Oats -- Avena Sativa; (Gramineae

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Oats --Avena sativa; (Gramineae)

 

There are about twenty-five varieties cultivated.

 

GENERAL

 

Oat straw is an ingredient in Dr. Christopher's calcium formula. Dr.

Christopher explained that the body needs calcium for nerve sheath,

vein and artery walls, bones, teeth, etc.

 

Most of our diets nowadays are deficient in calcium because of the

denatured foods we eat,

which have most of the calcium processed out of them. We also lack

calcium because of the many inorganic sugars and starches which we

eat, the starches turning to sugar in the body.

The refined sugar, which

has had the calcium removed during processing, looks for chemical

links to regain its calcium, and the calcium leaches out of the

system. The result is weakened teeth, charlie horses, and general

systemic weakness.

 

Dr. Shook taught that calcium is the great builder of the structural

parts of the body, not only of the bones and ligaments, but of the

walls of the arteries, the heart, the walls of the veins, the teeth,

and the epithelial and connective tissues. Malnutritional diseases,

such as rickets and cretinism, he says, are usually the result of a

calcium deficiency (ShoA:80).

 

However, he warns that while children

and pregnant women need abundant calcium in their diet, grown men

and women need less, as too much calcium becomes a very dangerous

thing, often bringing about calcification in the system that causes

chronic suffering and even death (Ibid.).

 

Inorganic calcium, which is derived from mineral sources in the

earth that are not alive, cannot be assimilated into the body; it

can be accepted but remains in the system to cause problems.

 

Organic

calcium, on the other hand, can easily be assimilated into the body

and used to supply the important calcium need. Organic calcium can

come from many plants, but the Calc formula of Dr. Christopher

supplies it in an easily assimilable and trustworthy form.

We have

seen little babies, sick with a teething fever and accompanying

digestive stress, take the Cad formula (in a liquid form) every hour

or two; the teething symptoms have remitted and the teeth come

through easily. A pregnant mother can take the Calc formula freely

throughout her pregnancy to assure good calcium for her and the

child; the body will favor the fetus and draw calcium out of the

mothers bones, if necessary, to supply the new life. Mothers

complain of losing teeth as if it were necessary during

childbearing, but actually if they would take good calcium during

the time they would be fine.

 

Milks the one for calcium, proclaims the advertisement, and most of

us worry if we don't get enough milk for our calcium needs.

 

Actually, the bad effects of pasteurized cows milk far outweigh the

calcium that might be obtained from the milk.

 

A person can grow up

through his whole life without taking any milk and still enjoy

abundant calcium.

 

In addition to the Calc formula, arrowroot,

comfrey, camomile, chives, dandelion root, flaxseed, nettle, okra

pods, plantain, and shepherds purse contain lots of good organic

calcium. Dried dates and dried figs contain significant amounts.

Brazil nuts are a good source.

 

Beet greens contain exactly the same

amount, cup for cup, as milk. The other deep green vegetables, such

as broccoli, chard, collards, dandelion greens, kale, and turnip

greens all supply large amounts. Turnip greens and collards supply

almost twice the amount of calcium, cup for cup, as milk itself

(Mal:36).

 

Dr. Shook points out that lemons, limes, oranges, cabbage,

cauliflower, celery, lettuce, string beans and onions supply an

alkaline calcium, while milk, cheese, peas, beans, lentils,

cucumbers, radishes, fish, meat, potatoes, and so on provide an acid

calcium.

 

He points out that calcium chloride, which is found

abundantly in the common herbs that we can use abundantly, is the

great heart tonic. He said that the good Lord supplied it to us

because He knew that wed have many people with chronic heart trouble

(ShoA:80).

 

Oat straw itself is an important part of the calcium in formula, but

it is used in other medicinal ways. And the oats themselves, though

they are a prime food, are also medicinal.

 

FOOD AND FODDER

 

No one knows where oats originated, although they are supposed to

have sprung from one of the wild species indigenous to Europe.

Remains of the plant have been found in the digestive tracts of

prehistoric man. They are cultivated in most countries, even in the

subarctic regions, and many varieties or species are known, all

similarly related. Oats are not mentioned in the Bible, but

Dioscorides wrote about the plant, describing it and mentioning that

the grain is good for cataplasmes. . .the Puls for binding ye belly.

The creame of it being supt up doth help such as are troubled with

the cough. Oats were introduced into North America in 1602, and now

the United States is the major oats supplier in the entire world.

 

Most of us use Oats in our diets, and it is considered to be one of

the best foods for horses, goats, and other livestock, who love it

and will fight to get it. There are chemicals in the straw and beard

that are said to be stimulating; the cliche feeling his oats comes

from this notion.

