Medicinal Plant: VALERIAN

Scientific name: Valerian officinalis

Also know as: Garden valerian, phu, all-heal

More than 200 species of valerian are found worldwide, most in northern temperate climates, as well as south Africa and the Andes. Most are herbs, thought some are shrubs. Common valerian is a highly variable perennial usually grown from 1 to 4 feet in height, with a short, branched root, which in some variations produces lateral creeping underground stems knows as rhizomes. The leaves at the base of the plant are divided into 3 to 25 leaves, either linear or lace shaped. They are without teeth or coarsely toothed. The tin white or pink flowers, crowded atop a flat topped cluster on a robust stalk, have a sweet vanilla-like fragrance. The bloom from June through August.

Growing Habits:

Valerian is native to most of Europe, though in extreme southern Europe it is rare, mostly limited to mountain habitats. Found in damp and dry meadows, along the edge of woods, or in small openings in forests, the plant exhibits great adaptability.Valerian has naturalized in eastern North America, from Newfoundland south to Maryland and west to Iowa, and north through Minnesota and adjacent Canada. In western North America, it is naturalized in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and southern British Columbia. More northerly naturalized populations in North America tend to have pink flowers.

Cultivation and Harvesting:

Valerian is an easy to-grow perennial propagated by seeds or by dividing the rootstocks. Established root clumps will produce 6 to 8 strong plants from the division. Seeds must be planted soon after maturing. They germinate in about 20 days. Valerian grows well in full sun or partial shade in a rich, well-drained garden soil.

Some commercial operations mow back the flowering tops before they mature - a practice that seems to produce more vigorous, larger roots. The roots and rhizomes - the plant parts used in herbal medicine- are usually harvested in the fall of the second year. After harvest, the roots are washed, then dried under shade. Valerian is grown commercially in Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Eastern Europe. It is  also produce commercially in China as an export crop and in the US.

Therapeutic uses

Valerian is the most widely used sedative in Europe, where more than a hundred preparations are sold in pharmacies across Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland  and Italy. Now  researchers are getting closer to understand the compounds in valerian, as well as the mechanism responsible for its sedative effect. Garba is one of the major inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and its receptor, GABA-A,  receptors and are likely to  be key players in its therapeutic effect.

There have been numerous clinical trials studying the effect of valerian on insomnia. Two studies administering valerian every night for 2 to 4 weeks found that those taking it had significant improvement in sleep and sleep quality compared with placebo. Other studies yielded contradictory results, especially those that tested valerian for shorter periods for "acute" insomnia. It appears that if valerian does improve sleep, it must be taken for at least 2 weeks to achieve a benefit.

The majority of valerian preparations sold in Europe contain other sedative herbs such as hops, lemon balm, or passionflowers. The combination of valerian and hops is popular in Europe and has been shown in several studies to shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and reduce waking up during the night. A clinical trial of valerian and lemon balm was shown to improve sleeping children 12 years of age and under. It appears that valerian is a safe herbal combination with hops and/or lemon balm may be more effective than valerian alone.

How to use

Tea:  Steep 1 teaspoon dried valerian root in 1 cup water for 10 minutes. Strain. Drink  to 60 minutes before bed.

Capsule: Take 2 to 3 g o dried valerian root 30 to 60 minutes before bed.

Extract: Doses of 300 to 900 mg of valerian extract standardized to valerenic acid were used  in clinical trials.

Tincture: Generally, 5 to 10 ml, 30 to 60 minutes before bed.

Precautions:

The American Herbal Products Association gives valerian a class 1 safety rating, indicating that it is a very safe herb with a wide dosage range. Valerian does not appear to be habit - forming, which is an important advantage over many other sleeping medications. A small number of people may experience adverse reactions to valerian such as restlessness after taking the herb. This is believed to be an idiosyncratic reaction, however, and limited to individual hypersensitivities.