Tag: mild sedative

Valerian Dosage

Valerian Officinalis.

Fragrant Valerian is from the Valerian Family, the Valerianaceae.

The legendary Pied Piper of Hamlyn was reputed to have drawn the rats out of Hamelin, not just because of his enchanting music, but by putting magical Fragrant Valerian Root into  his pockets.  Rats,  cats, and obviously children too, just love Fragrant Valerian root, and this is why they simply could not resist the Pied Piper as he piped his way out of Hamelin.

Valerian Root was widely used during the 15th and 16th centuries, and was regarded as something of a ‘cure-all’. Because of its wide-ranging uses, is also known as  ‘All-Heal’.

Because of its anti-spasmodic properties, Valerian Root was commonly used to treat epilepsy in bygone times.  Other conditions of the nervous system, such as hysteria, nervous spasms, and convulsions were treated with Valerian root, or ‘All-heal’;   Lung infections which accompany colds and flu were often treated with Valerian root;   An infusion of the root has even been used as an enema to rid the intestines of thread worms.

Some of its other names are ‘Vandalroot’,  ‘Germain Valerian’,  ‘English Valerian’, and  ‘Great Wild Valerian’.

Valerian Side Effects:

There are some serious side effects to using Valerian root, so it must be used with caution. Valerian root for medicinal purposes should be reserved for use in the event of a crisis, when  there may be no  other help available.

Valerian was used in the First World War to treat soldiers suffering from shell shock.  Valerian was used widely also during the second World War period, to treat people suffering nervous disorders which often resulted from bomb attacks.

Valerian can be addictive, so it must not be used for long periods as a regular medicine. Symptoms of poisoning may occur if Valerian is used for long periods. For these reasons,  commercial products which contain Valerian should not be taken over long periods either.

The herbalist John Lust lists Valerian root for use as a mild sedative, and he also recommends that  the herb be used no longer than two to three weeks at the most, with a dose of one to two cupfuls of tea per day.

Because it is an antispasmodic, Valerian Root has been used in the past to treat cases of epilepsy.

Recipe for Valerian Sedative

Note: Only the rootstock of the Valerian plant is used.

I have found two different recipes for using valerian root as a sedative.

John Lust uses a method of infusion whereby 2 teaspoons of the freshly dug root is soaked for half a day in a pint of cold water.

Infusion of Valerian Dosage: Of this infusion, only one cup is taken per day.  Because you need to be careful with valerian, I would use only one cup per day, and  divide the cupful into two doses of half a cup each: Half a cup in the morning and half a cup at night to help treat anxiety, or insomnia.

Recipe Number Two  for Valerian Root Tea Sedative: Here is another  recipe for using valerian as a sedative. Again,  I have never tried this myself.  The recipe is adapted  from a New Zealand Herbal published in the 1980’s.

First, you dig up your valerian root.  This must be dried before using, according to this New Zealand herbal.  The best way to do this is by drying in a cool-to- warm oven for several hours.

Method:

Valerian Dosage:  Take only one teaspoon of dried Valerian root. Soak this in half a cupful of water for half a day. Strain the liquid off and discard the Valerian root. Drink this  tea at night.

Benefits of Celery

Is Celery Good For You

Celery is one of the most alkaline vegetables.  For this reason, tt is great for getting rid of body acidity. It is also a marvellous blood cleanser and rejuvenator.

Celery can be used to help remove dangerous toxins from the body, and help to restore a person;s health if they have been exposed to damaging poisons.

But remember that expectant mothers should not take too much celery.

The botanical name for celery is Apium graveolens.

Celery belongs to the Carrot Family, Apiaceae.

Celery stalks and leaves are an appetizer, a diuretic and an emmenagogue. The seeds are carminative and have a mild sedative effect.

A diet which consisted mainly of celery, garlic, and tuna fish in oil saved my life once when I almost died due to asbestos and heavy metal poisoning. I believe that this was because the celery neutralized the poisons and the extreme acidic state caused by this poisoning. It helped cleanse the blood and restore it to a healthy state. The high fiber content cleansed the digestive tract and the blood. It provided essential vitamins and minerals, along with the tuna fish nutrients and garlic, to restore the health.

Note: This celery diet worked for me because of the addition of tuna fish and garlic. I have since read about other people having success  in reducing heavy metal poisons in the body by using a tuna fish diet in combination with alkaline greens.

Candida Infections: Celery is the very best vegetable to eat raw for the treatment of candida infections. This is because celery is alkaline and has an antibiotic effect.  Its high fiber make it great for cleaning out the intestines, which is usually needed in candida infections.

Weight Loss: Celery is recommended for weight loss, and overeating.  John Lust lists it as a weight-reducing herb. Try eating a stalk of celery with lunch and dinner every day to help with weight loss.

Vitamin C and Skin Conditions: Nicolas Culpeper, the 17th Century herbalist, said that the leaves, when eaten in the spring, ‘sweeten and purify the blood and help the scurvy’. Celery stalks and leaves, eaten on a daily basis, is helpful for treating skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Celery has been used over the centuries as a herb to help gout, rheumatism and dropsy and cases of water retention.

Contra-indications of Celery:  Its diuretic effect make it good for these above conditions. However, John Lust advises that you do not use large amounts of celery if you have acute kidney disease, although he says that ‘moderate use is allowable when kidney problems are chronic’. He also warns that expectant mothers should take only moderate amounts of celery during their pregnancy. Celery has the ability to hasten menstruation, known as an emmenagogue, and any herb of vegetable which does this is usually best avoided during pregnancy. Pregnant women tend to urinate more than usual, so eating a lot of celery will accentuate this aspect of pregnancy.

Celery and Blood Pressure: John Lust also advises that people with high blood pressure should not consume too much celery, because celery has a high sodium content.

The effect of celery as a diuretic – one which makes you urinate more – is interesting, because celery grows naturally in wet and damp places, as it absorbs a lot of water in its stems. This is an example of a ‘like treats like’ effect – a water plant to cure a water problem in the body. The Reader’s Digest ‘Magic and Medicine of Plants’ says that the Latin name ‘Apium’ could be derived from a prehistoric Indo-European word for water. (p.151)

Celery is also beneficial to the health because it is one of the most alkaline vegetables of all our culinary vegetables. Alfalfa sprouts are probably the only thing that compares with celery in alkalinity. Celery’s extremely alkaline nature make it excellent for correcting acidic states of the body: Gout, rheumatism, arthritis and dropsy are often caused by acidic diets – too much wheat, bread, pasta, potatoes, dairy products,meats and fried and fatty foods, and not enough of the alkaline vegetables to balance the diet out.

Uses of Celery Seed:

Homemade Celery Salt:   Save that celery seed. It is a valuable culinary and medicinal item. You can make celery salt by using a 50/50 mixture of sea salt and celery seed.

To Use Medicinally: John Lust recommends one tablespoon of fresh celery juice be taken an hour before each meal.  This will help the digestion.

Decoction of Celery Seed: John Lust says that 1/2 teaspoon of seed should be boiled for 10 minutes in 1/2 cup of water.  Strain and take the decoction for bronchitis, colds and flu. (OF course see your doctor or health practitioner to check out any lung condition and to see if celery is right for you as an addition to your treatment)