Oat Straw: Benefits, Dosing, Where To Buy, And More!

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Key Information

Oat Straw is derived from the Avena sativa plant:

It is harvested before it bears fruit and has been used for centuries as a herbal remedy.

Oat Straw can help with anxiety, depression, and addiction:

It can inhibit MAO-B and PDE4, which are enzymes that break down dopamine and cause inflammation.

Oat Straw can enhance cognitive performance and memory:

It can act as a vasodilator and increase blood flow in the brain, improving mental clarity and focus.

Oat Straw can also boost libido and sleep quality:

It has aphrodisiac properties and can provide a calming effect, making it useful for sexual health and relaxation.

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Oat Straw – An Overview

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Oat straw is derived from the first cuttings of the Avena sativa plant.

Oat straw (wild green-oat, Avena sativa) is an all-natural nootropic that is taken from the oat grain.

It is harvested from the plant during its “milky” stage before it bears fruit. It is used for:

  • Anxiety and stress
  • Libido enhancement
  • Anti Inflammation
  • Improved cerebral blood flow
  • Overall cognition

Humans in Europe have been using oat straw for thousands of years, and societies in the Middle Ages used to prescribe it for nerve health and mood.

Science is just now catching up to what indigenous cultures have known for a long time.

Avenanthramides are the main active compounds that give oat straw it’s nootropic properties.

It also can inhibit MAO-B and phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4), which may increase dopamine levels, improving mood, and fighting depression.

It is generally considered safe and effective. 1Kathy Abascal, Eric Yarnell. Nervine Herbs for Treating Anxiety Alternative and Complementary Therapies. 2004

Can You East Oat Straw?

Yes, many people eat dried oat straw either by itself or sprinkled over food. A couple of tablespoons should be enough to have a therapeutic effect.

If you don’t want to eat it, there are also extracts available that may be more convenient.

What Does Oat Straw Do?

Oat Straw For Addiction Treatment

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Oat straw may help reduce cravings while fighting substance abuse substance abuse

There is some evidence that oat straw can help people quit addictions and treat withdrawal symptoms.

It has been used for this purpose in traditional cultures, although clinical results are mixed.

Researchers saw that oat straw increased the probability of successfully quitting opium in a number of patients.

However, they were unable to replicate the effects when it came to cigarette smoking. 2C. L. ANAND. Effect of Avena sativa on Cigarette Smoking Nature. 1971

However, a later double-blind study conducted by a different group of researchers did find that oat straw could help smokers quit. 3Schmidt K, Geckeler K. Pharmacotherapy with avena sativa – a double blind study Int J Clin Pharmacol Biopharm. 1976

More research needs to be done on this subject, although it is likely that oat straw does have a positive effect on addiction recovery by providing a sense of calm and raising mood during withdrawal.

Oat Straw For Anxiety

Many Western herbalists use oat straw tincture as a simple way to quiet temporary, mild anxiety, or to take the edge off low moods.

Oat straw is considered a “nervine” herb, acting as a non-addictive alternative to drugs like benzodiazepine. 4Kathy Abascal, Eric Yarnell. Nervine Herbs for Treating Anxiety Alternative and Complementary Therapies. 2004

Although human studies on this subject are scarce, there is some clinical evidence from animal studies.

In one rat study, low dose oat straw led to an improvement of active stress response, an enhancement of shock avoidance learning, and increased social behavior.

Researchers concluded that wild green oat extract can improve behavioral initiative and anxiety response. 5Schellekens C, et al. An extract from wild green oat improves rat behaviour Phytother Res. 2009

Oat Straw For Alzheimer’s Disease

Oat straw can act as a vasodilator, meaning that it can affect Alzheimer’s since it has been linked to vascular diseases. 6Suzanne Craft. The Role of Metabolic Disorders in Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Dementia: Two Roads Converged? Arch Neurol. 2010

According to research, wild green oat extract supplementation can improve vasodilator function in systemic and cerebral arteries, suggesting a potential role in the maintenance of cardiovascular health. 7Wong RH, et al. Chronic consumption of a wild green oat extract (Neuravena) improves brachial flow-mediated dilatation and cerebrovascular responsiveness in older adults J Hypertens. 2013

Oat Straw For Depression

This nootropic has a long history of brightening emotions and fighting depression. There is some solid evidence it can help raise mood through multiple pathways.

Oat straw helps to prolong the effects dopamine which is good for mood. It does this by inhibiting monoamine oxide-B (MAO-B).

MAO-B is responsible for breaking down neurotransmitters like dopamine, which are responsible for mood regulation.

By inhibiting the action of MAO-B, oat straw can ensure that dopamine stays in the synaptic cleft longer, resulting in better overall mood, and lower depression. 8T Moccetti, et al. Bioactivity-based development of a wild green oat (Avena sativa L.) extract in support of mental health disorders Zeitschrift für Phytotherapie. 2006

It can also inhibit levels of phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), an enzyme that can cause inflammation.

