valerian
Soothing and sleep-promoting medicinal plant
© Lipatova Maryna / Shutterstock
Valerian is one of the medicinal plants and is mainly used against sleep disorders and for calming down. You can find out everything you need to know about the plant here.
What is valerian?
The so-called real valerian (Valeriana officinalis) was already used as a herbal remedy in ancient Greece. The medicinal plant is known for its calming and sleep-promoting effects and is therefore used, for example, against inner restlessness, nervousness and sleep disorders. Only the dried and cut valerian root is used in medicine.
Areas of application for Valeriana officinalis
Valerian can help with the following complaints:
- Trouble sleeping
- inner unrest
- nervousness
- Tension
- Feelings of fear
- Tension
To relieve tension in the muscles, a relaxation bath with the valerian root in the form of a is particularly suitable Bath additive. The general rule: Before using the medicinal plant, you should talk to a doctor or pharmacist about the possible uses, the dosage and possible side effects.
How does valerian work?
The effect can be attributed to the interaction with human nerve cells. Working together, they emit an inhibiting messenger substance to the active ingredients of the plant. This has a positive effect on difficulty falling asleep and the quality of sleep. It has even been scientifically proven. Valerian can effectively relieve nervous conditions and sleep disorders over several weeks.
Best in combination
By the way, you can do valerian perfectly Mix with other medicinal plants such as lavender, hops or lemon balm. These also contain calming ingredients. How about your own little herb garden? If you mix the valerian root with other calming herbs, you can fight against sleep disorders and nervous restlessness.
Things worth knowing about Valeriana officinalis
Valerian can grow up to 1.8 meters high. From May to September you can find the plant by the wayside, mainly on moist forest soil. The small flowers are white to pink and in some places with purple fine markings. In general, the medicinal plant is not only native to Europe, but also to the temperate zones of Asia. Due to its positive properties as a medicinal plant, it is now also grown in Japan and North America.
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Side effects of valerian
A bit of caution is advised, however, because in rare cases side effects may occur. If you have any of the following symptoms after taking it, you should speak to your doctor:
- Gastrointestinal complaints such as nausea or stomach cramps
- headache
- Restlessness (incorrectly dosed Valeriana officinalis can even increase restlessness)
Apart from these rather rare side effects, the valerian root also contains active ingredients that slow down your reaction speed considerably. In a nutshell: Better not drive a car, but rather stay in bed or lie on the couch. Pregnant, breastfeeding women and children under the age of twelve should refrain from taking valerian. Because so far there is no verifiable scientific knowledge about the consequences of their use.
Be careful with these interactions
Valerian is not always the right way to treat difficulty falling asleep and anxiety. When taking the following drugs at the same time, there could be interactions:
- Other medicines such as sleeping pills or sedatives
- alcohol
In this case, it should be agreed with the doctor in advance whether it makes sense to also take valerian.
Application: The correct intake of valerian
You can now use valerian in the form of
You can get various nerve, sleep and gastrointestinal teas in every drugstore. For all other forms you will find what you are looking for in the pharmacy. No matter what you choose, you should consume about two to three grams of valerian a day. The dosage is of course written on the medicines and teas.
Extra info: Valerian as a cat herb
The plant is also popularly known as cat’s weed. The reason: The smell is said to attract cats. The plant gives off a characteristic pleasant smell. If you want to test whether your cat likes it, you can buy small pillows filled with dried valerian roots in any specialist retailer for pet supplies and put them in front of the velvet paws. By the way: According to legend, the smell of the medicinal plant even helped the pied piper from Hamelin on his hunt.
Reading tips: Find out here how you can fall asleep better. We also explain the different chronotypes and reveal what helps with sleep disorders in old age.
sources
European Medicines Agency (EMA): “Valerianae radix“
Medicinal plant lexicon of the cooperation Phytopharmaka GbR: “valerian“
Schöpke, T., Institute for Pharmacy, University of Greifswald: Botany for Pharmacists: “Valerian root – Valerianae radix”