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Oats Herb - Uses And Side Effects

Derived from the grains of the Avena sativa plant, oats are cunivated mainly in the United States, Russia, Canada, and Germany. Like other grains, they're sometimes contaminated with aflatoxin, a fungal toxin linked to some cancers.

Description

There are about twenty-five varieties cultivated. The nutritive quality of Oats is less in a given weight than that of any other cereal grain. In the best Oats it does not exceed 75 per cent. Avena sativa , the Common Oat, has a smooth stem, growing up to 4 feet high, with linear lanceolate, veined rough leaves; loose striate sheaves; stipules lacerate; panicle equal, loose; spikelets pedunculate, pendulous, twoflowered, both perfect, lower one mostly awned; paleae cartilaginous, embracing the caryopsis; root fibrous, annual. The Naked or Pilcorn Oat differs slightly from the other: calyces three-flowered, receptacle exceeding the calyx; petals awned at the back; the third floscule awnless; and the chief difference lies in the grains, which when ripe quit the husk and fall naked. The grains as found in commerce are enclosed in their pales and these grains divested of their paleae are used for medicinal and dietary purposes; the grains when separated from their integuments are termed groats, and these when crushed are called Embden groats. Oatmeal is ground grain.

Common doses of Oats

Oats come as:

• tablets (850 or 1,000 milligrams)
• whole grains
• cereals
• wafers (750 milligrams)
• soaps
• gels
• teas
• powders
• lotions
• bath preparations.

Some experts recommend the following doses:

• To lower cholesterol, 50 to 100 grams of dietary fiber from oat bran daily.
• For topical use, apply once or twice daily.

Uses of Oats herb

Oats is a nutritive herb, and acts as a tonic to the heart, nerves, and thymus gland and has excellent emollient properties. Regular consumption of oat germ is said to lower cholesterol levels. The seed as well as the straw contains high amounts of soluble silica, iron, manganese and zinc. This is combined with triterpene saponins (avenacin and avenacoside), scopoletin and simple indole alkaloid. Specifically, oats may help to :-

• As a sedative
• Gout
• Itching
• Skin irritation
• To reduce blood sugar and insulin levels
• To lower cholesterol
• To treat certain addictions, including cigarette smoking

Side effects of Oats

Call your health care practitioner if you experience any of these possible side effects of oats:

• bloating or a feeling of abdominal fullness
• frequent bowel movements
• intestinal gas
• irritation around the genitals and buttocks
• skin irritation from contact with oat flour

Interactions

Combining herbs with certain drugs may alter their action or produce unwanted side effects. Tell your health care practitioner about any prescription or nonprescription drugs you're taking.

Important points to remember

• Don't use oats if you have celiac disease. Oats contain gluten.
• If you have bowel problems, check with your health care practitioner before using oats.
• If you take oat bran, drink plenty of water to help regulate your bowel movements.
• When bathing in a colloidal oat product, take care not to get it in your eyes or on in flamed skin.
• Keep in mind that oat products can cause intestinal gas and frequent bowel movements.

What the research shows

Oats provide an important source of dietary fiber, and studies support the use of oats to reduce the risks of heart disease and postoperative constipation. As for herbalists' claims that oatmeal helps heal minor skin irritations, researchers have found little evidence of this effect.

Other names for Oats

Other names for oats include groats, haver, haver-com, haws, and oatmeal.

Products containing oats are sold under such names as Aveeno Cleansing Bar, Aveeno Colloidal, Aveeno Dry, Aveeno Lotion, Aveeno Oilated Bath, Aveeno Regular Bath, Oats and Honey, Oat Bran, Oat Straw Tea, and Quaker Oat Bran.