| Oatstraw (Avena sativa) is the stem and the | | | | You can make a tea or an infusion from |
| milky grain of the oat plant (the same one you | | | | oatstraw. A tea is made with boiling water poured |
| get oatmeal from). It is packed with calcium, | | | | over the herb and steeped for about 5-10 |
| potassium, and vitamins A and C. In fact, your | | | | minutes. Infusions are made like tea, but they set |
| body can assimilate the calcium easier from herbs | | | | for a longer time to extract more of the vitamins |
| than it can from many of the calcium pills on the | | | | and minerals from the herb for healing. |
| market. If you want a calcium supplement, just | | | | Here's how I make an Oatstraw Infusion: |
| drink a cup of tea a day. Oatstraw can be taken | | | | 1 oz oatstraw |
| any time of your life. It is a gentle herb and can | | | | 1 quart canning jar |
| be blended with other herbal teas. | | | | Put 1 oz of oatstraw in a quart canning jar. Pour |
| This herb is favored by herbalists for building and | | | | boiling water to fill the jar. Put the lid on and let it |
| maintaining strong healthy bones. It mends the | | | | set out overnight or about 8-10 hours. |
| bones and makes them more pliable. Drink a quart | | | | Strain off the herb and you can drink right away, |
| of oatstraw infusion a day and take an oatstraw | | | | or drink it iced or blended with other teas like |
| bath a couple of times a week to help your | | | | raspberry. To make a bath, simply pour a quart |
| bones heal from breaks, cancer, osteoporosis and | | | | of infusion in your bath water and soak in it 1-2 |
| rickets. It improves bone density while nourishing | | | | times a week. |
| your nervous system. | | | | |