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Valerian Root |
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Valeriana officinalis |
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A natural sedative
used for insomnia, tension, stress, cramps and headaches
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| Valerian root or
garden heliotrope consists of the dried rhizome and roots of
Valeriana officinalis of the family Valerianaceae. It is a
tall perennial herb with opposite leaves, borne off of hollow
stems. The fragrant flowers range in color from white to
purplish red. Valerian root has been famous for thousands of
years for both its potent odor & its sedative, anti-spasmodic
properties. The name "Valerian" comes from the Latin verb valere,
meaning "to be strong or to be healthy", referring to its health
benefits and powerful odor, often compared with the smell of
dirty socks. The odor is said to attract rats. Legend has it
that the Pied Piper used it to lure the rats from the village of
Hamlen. Cats, likewise, are attracted to valerian and find it as
intoxicating as catnip! Today it is used throughout the world
for the treatment of insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, stress,
cramping, muscle pain, bronchial spasms, tension headaches, etc.
Valerian is known to depress activity in parts of the central
nervous system accounting for its sedative and anti-anxiety
effects. It also relaxes smooth muscles, acting as an
antispasmodic, making it useful for relieving both menstrual and
intestinal cramping, as well as muscle pain and bronchial
spasms. Valerian root contains iridoid esters called
valepotriates, sesqiterpenoids & volatile oil, including valeric
acid. It is not clear whether its activity is due to one
compound or a synergistic effect from a group of compounds.
Valerian preparations differ greatly in their activities,
depending on the type of preparation, age of the herb or
extract, species, variety, and chemical ratios within the plant
as well as the growing conditions of the plants used. The famous
aroma of valerian is surprisingly absent in the fresh roots. As
the valerian dries an enzymatic process occurs which releases
isovaleric acid (the odoriferous chemical) from one of the other
compounds present. The valepotriates exist in a natural ratio of
about 2% in the plant and have been the subject of much research
which has verified their sedative action. However, valepotriates
are highly unstable molecules that easily decompose under the
influence of moisture, light, or heat, thus most commercial
preparations do not retain much of the original valepotriate
content, which, by the way, are not well absorbed when taken
orally since hydrochloric acid in the stomach quickly breaks
them down into baldrinal and homobaldrinal, which
coincidentally, also show similar sedative activity in vitro.
Water extracts not containing any valepotriates and little
volatile oil also proved to be effective sleep aids, adding to
the puzzle. It has been proposed that there is a possible
interaction between the GABA (g-aminobutyric
acid)-benzodiazepine-barbiturate-receptor complex and an active
valerian fraction. The main active constituents of the essential
(volatile) oil are thought to be valeranone, valerenic acid, and
valerenal. At any rate, the fresh root or freshly-dried root
produces the highest quality extract. As a side note, valerian
and Valium have often been confused by the consumer. There is
absolutely no similarity between the two other than their names
and that they both have a tranquilizing action. The two are very
different. Valerian is a much milder, non-addictive tranquilizer
whereas Valium is the tradename of a potent, highly-addictive,
synthetic drug, which is known generically as diazepam and is
classified as a benzodiazepine, a group of drugs which act on
the benzodiazepine receptor complex, for which they were named.
Valerian root is thought to have weak activity on the
benzodiazepine receptors, therefore it is recommended not to
take valerian products in conjunction with other
benzodiazepines, as an additive effect may result. Note that a
small percentage of people who use valerian root will experience
a "paradoxical effect", where the user will actually experience
stimulation rather than depression of the central nervous
system. |
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