More than 200 plant species belong to the genus Valeriana,but the one most commonly used as an herb is Valeriana officinalis.The root is used for medicinal purposes.
Galen recommended valerian for insomnia in the second century AD. From the sixteenth century onward, this herb became popular as a sedative in Europe (and later, the United States). Scientific studies on valerian in humans began in the 1970s, leading to its approval as a sleep aid by Germany's Commission E in 1985. However, the scientific evidence showing that valerian really works remains incomplete.
As with most herbs, we are not exactly sure which ingredients in valerian are most important. 1 Early research focused on a group of chemicals known as valepotriates, but they are no longer considered candidates. A constituent called valerenic acid has also undergone study, but its role is far from clear. Another substance in valerian, called linarin, has also attracted research interest. 2 Our understanding of how valerian might function remains similarly incomplete. Several studies suggest that valerian affects GABA, a naturally occurring amino acid that appears to be related to the experience of anxiety. 3 4 5 Conventional tranquilizers in the Valium family are known to bind to GABA receptors in the brain, and valerian may work similarly. However, there are some significant flaws in these hypotheses, and the reality is that we don't really know how valerian works (or if, indeed, it really does). 6
More than 200 plant species belong to the genus Valeriana,but the one most commonly used as an herb is Valeriana officinalis.The root is used for medicinal purposes.
Galen recommended valerian for insomnia in the second century AD. From the sixteenth century onward, this herb became popular as a sedative in Europe (and later, the United States). Scientific studies on valerian in humans began in the 1970s, leading to its approval as a sleep aid by Germany's Commission E in 1985. However, the scientific evidence showing that valerian really works remains incomplete.
As with most herbs, we are not exactly sure which ingredients in valerian are most important. 1 Early research focused on a group of chemicals known as valepotriates, but they are no longer considered candidates. A constituent called valerenic acid has also undergone study, but its role is far from clear. Another substance in valerian, called linarin, has also attracted research interest. 2 Our understanding of how valerian might function remains similarly incomplete. Several studies suggest that valerian affects GABA, a naturally occurring amino acid that appears to be related to the experience of anxiety. 3 4 5 Conventional tranquilizers in the Valium family are known to bind to GABA receptors in the brain, and valerian may work similarly. However, there are some significant flaws in these hypotheses, and the reality is that we don't really know how valerian works (or if, indeed, it really does). 6
