Oatstraw | Herb Spotlight - ALONG THE MEADOW

Want a nourishing herbal tea that the whole family will enjoy? Read about my favorite herb, Oatstraw, and how it helps to balance the nervous system while providing essential minerals and vitamins.

If you follow me on Instagram you probably see me talking a lot about Oatstraw. I’m a huge fan and for good reason! I have been drinking it religiously for about a month now and I can finally go to sleep at a decent time and wake up feeling refreshed. It feels like my body has had a reboot!

It’s such an easy herb to incorporate into your daily life that can have big impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Plus it has a naturally sweet taste that even kids enjoy! Keep reading to find out more about Oatstraw and why this is an herb to have in your home.

Oatstraw (Avena sativa)

Parts used: oat stem and milky tops, harvested during the milky stage right after it flowers and before it hardens to become what we know of as traditional oats

Constituents: vitamin A, C, E, K and B complex, calcium, magnesium, silica, iron, phosphorus, protein, alkaloids, polysaccharides

Herbal Actions: Nutritive, Antidepressant, Emollient, Aphrodisiac, Cardiotonic, Immunomodulant, Demulcent, Tonic

Indications: those needing nourishment, remineralization, menopause, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, loss of libido, osteoporosis, cognitive issues, controlling blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, irritated skin, poison ivy, chicken pox, atopic dermatitis, immune support

Ways to use: tincture, tea, bath, compress

Cautions: considered safe even in pregnancy or breastfeeding, uncontaminated oat straw is shown to be safe for Celiac and people with gluten sensitivity

Where to purchase: Mountain Rose Herbs, Starwest Botanicals, Amazon

Pretty amazing herb right? I love that it can be used safely for the whole family. It’s a great one to start with if you’re just dipping your toes into herbalism. My favorite way to extract the herbal benefits from Oatstraw is through a hot infusion. It’s basically like how you make tea but you let it steep much longer even overnight like I do!

Oatstraw Hot Infusion

What you need:

1 oz Oatstraw (comes out to close to 1 cup)
Quart size mason jar with lid
parchment paper
strainer

Directions:

Place 1 oz Oatstraw in quart size mason jar and fill with hot water to the top. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and lid. Let sit on countertop for 4 hours to overnight. Strain Oatstraw from water into a new jar. Add ice, lemon, fresh Lemon balm or Mint and sweetener of choice if you like. Enjoy!

* If wanting to use Oatstraw for skin issues you can add the hot infusion to a bath or make a compress out of it.