Valerian Herb: Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects

Valerian herb is a native plant originating in Asia and Europe. Its roots are used for its sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic effects, and neuromuscular relaxation properties. Historically, it was used as a natural treatment for insomnia, fatigue, migraines, anxiety, depression, stress, abdominal cramps for PMS, and hot flashes for menopausal women. Supplementation of valerian root has been found to be relatively safe in the short term, but additional research needs to determine the side effects of long-term use.^{5, 7, 3, 5, 16}

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Key Takeaways

• Valerian herb is a native plant medicinally utilized for its sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic effects and neuromuscular relaxation properties.⁵ 
• It can be used as a natural sleep aid and to improve symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, migraines, muscle tension, stress, abdominal cramps for PMS, and hot flashes for menopausal women.^{3, 5, 7, 16} 
• A recommended dose to see optimal improvement for sleep and anxiety is 300-600mg/day for up to 4 weeks.^{7, 9}

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Valerian Herb: Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects

The valerian plant’s roots are used for their sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic effects and muscular relaxation properties. Historically, they were used as an acute treatment for insomnia, fatigue, migraines, anxiety, depression, stress, and abdominal cramps. The plant's roots are available in capsule and tablet form.⁵ 

Valerian root is considered safe when taken as a short-term supplement in healthy populations ranging from 7-80 years old. Mild side effects can include migraines and gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea and abdominal cramps as side effects. The long-term effects of valerian are unknown and still need further research. Populations like pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children, and individuals with liver disease should avoid taking valerian. An excess sedative effect can occur if taken with other central nervous system depressants like benzodiazepines, narcotics, and/or alcohol. It is recommended to discuss any supplements or vitamins with a provider to prevent any interactions with pharmaceuticals (NIH).^{8, 18, 2}

Related: Horsetail Herb: Health Benefits, Uses and More 

What Is Valerian and How Does It Work?

Origin and History

Valerian, also known as Valeriana officinalis, is a native plant of Asia and Europe. Its roots and underground stems are known for their characteristic odors. The plant's roots and underground stems are utilized as medicinal herbs in tea, capsules, and tablets to improve sleep, anxiety, muscle tension, migraines, and abdominal cramps.

Mechanism of Action in the Body

Although the underlying mechanisms and active components remain unclear, the chemical composition of valerian herb is made of valeric acid, valepotriates (iridoids), alkaloids, lignans, and free amino acids like tyrosine, arginine, glutamine, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Research supports the independent sedative effects of valepotriates, valeric acid, and GABA, but physiological effects for the rest of the compounds have not been determined. There may even be a synergistic effect between all the compounds to create the systemic relaxing response. GABA is a neurotransmitter within the brain that regulates the balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters for the central nervous system (the brain and spine). Due to GABA’s sedative and calming effect, it is commonly used in pharmaceutical treatment for nervous system hyperactivity disorders like anxiety, stress, and fear–in addition to sleep disorders.^{6, 9} 

It is thought that valerian root also interacts with adenosine receptor activation and serotonin within the body. Both adenosine receptor activation and serotonin have been found to play roles in sleep and mood regulation, which could allow these to be pharmaceutically manipulated as a treatment for disorders like anxiety, depression, and insomnia.^{4, 18} 

Valerian Herb: Potential Health Benefits

Valerian herb is a native plant that is medicinally utilized for its sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic effects, in addition to neuromuscular relaxation properties to improve symptoms of:^{5, 7} 

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Migraines
• Muscle tension
• Stress
• Abdominal cramps for premenstrual syndrome 
• Hot flashes or menopausal women
• Reduced Inflammation 

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Side Effects of Valerian Herb

Valerian root is considered safe when taken as a short-term supplement in healthy populations ranging from 7-80 years old. Slight side effects have been reported, but the long-term effects of valerian are unknown and still need further research. The reported side effects can include but are not limited to:^{8, 18, 13} 

• Migraines
• Stomach issues
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Muscle weakness
• Vivid dreams
• Mental dullness
• Sleepiness upon waking

Populations like pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children, and individuals with liver disease should avoid taking valerian. An excess sedative effect can occur if valerian is taken with other central nervous system depressants like benzodiazepines, narcotics, and/or alcohol. It is recommended to discuss any supplements or vitamins with a provider to prevent any interactions with pharmaceuticals (NIH).^{2, 8}

How to Take Valerian Root for Various Health Benefits

Valerian will provide the best results for anxiety and sleep when taken between a dose of 300-600mg/day for a maximum of 4 weeks. An effective dose of the dried valerian root for tea is 2-3g, steeped in 1 cup of hot water for 10-15 minutes ingested 30 minutes prior to bed.^{7, 9, 19} 

Related: 10 Best Herbs and Supplements for Diabetes That May Help

Valerian Root as a Sleeping Aid 

Like melatonin, valerian is commonly used as a natural alternative to pharmacological sleep aids. If you suffer from chronic insomnia and have had difficulty finding relief, valerian root may help. 

