One of the first herbs I came across being used
medicinally was valerian.
“I take it when I can’t sleep,” my friend told me,
producing a plastic box filled with large white tablets. “They smell disgusting
but they work.”
It was several years before I decided to grow the plant.
It was a delightful companion, growing happily in the shade, reproducing itself
without any help or support and providing tall, white flowers tinged with pink
every summer. I gave away at least twenty plants to replenish a friend’s
medicinal garden. I harvested some roots and made a dried root tincture. It’s
still sitting in my larder as I’ve never used it.
It was resilient as well. The year of my largest
potential harvest, my next door neighbour dug up all my plants when he replaced
the fence between our two gardens. He’s asked me if there was anything in the
border I wanted to keep. I hadn’t realised he would dig quite so far up so only
mentioned the rose and a fern. I remember coming home from work that night and
discovering the decimation. I cried for an hour wondering what I had done to
deserve such a loss when the lesson was that I needed to be more specific.
The following spring I noticed the valerian re-appear and
since then it has happily recolonized its original position. The flowers scent the
entire garden for more than a month, attracting bees and other insects to
gather nectar from its tiny floral trumpets.
Valeriana officinalis grows wild in Europe, Asia and
North America. Its roots and rhizomes have been gathered for medicinal use for
centuries. It is said that cats and rats love the scent of the root and the
Pied Piper of Hamelin used it to lure the rodents from the town.
The constituents of valerian are volatile oils, valepotriates,
valerianic acid, glycosides, alkaloids, choline, tannins and resins. It has
many actions, including anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, anodyne, anthelmintic,
antibacterial, antispasmodic, astringent, bitter, carminative, diaphoretic,
diuretic, hypotensive, nervine, restorative, stomatic and tonic. With such a
long list of actions it is no wonder valerian has been a staple of herbalists
over time.
Within the digestive system, valerian acts as an antispasmodic
and sedative,. It relaxes tension and spasm in stress related issues such as dyspepsia,
intestinal colic and irritable bowel syndrome. It is also helpful with
circulatory problems as it helps to lower blood pressure but also increases
blood flow to the heart. It can also calm nervous palpitations.
Valerian is most well-known for its mental and emotional
properties, especially as a sedative and nerve tonic. Anne MacIntyre says it is
the valepotriates which are mainly responsible for the calming effects. She
says it is excellent for anxiety, nervous tension, agitation, panic attacks,
irritability, insomnia, nervous headaches and exhaustion.
In World War I it was used to treat shell shock and nerve
strain caused by air raids. Agatha Christie mentioned it in “Murder on the
Orient Express” when the victim was given his nightly dose of valerian before
being stabbed.
Valerian relaxes smooth muscles, hence its use in stress
related digestive disorders, colic, period pain and headaches. It can also be
helpful as an antispasmodic for paroxysmal coughs and croup.
Valerian can also help in the treatment of addiction,
chronic aggression and Attention Deficit Disorder.
Annie cautions that valerian should not be used for long
periods. She says that excessive doses may cause headaches, muscle spasm,
insomnia or palpitations – the very effects for which some people may be taking
it! Henriette Kress adds that if you take valerian for more than a few days at
a time you may well find yourself becoming over-emotional e.g. bursting into
tears for no reason.
What the text books don’t say, although some herbalists
are beginning to mention it in passing is that people react in different ways
to valerian. Most people find it sedates them but there is a significant number
for whom the herb acts as a stimulant. When I mention this during workshops
there is always at least one person who has either had personal experience of
valerian keeping them awake all night or knows a good friend which has reacted
in the same way.
There have been no written studies performed on valerian
as yet that I know of. 7Song 7Song, the Ithacan herbalist, has said this is
something he wants to consider at some point. He estimates in his practice, one
in twelve people taking valerian find it stimulating, which is approximately
eight per cent – quite a significant proportion!
Some herbalists believe the effects of valerian can be
predicted given someone’s particular constitution but it is still a case of
trial and error knowing how it will affect you personally. When my herbalist
friend suggested valerian might be a useful ally for me during a particularly
stressful phase in my life, she told me to try it during a weekend when I had
nothing else to do. I’ve never found such a weekend so have never tried it!
There does seem to be a difference in how you make your
valerian extract. Dried root tincture will be different from fresh root
tincture. If you are using a concentrated alcohol to extract constituents the
dosage should be in drops rather than teaspoonfuls.
Henriette Kress recommends making a tincture or tea from
fresh or dried aerial parts which will be a much weaker medicine and might
therefore be tolerated better than the stronger root extract. Other herbalists
have been taught to do a cold water overnight maceration of the dried root as the
volatile oils are destroyed by boiling. Their dose is ½ to 1 tsp of this
liquid.
Debs Cook, who is one of those who finds valerian too
stimulating, has noticed people who are sedated by valerian loathe the flower
scent, describing it as smelling like “cat’s piss”. Interestingly, people who
adore the scent of valerian are those who find it stimulating.
Valerian is an extremely useful herb for many different
conditions but it must be treated with caution until you know how it will
affect you. Anyone taking an ‘over the counter’ sleep remedy should read the
label carefully. Valerian is often one of the ingredients, along with wild
lettuce, passionflower and hops. You don’t want to be crawling the walls
instead of experiencing a good night’s sleep!