PDE4 is closely linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety, so preventing it may help feelings of subjective wellbeing.9Florian Plattner, et al. The role of ventral striatal cAMP signaling in stress-induced behaviors Nat Neurosci. 2015 Aug10Vasantmeghna S. Murthy, Ajish G. Mangot. Psychiatric aspects of phosphodiesterases: An overview Indian J Pharmacol. 2015

Thinking and Problem Solving

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Oat straw may help clear your mind and boost mental performance

Oat straw can improve overall cognitive performance. It can act as a vasodilator and lower inflammation, allowing you to think clearer, and perform mental tasks faster.

According to research, oat straw can have an effect on the left frontotemporal area, which is involved in cognitive tasks.

Scientists saw statistically significant differences during the performance of concentration tests and during mental arithmetic.

These changes suggest that oat herb extract might be effective in healthy subjects, resulting in a positive impact on cognitive performance.11Dimpfel W, Storni C, Verbruggen M. Ingested oat herb extract (Avena sativa) changes EEG spectral frequencies in healthy subjects J Altern Complement Med. 2011

Another study looked at healthy older adults who self-reported age-associated cognitive decline.

Researchers saw that oat straw resulted in broad improvements to cognitive function over two separate testing sessions in terms of increased speed of performance across tasks, and on individual tasks assessing executive function and episodic memory.

Significant improvement in “thinking time”, “planning time” and “task completion time” compared to placebo, as well as fewer errors on tasks. 12Kennedy DO, et al. Acute effects of a wild green-oat (Avena sativa) extract on cognitive function in middle-aged adults: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects trial Nutr Neurosci. 2017

Oat Straw For ADHD

There is also evidence that oat straw can help you focus and decrease symptoms of ADHD.

This may be due to its effects on dopamine (which is heavily involved in motivation and attention), and cerebral blood flow.

One study found that oat herb extract may acutely improve attention and concentration and the ability to maintain task focus in older adults.13Berry NM, et al. Acute effects of an Avena sativa herb extract on responses to the Stroop Color-Word test J Altern Complement Med. 2011

Oat Straw For Libido

Oat straw has been used as an herbal aphrodisiac for centuries, and there is some evidence that is could improve desire and performance.

In fact, the phrase “sow wild oats” actually refers to Avena sativa!

It may be linked to its antidepressant properties, which can affect libido.

It can also increase blood flow, which may be helpful for both male and female performance. 14Peter H. C. Lim. Asian herbals and aphrodisiacs used for managing ED Transl Androl Urol. 2017

Oat Straw For Sleep

Many users report a slightly sedating effect, making it potentially useful as a sleep aid.

However, there have not been any clinical studies on this aspect of oat straw.

How Oat Straw Works In The Brain

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Oat straw can increase blood flow in the brain and prevent the breakdown of dopamine

Oat straw achieves its nootropic effects through a few different pathways.

It can inhibit MAO-B, which the enzyme that breaks down dopamine. This increases dopamine levels and can provide a significant mood lift.

It also inhibits phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4), an inflammatory enzyme.

This effect may have a vasodilator benefit in the central nervous system, promoting enhanced blood flow in the cerebral vessels, aiding cognitive function. 15Rachel H. X. Wong, et al. Chronic Effects of a Wild Green Oat Extract Supplementation on Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial Nutrients. 2012

Oat straw also has avenanthramides, which are bioactive compounds unique in oats.

These can also improve vasodilation, and they have proven antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties. 16Meydani M. Potential health benefits of avenanthramides of oats Nutr Rev. 2009

How Much Oat Straw Should I Take?

Standard dosage is 800-1600mg/day.

Oat Straw Potential Side Effects

Oat straw has no known side effects.

Oat Straw Amazon Reviews

[su_quote cite=”Linam g” url=”https://www.amazon.com/Oatstraw-Alcohol-Free-Extract-Tincture-Supplement/dp/B071Y88DXQ/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=oatstraw&qid=1603670832&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyOVpVSzhOQlU3QldFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUExMDI0MTA2MlE3UUhHUksyQkxXSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMTg3NDY4M1JTNjdQQkVORVhDViZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU”]I have a DVT down almost my entire leg, some calcification of some arteries as well as nerve and back damage. So I tried and it honestly helped cut my pain down more than the meds have.[/su_quote]
[su_quote cite=”Thomas” url=”https://www.amazon.com/Starwest-Botanicals-Organic-American-Oatstraw/dp/B003AYEHK2/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=oatstraw&qid=1603670832&sr=8-2″]It seems to mix well with any tea I mix it with, calms me down, and is pretty cheap considering its just oat straw. Obviously it gives any tea an oaty, earthy flavor, and I’ve also found that its good for when my stomach is hurting. [/su_quote][su_quote cite=”Mimi” url=”https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Oat-Straw-Tea-Caffeine/dp/B00DLLQ7KC/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=oatstraw&qid=1603671922&sr=8-3″] Love it! but it knocks me out- barely get through a cup of this and I fall asleep![/su_quote]

Wrapping Up

Do you have questions about, supplementing with Oat Straw? Do you have experience supplementing with Oat Straw? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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References
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Author

Erik Abramowitz is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP), Naturopathic Doctoral student, health coach, and father. He is the primary content creator for HolisticNootropics.com and the host of the Holistic Nootropics Podcast.

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