Valerian Root

Valerian root (valerina fauriei) can be purchased as a powder for tea, in tablet form, or as an esssential oil. It is well known for its soporific qualities but it actually has more uses than this. SYNONYMS: Also known as valerian officinalis, European valerian, Belgian valerian, garden valerian and fragrant valerian. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? This a perennial herb which grows up to 1.5 metres high and has a hollow stem. The leaves are dark green and the flowers a deep purple. The roots are short, thick and greyish in colour and mostly grow above the ground. The plant has a very strong odour. WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? ...  Read the complete review

Valerian was the very first herb I ever tried. I indirectly owe the FDA for this. The US. FDA. (Food and Drug Administration). This fed. govt. agency banned Tryptophan because a contaminated batch caused several dozen people to pass away from a severe muscle disorder. Okay I don't remember the exact number. The important point to be was that the amino acid was banned. I think this was terribly unfair. While I do feel sorry for the families of those affected, even the US Center for Disease Control said it was the contaminant in that one batch and not the substance itself. Call me paranoid but Tryptophan which raises serotonin levels naturally just ...  Read the complete review

I have been an insomniac for about 5 years;there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to sleep for hours and lying awake thinking about things and becoming irritable and frustrated. I had tried things like Nytol,which worked for a couple of nights then it'd be back to the same tossing and turning in bed.I even was prescribed valium by the doctor,but this was too addictive and dangerous in the long-term.I no longer fancied a benzodiazepene hangover... I stumbled across Valerian preparations in various alternative books and magazines,about it being a good treatment for insomnia,relaxation and sedation.I also read that it relaxed you enough ...  Read the complete review