Oats are another common ingredient that have a wide range of healing properties. Let’s get right to it – starting with the outside of the body.
ITCHY SKIN AND RASHES
If your parent or grandparent ever gave you an oatmeal bath to soothe your chickenpox, they were wise to do so. Oats have anti-itch and skin soothing properties. They are helpful to soothe many skin irritations. You can pour some oats into a bath or make a paste with them to apply to skin. To avoid mess you can make moistened oatmeal bundles to dab on itchy skin. Just be sure to bundle the oatmeal in a thin cloth or nylon.
DRY SKIN AND ECZEMA
Oats have a surprising amount of moisture in them. Combining oatmeal with other ingredients to make face and body masks is a great way to restore dry skin. Also, using similar methods to what I mentioned above you can scrub off dry, dead skin with oatmeal.
CHOLESTEROL AND BLOOD PRESSURE
Oats are well known for their ability to lower cholesterol. This is because of their beta-glucan and high fiber content. They can even lower blood pressure.
CONSTIPATION
Since they have a high amount of fiber in them, oatmeal is a great way to relieve constipation.
STRESS
In herbal terms, oats are known as a “nervine”, meaning they have a calming effect on the nervous system. But beyond just calming, oats can help people feel more vital when they are burnt out or exhausted. It’s an under-used remedy for these cases. There is even some research hinting that oats can play a useful role as part of a treatment plan for addiction. This was a common use for oats in the past.
Want to learn more about how herbal medicine and nutrition can help with various conditions? Book a free 15-minute consultation or appointment.
If you are interested in naturopathic services please contact Holland Landing Health Centre at 905-853-7900 or via e-mail at info@HLHC.ca!
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