 

MEDICINAL OATS

 

Oats are a soothing, demulcent, nourishing food. They are taken as

an important restorative in nervous prostration and after all

febrile diseases, as they seem to support the heart muscles and

urinary organs (Hut:209). The gruel, sometimes with wine, lemons, or

raisins added as flavoring, is a mild nutritious food of easy

digestion in inflammatory cases and fevers; it is very useful after

parturition and is sometimes employed against poisoning from acid

substances (Gri:598). It is sometimes taken for chronic

constipation, although it may not be well-digested and can cause

fermentation and gas and even compactions in the system.

 

Fermentation can be somewhat allayed if the oat gruel or porridge is

not sweetened. An oat and slippery elm gruel is sometimes useful in

cases of croup, where overeating or eating of the wrong kinds of

foods sometimes brings on the spasms.

 

A tincture of the oats is said to relieve the craving for cigarettes

and opium (Lewis:393,448). Research on this use was initiated in

India. The whole healthy fresh plant was crushed and made into a

tincture with 90 proof alcohol kept at room temperature and agitated

for 72 hours and then filtered. This tincture was given, diluted, at

the rate of 5 ml. four times a day. The drug seems to reduce the

number of cigarettes smoked per day and diminishes the craving for

cigarettes (Nature, Oct. 15, 1971, vol. 233).

 

The pericarp of the oats contains an amorphous alkaloid which acts

as a stimulator of the motor ganglia, increasing the excitability of

the muscles. A tincture is made to be used as a nerve and uterine

tonic (Gri:598). In homeopathy, the tincture is used in the

treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, paralysis, liver infections, and

skin diseases. Oats are well-known for their external uses. Most of

us have heard of Oatmeal soap, which is used to stimulate the skin

and cleanse the pores. Many people moisten oats and rub the skin

with them for the same purpose. Oatmeal is placed in cotton bags

with a few drops of perfume, moistened, and rubbed over the skin for

a complexion treatment (Lev:Common: 105).

 

Hot oat straw compresses are applied to painful areas when in pain

from kidney stone attack. Oat straw and oak bark decoctions are used

as baths for excessive foot perspiration. Oat straw steam baths are

used for children with rickets and scrofula (Hut:2 10).

 

Oatmeal is sometimes used as a poultice or as a base for other

medicinal poultices. Oatmeal baths are often used for kidney

infections.

 

In India, oats are described as a perfect food, and an unrivaled

fodder for horses. The tincture of the green oats is recommended for

nervous strain. It is also taken as an antidote for drug addiction,

alcoholism, diphtheria, paralysis, and dysentery (1MM: 162-3).

 

In China, oats are not domestically grown, although the wild oats

are gathered and eaten during times of dearth. The decoction of the

growing shoots is given to parturient mothers to excited uterine

contractions, as in retained placenta. This action may be due to the

growth of an ergot upon the plant (Shi:59). Oats are also used to

regenerate and strengthen the male reproductive system, an effective

agent in conditions of spermatorrhea, nervous debility of

convalescence, nervous exhaustion, and general neurasthenia. They

are considered an effective agent in conditions of impotence or

sexual debility due to over indulgence as they are said to produce a

tonic effect on the nerve structure of the sexual organs. They are

employed for prostatic irritation (Luc:Secrets: 149). For this

purpose they are combined with black willow bark and celery seeds

and made into a decoction. One teacupful is taken three or four

times a day. For other male troubles, fifteen drops of the extract

of oats are taken three times a day in hot water (for quicker

effect) or cold water (for more prolonged effect) (Ibid.).

 

NUTRIMENT

 

Most of us are familiar with Oat porridge for breakfast. They are

high in protein, though they must be combined with beans, nuts, or

other protein products to produce a complete balance of the amino

acids. Some people during survival times have lived for extended

periods on oats alone. They are an extremely rich and satisfying

food. For centuries they have been the staple food of the Scots;

coarse or whole oats were cooked in water and eaten with a sprinkle

of salt. They also form the basis of haggis and a variety of cakes

and biscuits peculiar to that country.

 

Dr. Max Bircher-Benner, an early pioneer of food science and a

vegetarian, devised a perfect food which he called muesli,

containing all the ingredients needed for health and growth. It was

made by mixing raw oats, honey, hot water, cream, the juice of half

a lemon, two medium sized apples, grated, and one tablespoonful of

grated hazel nuts. This was fed to patients twice a day and nothing

else; convalescing patients improved dramatically from the first day

(Day:26). Commercial muesli can be purchased; we have bought it and

found it somewhat rancid. Since it is so easy to prepare fresh, and

so much nicer, no one need spend the extravagant amount that Muesli

costs. Overnight, soak the desired amount of oats in water to barely

cover. In the morning add cream (or nut cream), honey, grated apple,

ground nuts, and either lemon or orange juice. You can warm the

cereal if desired. Most people enjoy Muesli and it is easily

digested.

 

Many people eat preparations of Granola which are largely based on

oats, roasted in a honey-oil syrup with nuts, seeds, bran, etc. This

preparation requires a lot of chewing, and most people don't chew

very well. Also, the cooked honey and oil can cause health problems,

especially since the honey, when cooked, loses its enzymatic

activity and the cooked oil has been proven to have carcinogenic

properties. Better to roast the desired ingredients separately until

lightly golden and, while still hot, mix in the honey and oil as

well as the dried fruit desired. If the granola is soaked overnight

before eating, it is more digestible.

