levels, which is a rather fun reason to encourage your loved one to eat this rather unexciting, but extremely healthy food. ²

The dried milky tops, called oatstraw, make a soothing herbal tea used as a nervous system tonic. For cases of mild to moderate anxiety combine oatstraw with chamomile or lemon balm in tea and tincture formulas. Oatstraw is often used for children and those who are debilitated from exhaustion or mild depression. ⁴

Oatmeal extract, the liquid left from cooking whole oats, is one of the most soothing and effective treatments for dry skin and sunburns, and can help heal damage from more serious skin conditions such as serious eczema and psoriasis. ⁵ A simple poultice made from a muslin bag filled with oatmeal and chamomile flowers is one the most healing things you can use for damaged skin. There are many perfectly fine, natural skin products that contain oatmeal extracts but in this case homemade is fresher, works better and costs much less.