Share:
Seed oats were declared the medicinal plant of the year 2017
If there is talk of medicinal plants, it is certainly not immediately thought of the cereals, although they have their place in medicine for millennia. Thus, the oat - Avena sativa - also called white or genuine oats, even several very different remedies with a wide range of uses. They range from the treatment of the skin, through gastrointestinal diseases to the prevention of arteriosclerosis and diabetes mellitus type 2. For this reason and because the areas of dermatology and nutrition have not yet been covered by the medicinal plants of the year, the oat oat has been selected by the study circle history of development of the drug crop science at the University of Würzburg to the medicinal plant of the year 2017.
Oat, like wheat, rye or barley, belongs to the grasses (Poaceen). In contrast to the relatives mentioned, however, it does not develop its grains in ears but in multiply branched panicles, which is why an oat plant yields less yield and is harder to harvest. In addition, the grains are enclosed by husks, which must be removed by a special Mahlgang. On the other hand, it thrives on barren soil and in regions with high rainfall. The nutritional value and not least the taste is superior to the other cereals.
Oats were voted medicinal plant of the year 2017. Picture: womue - fotolia The oat provides a total of three different remedies. In the relevant literature, one usually finds only the straw (stramentum Avenae), but in recent times, the herb (Herba Avenae) and the grain (Fructus Avenae) are becoming increasingly important.
The oat straw is used for baths, which are to help with skin injuries and itching.
For the use of the herb, the oats are harvested before it is flowering. This herb is rich in flavonoids and saponins and has a high content of minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, etc.), with the flavonoids having anti-inflammatory and saponin-immunomodulating properties. Extracts of oatmeal are therefore used in dry and atopic skin. The symptoms of atopic dermatology, also called atopic dermatitis, atopic eczema or (obsolete) atopic dermatitis, are redness, dandruff, sometimes weeping eczema and intense itching.
In the industrialized countries, up to 20 percent of children and 3 percent of adults suffer from this disease, which is treated externally by combating skin dryness and anti-inflammatory agents. In the 1990s, a particularly suitable white oat variety was obtained by selection in France, which has a particularly high proportion of flavonoids and saponins. It is harvested at a very young age and purified by a special extraction process. So it is free of proteins, including gluten, according to the current state of the art. Its relevance to dermatology has been shown in recent publications. Corresponding skin care products such as creams, body milk and bath additives are so well tolerated by allergy sufferers. Oat bran extracts can be used in addition to eczema for the treatment of wounds and sensitive skin, such as baby skin, aging skin, rosacea and last but not least psoriasis.
Oat bran extracts are also offered to soothe, reduce stress and improve concentration and learning. However, these effects should be underpinned by further studies.
The fruit, the oat grain is used as a fully ripe grain. In addition to a high content of vitamins B1 and B6, oat grain also provides a lot of fiber. Of particular interest are the beta-glucans, which make up about half of the total fiber content in oats. 100 grams of oatmeal contain about 4.5 grams of beta-glucans, in oat bran it is even over 8 grams per 100 grams. The chemical-physical properties of oat beta-glucans have a number of physiological effects on the digestive tract and metabolism. The focus is on positive effects on cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
The ability of oat beta-glucans to bind bile acids is believed to result in the elimination of cholesterol, leading to a reduction in both total and LDL cholesterol levels. This can protect the blood vessels from harmful deposits. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) therefore confirmed in 2011 that consumption of oat beta-glucan may contribute to lowering cholesterol levels.
The fiber retards the absorption of nutrients in the blood. This leads to a less strong and delayed increase in blood sugar levels, resulting in less secretion of insulin. Oat days were introduced to patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus 100 years ago. A recent study at Diabetologikum in Berlin has shown that insulin administration in patients with high insulin requirements can be reduced by up to 30 percent after two oat days. The positive effect should be noticeable for up to four weeks.
In addition, the beta-glucans have positive effects on the digestive function. The viscous substance from the soluble fiber protects the intestinal wall from external stimuli and calms the sensitive stomach. The insoluble fiber has a regulating effect on the digestive activity.
celiac Disease
Whether people with celiac disease can access to oat products, is not completely clear. In celiac disease, the intestinal mucosa becomes inflamed after eating gluten, so they must avoid gluten-containing foods for life. The most important components of gluten are prolamin and glutelin. Disease triggers are the prolamins, in the oat the Avenin, which is contained however only to 15 per cent in the gluten of the oat. This means that the proportion of prolamine in oats is barely higher than that of millet, corn and rice, which are considered gluten-free, whereas in wheat, rye and barley it is 34 to 50 percent.
Several studies with celiac disease patients on tolerability of oats have shown that smaller quantities of oats are generally well tolerated. In Sweden and Finland, intake of up to 50 grams daily for celiac disease patients is considered safe, but it must be "non-contaminated oats" that are grown specifically for this purpose and must not be contaminated with gluten-containing cereals.
Due to the many uses in the field of nutrition and medicine, the seed or white oats was chosen as the medicinal plant of the year 2017, not without the indication that its potential should still be explored through further research. (Dr. Johannes Gottfried Mayer)