Oat Avena sativa Family: Poaceae CTFA name: Avena sativa

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Photo © Steven Foster

Introduction

Avena sativa or cultivated oat is an annual grass with straight, hollow stems.^1,2  It has flat, rough, bladelike leaves and spikes of pale gold seeds or grains.^1,2,3  Oats are native to the Mediterranean region, Europe, North Africa, and northern Central Asia.^2,3,4  They grow well in cool, damp climates.⁴  Oats are now cultivated in many parts of the world²  including the British Isles, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Poland, Germany, the northern U.S., Canada and Australia.^4,5  Oat bran, oat straw, whole oat grain and the above ground parts (stem, leaf, and husk) are all useful.^2,6,7  

History and Cultural Significance

Ancient Romans thought oats were coarse barbarian food and used them as animal fodder.⁸  On the other hand, the Ancient Greeks prepared a dessert made of oats.⁹  The seeds or grain are made into flour, oatmeal, rolled oats, bran, groats, and breakfast foods, as well as being used in baked goods, salads and dressings.⁹  In Britain, Wales, and especially Scotland, they are the principal cereal.⁸  In Belgium, oats are used to make white beer and in France, roasted seeds are employed as a vanilla substitute. Roasted seeds have also been utilized for imitation coffees.⁹  Oat milk can be a nondairy substitute for people allergic to soy and rice.⁴  

The majority of oat crops are used for livestock feed.¹⁰  Humans consume about five percent of the total oat crops grown,¹¹  but there has been a recent increase in human consumption due to interest in health benefits.¹⁰  Oats are nutritious, high in protein, fat and fiber, have antioxidant and preservative properties, and can help reduce cholesterol.^8,12  Eating three or more servings of whole grains (such as oats) per day may reduce the risk of certain diseases and may help with weight maintenance.¹³  

Oats have traditionally been used for a wide variety of conditions including but not limited to anxiety, stress and excitation, skin diseases, bladder weakness, blood vessel and lung ailments, and stomach complaints.¹⁴  In traditional European medicine, oat grain has been used in diets for general weakness, dietary disturbances²  and to restore vigor and strength during convalescence.⁷  Oats were sometimes employed in treating poisoning from acid substances and they made a soothing enema.¹⁵  Green oat herb tea is traditionally used as a sedative for nervous conditions and sleeplessness.²  Oat tea is considered a diuretic.⁷  Oat tea was employed in the early 20th century as a cure for opium addiction,¹¹  and in traditional Ayurvedic (Indian) medicine, oats are used for opium withdrawal.⁶  Oat straw baths have been used traditionally for rheumatism, and skin disorders, and as a sedative.⁷  Some adult caregivers of children with ADHD or depression feed oats to the children because the product is traditionally viewed to have a subtle, calming effect.¹⁶  

Oat extracts have been used for more than a century as a soothing topical emollient¹⁰  for managing dry, itchy, irritated, or inflamed skin.^6,12  Boiled to a thick paste, oats have been used as a soothing poultice.¹⁵  Oat colloidal grain suspensions have been used for decades in the treatment of dermatitis.¹⁷  The German Commission E has approved oat straw for external application for inflammatory and seborrheic (oozing) skin disease, especially with itching.¹⁴  Oat products have a long history of use in cosmetic products to relieve irritation and itching.¹⁸  Oat is commonly used in moisturizers, facial masks, topical creams, bath soaps and gels, cosmetic gels, balms, and powders.^6,7,10,17,18  Oat mucilage is used in skin creams for treatment of sunburn⁷  and in sunscreens.¹²  

Modern Research

There have been many studies on the internal use of oats.^19,20,21  The FDA allows the health claim that soluble fiber from whole oats, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.²²  

There are few current studies on external uses of oats. One study showed liquid paraffin with colloidal oatmeal reduced itching and antihistamine use in acute burn patients compared to liquid paraffin alone.²³  Another study showed that topical pretreatment with Avena sativa extract prevented skin irritation using the sodium lauryl sulfate irritation model.²⁴  The FDA allows colloidal oatmeal as an active ingredient in skin protectants for use as a soak, compress, or wet dressing.²⁵  The FDA accepts the safety and efficacy of colloidal oatmeal products to temporarily protect and help relieve minor skin irritation and itching due to rashes, eczema, poison ivy/oak/sumac, and insect bites.²⁵  

Future Outlook

Oats are a specialty crop,²⁶  comprising less than one percent of U.S. feed grain production.²⁷  They have two increasingly significant market niches: humans and horses.⁵  Demand for oat products has increased due to potential health benefits for consumers, notably lowering cholesterol. Oats have traditionally been and still are a preferred feed for horses. Recreational horses are the current market influence, particularly in the U.S.⁵  

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 10-year baseline projection for 2005 – 2014 predicts some rise in food, seed, and industrial use (from 186 million bushels to 196 million) with constant U.S. production and modest increases in oat imports (from 85 million bushels to 94 million).²⁶  International trade in oats is only about seven or eight percent of world production.²⁸  The U.S. accounts for 70-80% of imports, and Canada, Sweden and Finland together account for 80-90% of exports.²⁸