Botanical Name:  Avena sativa

Energetics:  Neutral to warming, moistening

Major Properties:  Relaxing nervine, nutritive

Examples of Uses:  “Type A burnout”, breaking addiction, nervous system tonic

Parts Used: Unripe seed pods when going from flower to seed.

Preparations:

Tincture, dropping freshly picked, unripe seed pods directly into menstruum

Personal Observations:

Milky Oats is a great nervous system tonic, not a sedative or stimulating, but it stabilizes, rebuilds, and/or enhances the nervous system.

Great for physical and mental exhaustion from too much work for too long.

Specific indications include nervous systems that are “fried” due to ongoing excess work or play.  “Type A burnout” - emotionally brittle due to stress.

Milky Oats has adaptogen-like qualities - good to take along with adaptogens such as Tulsi and Ashwagandha.

Great remedy for having to deal with sudden loss, such as a death or a situation that feels “as if something important has died”.

Very useful for breaking addictions, reducing cravings for tobacco and drugs.  Using it along with American Skullcap is very effective, especially where the addict is seeking the nervous strength to break the addiction.

This brief overview merely highlights my observations.  There is, of course, a great deal of information that you can find on the Internet or in books.  Or better yet - get together with other herbalists and share your experiences!

Please add your own experiences so that together we can create a more comprehensive overview.

As always, if you have a chronic ailment that is not resolving itself or an acute issue, seek the attention of your physician.