Oats are not only a valuable foodstuff but also commonly used in herbalism. Oats are alkaline and contain several potent phytochemicals such as flavonoids, triterpene saponins including avenacins and avenacosides, silicic acid, gramine, coumarins and beta glucans as well as numerous amino acids, minerals and trace elements.
In 2017, due to their diverse range of effects, oats were chosen as the medicinal plant of the year by a committee at the University of Würzburg.