Valerian Usage:
The active ingredient in Valerian Root is Valpotriate Acid. This has been established by modern research as having value as a sedative medicine. However, there are side effects to using Valerian, which is why it is not promoted much as a natural herbal sedative.
Valerian Side Effects:
If you are on any medication AT ALL, then using Valerian Root is not for you. Valpotriate Acid in Valerian could have very toxic side effects if it is taken in combination with other medicines. One example might be Warfarin, which is a blood thinner: Many foods, spices, herbs and medicines react with Warfarin. Ask your doctor for advice before trying any herbal medicine.
Valerian certainly has its uses, and it has stood the test of time. It was used in World War I to treat soldiers suffering from shell shock, and it was also used widely during the second WW to help people suffering from the effects of bomb raids in London.
However, Valerian use should always be for reserved for emergencies, when there is no professional health care available, or medical help to provide prescriptive medicine.
Prolonged use of Valerian root can be damaging to the nervous system. It might also damage your kidneys if taken for long periods.
Taking commercial supplements over long periods should also be avoided, for the same reason. Commercial products which contain Valerian can be just as damaging to the nerves and to the kidneys and other organs as home-made remedies, if they are taken continuously.
Herbal Combinations Are More Safe To Use: For this reason, we have given some herbal combinations which include Valerian, at the end of this article. These mixtures have only small amounts of valerian and are more safe to use than straight valerian root tea. NOTE: Moderate use of one of these teas is still recommended. From two to three weeks only is the maximum time one should use Valerian tea, in any combination.
Moderate use of any one of these Valerian combinations over a short period might be beneficial to someone who has a temporary need for a sedative or an insomniac medicine: One of these soothing herbal teas may be helpful in soothing the nerves if it is taken only occasionally.
When these teas are taken over long periods, though, symptoms of poisoning may still occur. Valerian has a deleterious effect on the nervous system if it is taken regularly. Taken too often, it would have much the same effect on the nervous system as large doses of alcohol do, when it is consumed on a regular basis.
Drug companies and governments everywhere: Please do not take this plant away from us, just because you wish to control the use of its herbal benefits. One day we might need to use the plants and herbs available to us, because some world crisis might mean that there are no medicines available, or that they may become hideously expensive. Keeping the knowledge alive about the uses of plants which grow in our environments is important: These plants could be responsible for our survival at some stage, just as they have sustained life in the past, before the advent of modern medicine.
Valerian Herbal Combinations
These recipes are taken from John Lust’s herbal entitled ‘The Herb Book’, published by Bantam Books, New York, in 1974.
Recipe No. 1:
Herbal Tea For a Nervous Heart. I am not sure exactly what is meant by a ‘nervous heart’, but here is the combination of herbs which John Lust recommends:
Take equal quantities of:
- Fragrant Valerian root
- Chamomile
- Lavender flowers
- Fennel.
Mix the herbs together. Steep 2 teaspoons only in ½ cup boiling water. Let cool, then strain. Take 1 to 1 ½ cups a day, sipping a mouthful at a time.
Recipe No. 2– Also for a ‘Nervous Heart’.
Note: only use ONE of these recipes at a time, and then, not longer than 2 to 3 weeks at the most.
Use a herbal combination of the following:
- Arnica flowers 1 part
- Borage leaves and flowers 1 part
- Rue leaves 2 parts
- Balm leaves 3 parts
- Great burnet 3 parts
- Mix the herbs up. then Steep 1 teaspoon only of the mixture in ½ cup boiling water. Take just 1 cup a day of this herbal tea mixture, in mouthful doses.
Recipe No. 3:
Tea For Insomnia: Tea to Help You Sleep: This tea might be helpful to those who suffer from snoring or sleep apnoea. Ask your doctor or health professional for advice.
Use the following herbal combination;
- Fragrant valerian 1 part
- Lavender flowers 5 parts
- St Johnswort 2 parts
- Hops 3 parts
- Primrose flowers 10 parts.
Steep 1 ½ teaspoons of this herbal combination in half cup boiling water for 10 minutes. Let cool. Strain and add 1 teaspoon honey. Take before going to bed.
Recipe No. 4:
Tea To Help You Sleep:
This recipe has a higher percentage of Valerian root in it compared to the other recipes given here. I would prefer to use Recipe Number 6 which has a portion of balm in it: Balm is easy on the nervous system than is Valerian. Using a quantity of balm reduces the Valerian dose.
- Fragrant Valerian root 2 parts
Mix the hops together with the fragrant valerian root. Steep 1 teaspoon of the mixture in ½ cup boiling water. Let stand until cool. Strain.
Take ½ to 1 cup a day of this herbal tea, unsweetened. Sip it slowly, a mouthful at a time. Do not take for longer than 2 to 3 weeks without interruption.
This rule applies to all of these teas. You would only use one of these combinations, and you would use it not more than 2 to 3 weeks at the most without interruption.
Ask your doctor before trying out any of these remedies. Valpotriate Acid which is found in Valerian root will probably have adverse effects if it is used in combination with drugs such as warfarin or other blood thinners, and many other medications.
Recipe No. 5:
Tea To Help You Sleep
- Lavender flowers
- Primrose flowers
- St Johnswort
- Fragrant Valerian root
Use in equal parts. Take 1 heaped teaspoon of the mixture and steep in ½ cup boiling water. Let stand until cool. Strain. Take shortly before going to bed, a mouthful at a time.
Recipe No. 6
For Insomnia/Nervous Exhaustion/Neurasthenia This combination may be helpful to people who suffer from sleep apnoea or snoring. Ask your Doctor or Health professional.
- Balm
- Hops
- Fragrant Valerian root
Mix in equal parts. Take 1 teaspoon of the herbal mixture. Pour over half cup of boiling water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Drink before bed.