A meta-analysis of 60 studies found that valerian root can be a safe alternative to improve sleep quality and help treat insomnia. Most of the studies looking at valerian’s effect on sleep have to do with short-term dosing to reduce sleep latency–which is the amount of time taken for a person to fall asleep after going to bed with the intent of sleeping.^{18, 10} 

Pharmaceutical medications prescribed for sleep disturbances are not generally recommended for long-term use due to cognitive side effects like drowsiness and mental fatigue, which is why valerian is commonly used as a natural alternative. It is worth noting that, outside of supplementation, lifestyle changes like avoiding caffeine in the latter half of the day, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, having an hour of wind-down time before bed, and getting daily exercise can help facilitate better sleep. 

A double-blind, placebo study looked at 8 subjects who self-identified the struggle of falling asleep (i.e., had a long sleep latency.) Each participant took a single dose of 450-900mg valerian extract or a placebo. Results showed that the valerian herb group saw significant decreases in their subjective sleep latency and more consistent sleep throughout the first quarter of the night (when most deep sleep occurs). There was no effect on total sleep duration, and a side effect of sleepiness upon awakening was noticed by the higher-dose groups taking 900mg.^{20, 13} 

A double-blind, placebo, crossover study of 16 participants diagnosed with insomnia compared a single dose of valerian to a multiple dose of valerian to determine how sleep efficiency (the amount of time a person is asleep compared to the total amount of time spent in bed) compared.  No effects in sleep efficiency were found after just a single dose of 600mg–although the 14-day dose resulted in significant improvements within slow-wave sleep. Slow-wave sleep is a period of 20–40 minutes when brain activity declines and goes into a deep, restorative sleep.^{17, 15} 

Even though there are many promising studies indicating the benefit of dosing 400mg-600mg for a short term, a systematic review concluded that evidence around valerian as an insomnia treatment is still inconclusive and requires additional studies to be completed due to the wide variety of methodologies used in the studies like randomization, blinding, compliance, subjective criteria, withdrawal, and other confounding variables.²⁰ 

Valerian Root for Anxiety  

Many people with anxiety take antidepressants or other psychotropic medications to relieve symptoms. Valerian root may be a natural alternative to these prescription medications.

A randomized, controlled, double-blind study compared 100mg of valerian, 20mg of propranolol, and a combination of the two when analyzing the participants' state of arousal during an experimental stressful situation. Results indicated that supplementation of valerian root had noticeable relaxing effects on participants' state of arousal during the stressful situation.¹¹ 

A preliminary, controlled, double-blind study of 36 patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder looked at the psychic factor of the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A)–which is a tool of measurement for patients with anxiety.  The groups took either a 2.5mg dose of diazepam 3 times per day, a placebo 3 times per day, or a 50mg dose of valerian extract 3 times per day for a total of 4 weeks. Results indicated a significant improvement on the HAM-A scale for both the prescription diazepam and the alternative valerian herbal supplement.¹ 

Like valerian root, kava is a supplement used as a natural alternative to anxiety medication. A randomized control trial compared how 3 groups worked at relieving psychological factors associated with stress like blood pressure, heart rate, and self-reported stress response. The 3 groups took either 120mg of kava, 600mg of valerian, or a placebo for 7 days. Both the kava and valerian root supplementation did significantly decrease physiological response factors like blood pressure, heart rate, and subjective stress response.⁷ 

You should always talk to a healthcare provider before stopping any prescribed medications or starting any dietary supplements.

Additional Potential Benefits of Valerian Root

Outside of the sedative sleep effects and the anxiolytic effects of valerian–it can be used as an alternative medicine for some hormonal and muscular issues. A current double-blind clinical study of 68 menopausal women with a chief complaint of hot flashes found that 255mg valerian capsules (three times per day) showed a significant improvement in hot flashes. A double-blind clinical trial of 100 female students in Iran diagnosed with PMS symptoms found that 2 valerian root pills within the last 7 days of their menstrual cycle had a significant improvement in emotional, behavioral, and physical pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS). Lastly, a study on mice showed that skeletal muscle tension decreased when supplementing with valerian root. Even though these results seem promising, it is hard to compare the effects of mice’s skeletal muscles to those of humans.^{16, 3, 5}

Continued research needs to occur to ensure a meaningful relationship between valerian root and improvements in insomnia, anxiety, depression, cramps, hot flashes, and muscle tension.  

The Bottom Line 

Valerian herb is a native plant medicinally utilized for its sedative, hypnotic, and anxiolytic effects and neuromuscular relaxation properties. It can be used as a natural sleep aid and to improve symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, migraines, muscle tension, stress, abdominal cramps for PMS, and hot flashes for menopausal women. Even though research is varied, the recommended dose to see optimal improvement for sleep and anxiety is 300-600mg/day for up to 4 weeks.^{5, 7,9}

It is important to consider that most research supporting the benefits of the valerian herb uses an isolated form of it. Since herbal and supplemental products are not regulated for quality, purity, or consistency by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States, it is recommended to do extensive research when trying to find a reliable product.⁹ 

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