Benefits and Uses of Milky Oats: A Guide to Nervine Trophorestoratives

This article, written by Heidi Villegas, clinical herbalist and teacher, is about how to use Avena sativa (oat) as a trophorestorative that actually works for supporting an overstimulated and depleted nervous system. You’ll also learn all the other important highlights to know about effectively working with milky oat tops.

NOTE: This is not medical advice, nor is it a specific protocol for everyone. Please see full disclaimer below. This article is for information only, and may give you a start for a protocol of your own.

Working with a Client on Hypersensitive and Depleted Nervous System

I want to mention before getting into the information about milky oats is that this is one of my favorite herbs to use for supporting cases that include past trauma, stress, being on overdrive for years, and succumbing to daily alcohol to “shut down” the mind so relaxation and sleep can occur.

Many people use therapy to help with alcohol use disorders, binge eating disorders, and other issues that may stem from nervous system dysregulation. Therapy can be very helpful. Sometimes pharmaceutical drugs become involved, too. However, medicinal herbs can be wonderful supports for people dealing with nervous system dysregulation in terms of helping get the system back into a state of healthy tone and balance.

I’ve worked with several clients having this issue, and although the specific herbs and amounts may vary, one herb that is almost always included is milky oats. The thing is, you need to make the tincture correctly. Let’s dive into helpful information about the mysteries of milky oats, why they work, how best to prepare them for nervous system health, and a lot more.

What are Oats? (Avena sativa)

When we think of oats, we usually think of the grain that is oatmeal. Those of us in the herbalism world also are familiar with “oatstraw,” the nutrient-dense stem that becomes rather “hay-like” when dried. We use this in herbal teas when minerals and vitamins are desired to be included in a formulation, most specifically an herbal tea (water infusion) or a vinegar infusion because these two solvent extract minerals nicely. Alcohol (a tincture) does not extract minerals well at all.

Oats as a medicinal plant are wonderful taken as a food. They contain decent levels of mucilage, which is helpful for the GI-tract and overall digestive system. The grain is also dense in nutrients as well as fiber and healthy carbohydrates.

What are “Milky Oats?”

And now we come to a very special part of the plant.

You may hear that “milky oats” are great for nervous system support, and this simple statement is correct. However, there are a few caveats for the use of milky oats that those wanting to use them for nervous system support must understand.

The “milky oats” are the green, unripe tops of the oat plant. They have a lovely, bright, light green color and are rather firm. After flowering the seed top (milky oat top) appears, and there’s about a seven to ten day only harvest window. These special tops are filled with a milky substance, a type of latex, and it is this latex that positively affects the nervous system as a trophorestorative.

This milky stage matters greatly. When we use the tops during this stage of life, we’re getting the portion that is actively building seed material, concentrating energy and nutrients for later reproduction. This is the perfect example of herbalists harvesting for building and nourishment in the body. We harvest herbs at peak vitality to support clients' vitality. The milky seeds are not yet hardened at this stage, and this is the perfect time to harvest oat tops for the desired positive effect on the nervous system.

In herbalism, this is a principle at play that doesn’t fit neatly into any biochemical assay, but it just makes sense from a traditional use standpoint. It’s an example of science knowing something works….but not really about why.

Phytochemistry of Milky Oat Tops: Constituents

This next part is important because to an extent, it explains why milky oats work on the body.

The fresh milky oat seeds (tops) contain water soluble alkaloids that degrade on drying, including trogonelline and avenine. Both of these alkaloids have proven effects on the nervous system, and avenine in particular has been shown to have nerve-toning properties and mild sedation in older pharmacological texts.

Milky oats also contain saponins. These are structurally different in the fresh versus the dried plant material, and this seems to matter greatly when it comes to the benefits of milky oat tops. Some of these saponins have proven adaptogenic-type effects on the HPA axis function in animal studies. The HPA axis is a cyclical response between the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the brain and the adrenal glands that sit atop the kidneys. This axis manages the stress (fight or flight) response, among other things.

There are also flavonoids in milky oat tops that importantly have GABA-A modulating effects on the brain, helping to calm and soothe mildly. These bind at different sites in the brain than alcohol or benzodiazepines do, and scientists think this may be why they support the system without dependency being a problem.

Milky oats contain B vitamins, iron, manganese, zinc, calcium, and magnesium in relatively high amounts. What a powerhouse nutritive herb!

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What is a Nervine Trophorestorative?

First , a nervine herb is one that positively affects the nervous system.

Second a trophorestorative herb is one that tones, builds, and supports function in depleted organs and systems over time. Tropho means “feed,” and “restorative” means “to restore.” These are herbs that rebuild systems that are run down.

