Oats Benefits for Nerves, Digestion & Everyday Health

Could the secret to a calmer mind and a healthier gut be hiding in your morning bowl of porridge?

In this episode, I sit down with Swedish herbalist and nutritionist Karoline Karttunen to discuss one of my favorite breakfasts — the humble oats (Avena sativa).

Grains have gotten a bad rap in recent years — and it’s true that highly processed or sugar-laden versions don’t do us any favors. But as Karoline reminds us, whole-grain oats are a true nutritional powerhouse that also carry the same medicinal gifts as oat straw and milky oats — beloved herbal allies for nourishing the nervous system and restoring resilience. She shares how oats support everything from balanced blood sugar to a calmer mind (and even a healthier microbiome).

Karoline is so devoted to her oats that she eats them for breakfast five days a week! She keeps her daily porridge endlessly interesting by rotating the nuts, seeds, fruits, and herbs that she adds to the mix. You can even try her Herbal and Protein-Rich Oatmeal yourself — download the beautifully illustrated recipe card here.

By the end of this episode, you’ll know:

► How a bowl of oats can calm frazzled nerves and lift your mood naturally

► What butyric acid is—and why your intestinal cells can’t get enough of it

► The truth about so-called “anti-nutrients” like phytic acid (and why you might not need to worry about them)

► How your brain and heart thrive on the right kind of carbs—and why oats are the perfect fuel

► How discoveries in archaeology and anthropology challenge the myth that eating grains is “unnatural” for humans

► and plenty more oat-inspired insights to nourish body and mind….

For those of you who don’t know her, Karoline Karttunen is a Swedish herbalist and nutritionist who brings herbs and food together in her herbal courses, blog and in personal consultations. 

She has in-person courses year round on the west coast of Sweden, as well as offering online courses in herbalism. Karoline’s courses always have a focus on how herbs can strengthen health and be used as a natural part of our everyday life, just as we do with vegetables.

I was already a huge fan of oats, but after talking with Karoline, I couldn’t wait to make them an even bigger part of my herbal routine. I’m so happy to share this conversation with you—and I hope you leave feeling inspired to make yourself a big bowl of porridge, too!

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Get full show notes, transcript, and more information at: herbswithrosaleepodcast.com

Would you prefer watching this episode? If so, click here for the video.

You can find Karoline at Way-of-Life.se.

For more behind-the-scenes of this podcast, follow @rosaleedelaforet on Instagram!

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On the podcast, we explore the many ways plants heal, as food, as medicine, and through nature connection. Each week, I focus on a single seasonal plant and share trusted herbal knowledge so that you can get the best results when using herbs for your health.

Learn more about Herbs with Rosalee at herbswithrosalee.com.

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Rosalee is an herbalist and author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transform Everyday Ingredients Into Foods & Remedies That Heal and co-author of the bestselling book Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine. She's a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and teaches many popular online courses. Read about how Rosalee went from having a terminal illness to being a bestselling author in her full story here.