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Picture of Valerian flower
Valerian Plant
Redspur valerian
IS297-031 Image Source Royalty Free Photograph
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Bankoro, Noni, Immune System Builder |
The valerian plant is an herb used as an herbal remedy for sleep disorder and as an herbal remedy for headaches, depression, and insomnia.
Valerian, - Valerian is a plant native to Europe and
Asia; it is also found in North America.
Common Names--valerian, all-heal, garden heliotrope
Latin Names--Valeriana officinalis
- What Valerian Is Used For
- Valerian has long been used for sleep disorders and anxiety.
- Valerian has also been used for other conditions, such as headaches,
depression, irregular heartbeat, and trembling.
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- Treat the underlying causes of chronic insomnia
- Restore your sleep cycle and induce regular deep and satisfying sleep
- Treat depression, anxiety and insomnia without the side effects of
prescription drugs
- Balance serotonin levels naturally
- Relieve both sleep maintenance and sleep onset insomnia
- Prevent morning 'grogginess' associated with prescription and OTC
sleeping tablets
- Avoid addiction caused by prescription sleeping medication
- How Valerian Is Used
The roots and rhizomes (underground stems) of valerian are typically used to
make supplements, including capsules, tablets, and liquid extracts, as well as
teas.
- What the Science Says about Valerian
- Research suggests that valerian may be helpful for insomnia, but there
is not enough evidence from well-designed studies to confirm this.
- There is not enough scientific evidence to determine whether valerian
works for anxiety or for other conditions, such as depression and headaches.
- NCCAM is funding a study to look at the effects of valerian on sleep in
healthy older adults and in people with Parkinson's disease.
- Side Effects and Cautions of Valerian
- Studies suggest that valerian is generally safe to use for short periods
of time (for example, 4 to 6 weeks).
- No information is available about the long-term safety of valerian.
- Valerian can cause mild side effects, such as headaches, dizziness,
upset stomach, and tiredness the morning after its use.
- Tell your health care providers about any herb or dietary supplement you
are using, including valerian. This helps to ensure safe and coordinated
care.
What's an Herb? An herb is a plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential
therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and
roots. Herbal medicine products are dietary supplements that people take
to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time for claimed
health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts and
fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems, some are not
effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.What's an Herb? An herb is a plant or part of a plant used for its flavor, scent, or potential
therapeutic properties. Includes flowers, leaves, bark, fruit, seeds, stems, and
roots. Herbal medicine products are dietary supplements that people take
to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time for claimed
health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts and
fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems, some are not
effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.
Dietary supplement is a
product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino
acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The
U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for
dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.
To use an herbal product as safely as
possible:
-
Consult your doctor first
-
Do not take a bigger dose than the label
recommends
-
Take it under the guidance of a trained
medical professional
-
Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or
nursing
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Why should I use herbal products?
The decision to use herbs to improve your
health is, as with all health decisions, a personal one. There are, however,
many good reasons to consider herbal products to complement your own
health care methods. One of the best reason, however, may be the fact that
herbs and herbal products, continue to provide real health benefits while
maintaining a remarkable safety profile. Readily available natural
substances were the first medicines used by humans. Primitive and ancient
civilizations as well as contemporary cultures throughout the world have
always relied on herbs to provide the benefits that have been observed with
their use. In fact, the World Health Organization has estimated that 80
percent of the world's population continues to use traditional therapies, a
major part of which are derived from plants, as their primary health care
tools. In our own time and culture, most herbs are available in the form of
"herbal supplements." These products are found in the form of teas, tablets,
capsules, liquid extracts, and others. We now have ready access to products
that bring the herbal traditions from all over the world in a variety of
convenient forms. In addition, scientific inquiries continue to develop our
knowledge of the benefits of plants, and often validate the observations
made over the past centuries.
Are herbs safe?
Plants that enjoy broad culinary and
therapeutic usage are generally safe. We can flavor our food with any number
of herbs to make a meal more flavorful. We can appreciate a delicious cup of
peppermint leaf or ginger root tea, or benefit from the soothing properties
of marshmallow root or the bark of slippery elm. We can take an herbal
supplement containing dandelion root or saw palmetto berries, or any number
of the other herbs. Although allergies and reactions have been recorded for
a few herbs that are widely used in foods and supplements, such individual
concerns are also seen with many foods, and do not diminish the safety
profile of the many herbs that are generally recognized as safe. On the
other hand, and as everyone knows, there are any number of plants that are
highly toxic, even deadly.
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