Third….a Nervine Trophorestorative is an herb that supports and builds and restores healthy nervous system function. Milky oats are strongly included in this category of herbal actions.

The thing about milky oats use as a nervous system support is that people usually don’t feel it right away. So, the phytokinetics aren’t just about the alkaloids interacting with neurotransmitters, providing acute effects that often reduce with use (tolerance).

But milky oats do the opposite. This herb provides a building-and-growing effect that strengthens the nervous system over time. It goes to work and has strong cumulative effects on the body as the depleted nervous system improves. The trophorestorative concept is about something more systemic. It’s about nerve growth support, potential glial cell (brain cell) health, and even mitrochondrial cell function in the tissue of the nervous system. These benefits are all speculative and not proven by science, and that’s important to understand. All we really know is that milky oats work, and we can rely on traditional use as well as using it ourselves!

What herbalists have seen time and time again over many decades is that people suspected of having a depleted nervous system from prolonged stress or trauma events who take milky oats tincture consistently for weeks notice real shifts. It’s not an acute response or immediate as with kava or skullcap, but it’s more about having a great deal more resilience in the nervous system, without feeling sedated.

Traditional uses impact many areas of emotional and nervous system health:

1) Long term nervous system restoration

2) Support for those grieving or going through major life changes

3) Addiction recovery

4) Daily nourishment for those depleted by chronic stress.

5) Burnout and nervous exhaustion

6) Perimenopause and menopause

7) Postpartum depletion

8) Grief

9) Recovery from illnesses

10) Support for those struggling with ADHD, including children

11) Hypersensitivity to stress that presents in not being able to deal with noise, many people, etc.

Milky oats are wonderfully demulcent, sweet, cooling, and moistening to systems that have become “dry” from being over-extended.

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Do the Milky Oats HAVE to be Fresh for Them to be Trophorestorative?

Yes.

Unfortunately, for a client to experience the trophorestorative effect, the fresh oat tops need to be used. And as I mentioned, there’s a very short harvest window, and they also tend to dry rather quickly, depleting the latex we want.

Also unfortunately, most milky oat tops sold from bulk herb stores are dried, making them rather worthless for the nervous system support (although they will still be highly nutritious). If you can purchase them just harvested and freshly dried, this will likely still provide a somewhat quality products. But it’s best if you can get the tincture made with fresh plant matter.

Therefore, if you are purchasing the milky oat tincture, be sure that it was made with the fresh (unripe) oat tops. The best preparation method is a 1:2 (by weight) oat to 75% liquid alcohol tincture of the fresh plant material. To use milky oat top tincture, in most cases, it’s beneficial taken twice a day, at about 3 ml consistently over weeks. It’s at about the six-week mark that clients tend to report “feeling better,” and more grounded and able to handle stressors.

If you must purchase your milky oat tops, be sure you know when they were harvested and use them in preparation right away. Become your family’s herbalist!

Other Herbs to Pair with Milky Oat Tops While You Wait for Results

Milky oats are wonderful to pair or combine with other nervine herbs. There are many nervine herbs that do radically different things in the body. Let’s see what milky oats do NOT do:

1) They aren’t sedative. An example of strong sedative nervine herb is valerian root.

2) They don’t “calm the mind,” at least not immediately. Passionflower is one that is great in this regard.

3) Milky oats don’t do a great deal for muscular tension for those who carry stress in the body. But skullcap (S. lateriflora) is a wonderful helper.

4) And they’re not even considered a gentle relaxing nervine, like chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm are.

But all of these are wonderful partners with milky oats because they go to work quickly, allowing milky oats to do the long-term nourishment and building the nervous system needs for healing. They need consistency and time to work.

Safety and Contraindications

Milky oats are one of the most safe and useful food-like medicinal herbs in Western herbalism. Here are a few cautions to consider:

1) For those with gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease, the avenins the oats contain might be problematic. Also, oats in general are often processed in places where gluten-containing grains are also processed.

2) Some (very, very few) are allergic to oats. Take care if you’ve ever had a reaction.

Final Thoughts on Using Milky Oat Tops Effectively:

If you’re blessed to have oats growing near you, or if you are growing them yourself, then you’re all set! Watch them carefully, and after they flower, when you first see the seeds set, give them a pinch. You’ll see the sweet and nutritious milky latex ooze from the tops. This is the time to harvest them and also to process them.

For preparation, a good old water infusion is so helpful, although, again, you want to use them as fresh as possible for this method. It’s best (if you want the trophorestorative benefits) to tincture them fresh.

Oats may seem like a boring old grain, but in reality, this medicinal herb is often under-represented. If you feel you need the benefits, remember that consistent daily use and use over many weeks is vital for the herb to work on the nervous system.

Enjoy these amazing plants!

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

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