Valerian Root

What is Valerian Root?

Valeriana is an herb. Valerian root may have helped improve sleep, promote relaxation and reduce anxiety, digestive disorders since ancient times. Valerian has been used since the second century A.D. to help people sleep, calm their nerves, and relax. Europe started to use it a lot in the 1600s. People have also said that it could help with stomach cramps. Some research, but not all, shows that valerian may help people who have trouble sleeping. Germany's Commission E approved valerian as a mild sedative that works well, and the US Food and Drug Administration listed valerian as "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS). Scientists don't know exactly how valerian works, but they think it does so by increasing the amount of a chemical in the brain called gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA helps control how nerve cells work and can calm anxiety. Alprazolam (Xanax) and diazepam (Valium) both work by making the brain produce more GABA. Researchers think that valerian may have a similar but less strong effect. Valerian is a plant that is native to Europe and some parts of Asia. It is called Valeriana officinalis. Valerian root has been used as a sleep aid for a long time. Valerian can grow to be about 6 feet tall, and it smells very bad. It seems to calm the brain and nerves like a sleeping pill. Valerian has been used as medicine since the times of the Greeks and Romans.

How do I use Valerian root?

As long as six weeks ago, daily quantities of 300–600 mg of Valerian were considered safe to use. Concerning long-term use, nothing is known. Valerian is generally tolerated well. Dizziness, fatigue, headache, gastrointestinal disturbance, mental lethargy, and vivid hallucinations are frequent adverse effects.

Valerian root benefits:

Hippocrates, the Greek doctor who gave his name to the Hippocratic Oath, used valerian root to help people sleep. Since then, people have used it for many possible health benefits, including.

◉ Insomnia: Valerian has been used to help people sleep and feel more relaxed for at least 2,000 years. Valerian may help people sleep better by making more GABA. In fact, people with both short-term and long-term stress have lower GABA levels. This is linked to anxiety and bad sleep. A meta-analysis of 16 studies and 1,093 people showed that valerian helped people fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply, and sleep better overall.

◉ Menopausal Symptoms: In a study of 100 menopausal women who had trouble sleeping, valerian root helped them sleep much better after 4 weeks. A 3-month study of 60 women who had gone through menopause found that valerian made hot flashes less severe and less common.

◉ Memory and Cognitive Function: In a study of 61 patients, valerian reduced the risk of cognitive decline a month after heart surgery compared to a placebo. Scientists saw that valerenic acid could improve mice's memories by lowering oxidative stress in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that controls memory.

◉ Digestive Problems: Valerian is used to treat stomach cramps at home. Even though it can stop muscle spasms, there is no evidence that valerian can help with digestion. In a study with guinea pigs, valepotriates and the essential oil in valerian made the small intestine less likely to contract.

Where can I buy Valerian root?

Buy valerian root from the health food store in the USA, Alive Herbals.

Valerian Root information (at a glance):