💾 Archived View for webdragon.mywire.org › plants › Valeriana-Officinalis.gmi captured on 2022-07-16 at 13:44:19. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Other names: All-heal, cut-heal, garden heliotrope, herb bennet, vandal root, amantilla, setwall, capon's tail, cat's love, St. George's herb, phu
Flower colour: Pink - white
Flowering: May - August
Height: 1.5 - 2 m
Active ingredients: Essential oils (bornylacetate, bornylisovalerate, valeric acid, valeranone, valeranal), valepotriates, GABA, glutamin, valeranin, valerin, chatidin, actinidin, hydroxypinoresinol
Used parts: The roots.
Some people argue that this plant could be named after the ancient physician Plinius Valerianus, though I do not daresay whether that is true or not. The ancient Greeks already used valerian to deal with sleep problems, which is nowadays still one of the most well-known use-cases of this plant. Dioscorides used the name "phu" for this plant, because of the relatively unpleasant smell. He recommended phu against palpitations, epilepsy and even against digestive disorders and urinary tract infections. Later on, in medieval times, valerian was still used against epilepsy and sleep disorders. As you might have read in a previous line, valerian is said to have an unpleasant smell. According to certain lore, this is because the Devil was so highly jealous of the strong medical properties of phu, that he gave it this unpleasant smell. He would also have bitten the root of the plant, which is why the plant's roots are blunt. Even though most humans do not like the smell of valerian, cats, rats, mice and some others are fond of it.
During World-War 1, valerian was used in the treatment of shellshock and in the Second World War it was used to calm people down after air raids.
Valerian is mostly used for its soothing effects. It stimulates fatigued people and it calms down the people who are too active. It has a positive effect on serotonin, which means that it improves sleep and more. Moreover, the plant helps against anxieties, stress and problems caused by stress, hysteria, hyperexcitability, panic attacks and such. Most medicines that help against these issues have something that causes them to make you less alert, but valerian does not have this side-effect. Another interesting use-case of valerian is against ADHD, which I have not been able to try myself unfortunately, for my psychiatrist thinks it better to use something that is known to help directly, though I should try to figure it all out more clearly and then come back with detailed information on how valerian could help. A last effect of valerian I want to mention is that it can help people who are trying to stop smoking, partly because it causes your cigarettes to be a lot less tasty...
When using valerian in high doses, you can get sleepy.
Too high doses can cause bradycardia, cardiac arrhythmia, chest tightness, confusion, reduced intestinal peristalsis and trembling of the hands and feet.
Using high doses for too long can cause headaches, palpitations, hallucinations and dependence of valerian.
If this plant works the other way around than it should, stop using it. This happens for some people.
Do not use valerian longer than three weeks in a row.
Do NOT use this plant if you have liver or kidney diseases.
Valerian should NOT be used for children younger than three years old.
Because there is not enough sufficient knowledge, do not use this plant when you are pregnant.
Do NOT use valerian without consulting your psychiatrist when you use medicines that have an effect on the central nervous system, or when you use medicines to improve sleep or something like that.
Avoid the consumption of alcohol when using valerian.