Herbs & Herbal Remedies @ Green Papaya

You’re Getting Sleepy …

Family: Valerianaceae; (includes Spikenard, Jacob’s Ladder)

Genus and Species: Valeriana officinalis

Also known as: Garden valerian, Phu, All-heal

Parts used: Rhizome and root

Back in the 13th century, the elders of Hamelin, Germany, decided to rid their town of rats. They contracted with an itinerant flute player, one Pied Piper, whose music attracted the rodents, allowing him to lead them out of town. But when the Pied Piper returned for his fee, the elders of Hamelin refused to pay him. In revenge, he used his flute to charm Hamelin’s children away forever.

In modern versions of this story, the Pied Piper’s powers are entirely musical. But early German folklore credits him with being an accomplished herbalist as well. In addition to his hypnotic flute playing, the Pied Piper charmed both the rats and the children with hypnotic valerian root. (Valerian can. indeed, charm rats-and cats. It contains chemicals similar to those in catnip.)

Fu Means P-U

Valerian has a disagreeable odor, and ancient Greek and Roman authorities, including Dioscorides. Pliny, and Galen all called it fu. The term Valeriana first appeared around the 10th century, derived from the Latin valere, to be strong.

Dioscorides recommended valerian as a diuretic and antidote to poisons. Pliny considered it a pain reliever. Galen prescribed it as a decongestant. By the time the plant’s name became valerian, early European herbalists considered it a panacea and also called it all-heal. The German abbess/herbalist Hildegard of Bingen recommended the herb as a tranquilizer and sleep aid about 100 years before the Pied Piper used it as a hypnotic.

For Epilepsy and Plague

During the late 1500s, valerian’s popularity grew after an Italian physician claimed he cured himself of epilepsy using it. In 1597, herbalist John Gerard wrote that in Scotland “no broth or physic [medicine] … be worth anything” if it did not include valerian. Gerard recommended the herb enthusiastically for chest congestion, convulsions, bruises, and falls.

Seventeenth-century English herbalist Nicholas Culpeper added several recommendations: “The decoction of the root … is of special virtue against the plague. [It] provokes women’s courses [menstruation] … is singularly good for those troubled with cough … is excellent [for] any sores, hurts, or wounds … “Later, European herbalists considered the herb a digestive aid and treatment for “hysteria” (menstrual discomforts).

Tranquilizer Par Excellence

Early colonists discovered several Indian tribes using the pulverized roots of native American valerian to treat wounds. Indian use of the herb brought it to the attention of Samuel Thomson, the founder of Thomsonian medicine, which was popular before the Civil War. Thomson called valerian “the best nervine [tranquilizer] known.”

Valerian entered the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a tranquilizer in 1820 and remained there until 1942. It was listed in the National Formulary, the pharmacists’ guide, until 1950.

The 19th-century Eclectics prescribed it as a “calmative … for epilepsy .. mild spasmodic affections … [and] hypochondria.” However their text, King’s American Dispensatory, warned against using large doses because they caused “restlessness, agitation, giddiness, nausea, and visual illusions.”

During World War I, Europeans afflicted with “overwrought nerves” from artillery bombardment frequently took valerian.

Contemporary herbalists generally agree with David Hoffmann’s Holistic Herbal, which calls valerian “one of the most useful relaxing herbs.” Today’s herbalists recommend it for nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, headache, and intestinal cramps.

In West Germany, where herbal medicine is considerably more mainstream than it is in the United States, valerian is the active ingredient in more than 100 over-the-counter tranquilizers and sleep aids, some of which are specially formulated for children, a use the Pied Piper would probably endorse.

All parts of valerian contain chemicals that appear to have sedative properties known as valepotriates, but they occur in highest concentration in the roots. The valepotriates are insoluble in water. Many valerian sleep aids are water-based, meaning they cannot contain more than traces of these chemicals, leading some herb critics to dismiss valerian as worthless.

But in 1981, researchers discovered several water-soluble chemicals with apparent sedative properties in valerian, supporting the herb’s age-old use as a tranquilizer and sleep aid.

Sedative. In one experiment, researchers gave 128 insomnia sufferers either 400 milligrams of valerian root extract or a look-alike placebo. Those taking the herb showed significant improvement in sleep quality without morning grogginess. Other experiments have produced similar results.

Some researchers have compared valerian to benzodiazepines such as Valium. However, valerian is a much milder and safer sedative.

• Valium can become an addictive drug. Regular users may develop a tolerance and require increasing amounts to obtain the desired effect. When the drug is withdrawn, they may develop withdrawal symptoms including restlessness, insomnia, headache, nausea, and vomiting. Although a psychological dependence may develop, valerian is not addictive and discontinuation produces no withdrawal symptoms.
• Valium’s effects are exaggerated by simultaneous use of alcohol and barbiturates. The combination is often used in suicide attempts. Valerian’s sedative effect is not significantly exaggerated by alcohol and barbiturates.
• Valium often causes morning grogginess. Unusually large amounts of valerian may cause morning grogginess, but recommended amounts do not.
• Finally, children born to women who used Valium while pregnant suffer an increased risk of cleft palate. Valerian has not been linked to birth defects.

Blood Pressure - Animal studies show valerian reduces blood pressure Animal results do not necessarily apply to people, but if you have high blood pressure get your physician’s approval and supervision before incorporating it into your overall treatment plan.

Intriguing Possibilities - Animal studies suggest valerian has anticonvulsant effects, lending some credence to its traditional use in treating epilepsy.

And several reports show the herb has some anti-tumor effects similar to those of nitrogen mustard. One day it may play some role in cancer treatment.

Rx for Valerian

For a potential sedative infusion that might also help reduce blood pressure, use 2 teaspoons of powdered root per cup of water. Steep 10 to 15 minutes. Drink 1 cup before bed. Valerian tastes unpleasant. Add sugar, honey, and lemon, or mix it with an herbal beverage blend to improve flavor.

In a tincture, take ½ to 1 teaspoon before bed.

Valerian should not be given to children under age 2. For older children and people over 65, start with low-strength preparations and increase strength if necessary.

Large amounts may cause headache, giddiness, blurred vision, restlessness, nausea, and morning grogginess.

Valerian is included in the Food and Drug Administration’s list of herbs generally regarded as safe. For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults who are not taking other tranquilizers or sedatives, valerian is considered safe in amounts typically recommended.

Valerian should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If valerian causes minor discomforts, such as headache or stomach upset, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.

Protect from Cat Attack

Medicinal valerian is a hardy perennial that reaches about 5 feet. Its medicinal roots consist of long, cylindrical fibers issuing from its rhizome. Its stem is erect, grooved, and hollow. Valerian leaves are fernlike. Tiny flowers-white, pink, or lavender-develop in umbrella-like clusters and bloom from late spring through summer. When dried, valerian roots have an unpleasant odor, described by American herbalist Michael Moore as “the smell of dirty socks.”

Valerian may be propagated from seeds or root divisions Seeds have limited viability. When viable, they germinate in about 20 days Roots may be divided in spring or fall Thin plants to l z-inch spacing. Valerian grows in many soils, but does best in rich, moist well-drained loam under full sun or partial shade. Once established, plants self-sow and spread by root runners. Older plants become weedy and overcrowded and lose vitality. Thin them when harvesting their roots.

Valerian has an effect on cats similar to catnip. Intoxicated felines have been known to destroy plants; use chicken-wire fencing if necessary.

Harvest roots in the fall of their second year Split thick roots to speed drying. Valerian’s characteristic unpleasant odor develops as the roots dry.