Valerian is an effective remedy for nervous system complaints and was famously put to use in the second world war as a treatment for shell shocked soldiers.

Botanical Name:  Valeriana officinalis

Family:  Valerianaceae

Parts Used:  Root and rhizome

Flowering Period:  June – August

Constituents:  volatile oil (borneol, camphene, valerenic acid), alkaloids, iridoid valepotriates, flavonoids, lignans

Medicinal Actions:  anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, spasmolytic, carminative, anodyne, hypotensive, nervine

Uses:  insomnia, anxiety, dysmenorrhoea, intestinal colic, hypertension

Therapeutic Dosage:  Decoction 1-3g, three times a day. Tincture: 1:5, (70% alcohol) 3-5ml three times a day.

Contraindications:  other sedative drugs.