 

Oats are said not to make good bread. This is so if we wish a

conventional, light, airy yeast bread. However, they make a

perfectly palatable and delightful flat bread. Mix the oats with

butter, an egg, a touch of salt, and milk or nut-milk to bind. Pat

out on an oiled baking sheet into the form of a circle; score to

make portions. Bake at about 350 degrees F. until firm and dry,

about a half hour. You can use a similar preparation to make oat

crackers or crisps.

 

Oats can be eaten raw if they are flaked, the slight heat used in

this process rendering them palatable. Mixed with grated carrot and

parsley, sea salt and herbal spices, it is eaten with milk and salt

or honey for a true whole food (Lev: Natures: 105). Another good

preparation for the raw oat flakes is to mix them with lemon juice,

finely grated lemon rind, and thin honey enough to bind the cereal

flakes. Make this into little haystack shapes of several inches high

and leave to harden. This makes a fun and natural food for children

(Ibid.). Our children like to take handfuls of the raw oats and eat

them plain, or often they will choose the raw oats for breakfast

instead of cooked porridge or granola.

 

Oat flour possesses a property that retards the development of

rancidity in fat products and this may be used to help keep butter

or curdled milk fresh. They were sometimes used for making malt for

beer by the Romans.

 

HISTORICAL USES

 

Used as a skin cleanser, for cataplasm, cough, to stimulate motor

ganglia, for nervous prostration and prostatic irritation, for

febrile diseases, heart muscles, urinary organs, and inflammatory

cases and fevers, for chronic constipation, post labor to expel the

placenta, for croup, to relieve craving for cigarettes and opium, as

a nerve and uterine tonic, for arthritis, rheumatism, paralysis,

liver infection and skin diseases, rickets, scrofula, kidney

infections and stone attacks, as an antidote for drug addiction, for

alcoholism, diphtheria, dysentery, for nerve structure of sexual

organs as in spermatorrhea, neurasthenia and impotence.

 

CULTIVATION, COLLECTION, PREPARATION

 

Oats are cultivated on farms, although many people grow small stands

for home use. We think it is a good idea to grow one s own grain, as

pesticide residues often accumulate in the oats, particularly in the

straw, and cause poisoning. Livestock have been poisoned in this

manner (Lewis:21).

 

Oats are grown according to normal horticultural practices, being

sure to test the soil to maintain a proper balance. Well-rotted

compost or well-rotted manure is a good addition to the soil, and a

mulch can help retain moisture during dry periods. When the oats are

cut, they are divested from their palea and integuments; they are

then called groats. Some people think that groats are superior in

nutrition than the rolled oats. When these are crushed, they are

called Embden groats. Oatmeal is the ground grain, and oats flakes

are the flaked grains, which are heated and pressed. Kloss assures

us that there is not a hairs breadth difference between the steel-

cut or the finely-flaked oats. The finely-flaked product is

preferred because it is prepared much more quickly and is more

quickly digested. He asked the Quaker Oats Company to describe their

method of preparing the oats, and they complied, as follows:

 

We are very glad to enclose a description of the manufacturing

process for...oats. The glumes of the oat grain are wrapped a bit

more securely (than wheat) around the kernel, and remain on the oat

until they are removed at the rolled oats mill. After removing the

hull from the kernel from which rolled oats are made, the oats

possess all of the bran, middlings, endosperm, and germ portion

natural to the grain. Whole oat kernels (oat groats), steel cut

oats, large or standard type rolled oats flakes, and small or `quick

type rolled oat flakes are all whole grain products. In the sense

that refined is sometimes used as an antonym for whole grain, there

are no refined oat foods.. .The oats go through an extensive

cleaning process in which corn, wheat, barley chaff, and weed seeds

are removed. The oats are then carefully sized to uniform diameter

by grading.. .Only the plump sound-oats of good size go into (our)

products. The clean graded oats are roasted and partially dried,

after which they are cooled and passed to a large burr stone where

the hulls are torn from the groats. The oats mixture is next bolted

to remove any flour, and the hulls are then removed in special air

separators. Any unhulled oats are removed in cell machines and the

cleaning process is continued until the groats are free from hulls

and unhulled oats.. .the groats are then steel-cut. The clean groats

pass to the steaming chamber where they are partially cooked with

live steam and from which they pass to the rolls where the groats

are formed into flakes. The rolled oats flakes are cooled in a

current of air to about 110 degrees F., following which the product

is immediately weighed and packed by automatic mechanical equipment

(Klo:83-85).

 

Oat straw can be collected after the harvest of the oats. Be

absolutely sure that the crop from which you collect has not been

sprayed, as the chemicals collect in the straw. Dry it in a cool,

airy place and crumble or powder as desired. Store in a cool, dry

place.

 

 

 

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