The old adage that if it tastes bad, it must be good for you is true for valerian, an herb that’s been used through the centuries to calm nervous jitters and bring on sleep. Modern herbalists call it the gym-sock herb because the medicinal parts of the plant—the dried roots or rhizomes—smell really rank. One eighteenth-century herbalist likened it to the urine of cats, so you can imagine that an herbal tea of valerian root is a less-than-exquisite sipping experience. Because of its strong smell, valerian is most commonly taken as pills or tincture.
Nevertheless, "valerian is a wonderful herb for relaxing the body, both the mind and the muscles," says Jill Stansbury, N.D., assistant professor of botanical medicine and chair of the botanical medicine department at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon.
A Centuries-Old Cure
Valerian is a perennial plant that reaches a height of five feet and grows wild throughout Europe and parts of Asia. In many countries, it is cultivated for medicinal purposes. The plant’s unmistakable odor emerges only during the drying process.
Herbalists in Europe have known about its calming properties for centuries. The ancient Greeks and Romans called it wild nard, but by the ninth century, it appeared in written records as valerian. It was recommended as a treatment for hysteria and emotional disorders. By the 1700s, physicians were recommending valerian for numerous complaints from living too luxuriously to having an ailment known as the vapors.
Valerian is classified as a mild tranquilizer. It’s also considered an antispasmodic, meaning that it eases muscle spasms or cramps in the body, and it has been used to relieve menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome. In the 1800s, a physician wrote that it had a "remarkable effect in quieting the nervous agitation which prevents sleep in delicate and irritable females."
A Balm That Calms
A number of scientific studies have shown that valerian has a sedative effect on the brain and also relaxes muscles in the digestive tract that clench under stress. In herbal medicine today, it’s primarily used for insomnia, mild anxiety, panic attacks, and tension in the body. The herb hastens sleep, improves sleep quality, and reduces nighttime awakenings. In England, dozens of over-the-counter sleep aids contain valerian. In the United States, you’ll have no problem finding it in most drugstores and health food stores.
"It’s a mild herbal relaxant. You take it when you’re feeling stressed or when something is bothering you and keeping you awake," says Woodson Merrell, M.D., a specialist in alternative and complementary medicine and assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City. "It won’t knock you out, but it can relax you enough so you can fall asleep."
Valerian isn’t for long-term use, Dr. Merrell warns. If you have recurring insomnia, you should probably speak to a physician. If you’re just a bit tense or restless at bedtime, however, it may be just the thing. "It tends to make you less nervous, and sometimes, that’s all you need."
SUPPLEMENTSNAPSHOT
| Valerian Botanical name: Valeriana officinalis. May help: Anxiety, insomnia, menstrual cramps, tension headaches, sleep problems associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, muscle cramps, and muscle spasms. Origin: Europe and Asia. Cautions and possible side effects: Do not use with prescription medications such as diazepam (Valium) or amitriptyline (Elavil). Don’t use valerian if you experience heart palpitations or nervousness after taking it. |
Mild and Nonaddictive
Its mild tranquilizing power has made valerian a popular treatment for anxiety; in Europe, it is often prescribed for that purpose. Unlike diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax), the drugs often prescribed for anxiety in the United States, valerian has few side effects.
Some people confuse valerian and Valium, believing that their similar names imply that they are somehow related. They are not. Valium is a synthetic drug, a member of the benzodiazepine family, while valerian is derived from a plant.
There is a connection, however. The herb and the drug seem to affect the brain in a similar fashion, binding to the same receptors. The differences are that valerian appears to be nonaddictive, and its effects tend to be milder than those of Valium.
Unlike some pharmaceuticals, valerian doesn’t interfere with the deepest part of the sleep cycle, called REM or dream sleep. There’s no hangover or grogginess the next day and little chance of dependency, says William Page-Echols, D.O., an assistant clinical professor of family medicine who teaches alternative medicine at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in East Lansing.
"There’s far less risk of building up a tolerance to valerian or becoming dependent on it," says Dr. Page-Echols. "In some cases of mild anxiety, people would do just as well taking a little valerian as opposed to a prescription drug."
If you’re already taking sedatives or antidepressants, however, speak with your physician before taking valerian or trying to switch solely to the herb. Not everyone reacts to it in the same way, warns Dr. Merrell. "Valerian affects some people quite strongly. It really sedates them. For others, it’s just the opposite: They actually become agitated after taking it. In general, though the herb has few side effects."
Still a Mystery
Although researchers have been studying valerian for many years to determine the effective ingredient, they have discovered that many chemicals contribute to its actions. The plant contains a volatile oil, which includes valeric acid and valerenal, and alkaloids known as valepotriates.
Scientists do know that valerian alkaloids seem to lower blood pressure, and there is some evidence from animal studies that valeric acid and valerenal may be most responsible for the herb’s sedating qualities. That’s why, in the drugstore or health food store, you’re likely to see valerian supplements and tinctures standardized to a specific percentage of essential oils or valeric acid. That’s only a best guess, however. It may be that several ingredients are involved or that the ingredients act synergistically, interacting with each other to create the herb’s calming properties.
Many herbalists contend that herbs work best in their whole form and disagree with the notion that there is one best, most active compound in any plant. "Plants are wondrous and perfect combinations of numerous substances—some flashy active constituents and scores of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and other compounds that all work in harmony with one another," Dr. Stansbury notes.
Knowing how valerian works from the Western scientific perspective may not be all that important right now, says Joe Selvester, an Ayurvedic herbalist in Gainesville, Florida. In Ayurveda, the herb has been used for thousands of years for vertigo, fainting, and hysteria as well as to calm muscle spasms and alleviate menstrual cramps. "In my opinion, this is one of the herbs that you should have in your medicine chest at home, just as you would aspirin," he says.
