What is Valeriana officinalis used for?
Valerian is an herbal supplement used in treatment for insomnia/sleep disorders, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety disorders, depression, epilepsy, infantile convulsions, menopausal symptoms, menstrual cramps, restlessness, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and tremors.
Is valerian safe to take everyday?
Though not guaranteed, anxiety and insomnia sufferers may benefit from taking valerian root extract daily. It also may result in fewer side effects than traditional medications for anxiety or insomnia, making it a suitable potential treatment for many people.
What does valerian do to your body?
One is that valerian increases the amount of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain. As a neurotransmitter, GABA inhibits unwanted nervous system activity. Studies have shown that increased levels of GABA in the brain lead to falling asleep faster and experiencing better sleep.
Is valerian Forte bad for you?
Although valerian is thought to be fairly safe, side effects such as headache, dizziness, stomach problems or sleeplessness may occur. Valerian may not be safe if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding.
What is Valeriana in English?
Valeriana officinalis, commonly known as valerian, is an herb native to Asia and Europe. It is now also grown in the US, China and other countries. Flowers from the valerian plant were used to make perfume centuries ago, and the root portion has been used in traditional medicine for at least 2,000 years.
Does valerian cause weight gain?
The potential value for valerian in treating mood disorders is particularly intriguing, as side effects from standard mood-disorder medications, such as drowsiness, dizziness, weight gain, constipation, nausea and vomiting, can be very unpleasant.
Is valerian bad for kidneys?
According to a study on valerian, different doses of this medication could cause no increase in blood urine nitrogen and creatinine (compared to sham group). Therefore, the extract of this herb was not likely to have toxic effects on rat kidneys [37]. Scientific studies on valerian have begun on humans since 1970 [33].
Who should not take valerian?
Certain groups of people shouldn’t take valerian, including: People with liver disease. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Children under 3 years old (1,3)
Can a 13 year old take valerian root?
Background: Valerian root and lemon balm extracts have previously shown efficacy and excellent tolerability in children<12 years suffering from restlessness and insomnia.
Is valerian root bad for your kidneys?
Does valerian root make you smell?
Unlike its delicately scented flowers, valerian root has a very strong, earthy odor due to the volatile oils and other compounds responsible for its sedative effects.
Does valerian cause liver damage?
Hepatotoxicity. Valerian has been implicated in a small number of cases of clinically apparent liver injury, but usually in combination with other botanicals such as skullcap or black cohosh. In view of its wide scale use, valerian has to be considered a very rare cause of hepatic injury.