Valerian is a perennial herb that has been widely used in Europe since the 18th century, and its medicinal parts, usually extracted from the roots of valerian, are an herbal supplement and have been used to treat sleep disorders, and are thought to have sleep-aiding, sedative, and anti-anxiety properties.
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Beneficial Sleep Problems
Sleep problems are very common, with approximately 70 million or more adults in the United States and Europe alone affected by sleep problems.
Sleep plays a vital role in maintaining brain function and systemic physiology, and chronic sleep problems can have a significant impact on our health.
Sleep deprivation can affect resilience, quality of life, mood, cognition, memory and daily performance. It can also lead to metabolic disorders, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Beneficial Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders (are one of the most common mental disorders, two to three times more common in women than men, and up to 20% of adults are affected by anxiety disorders each year.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder is characterized by persistent/excessive and unrealistic worry about everyday things that produces fear, apprehension, and a feeling of being overwhelmed, which can be multifaceted, such as finances, family, health, and the future, and is often accompanied by many non-specific psychological and physical symptoms.
It has side effects?
1. Do not use during pregnancy and lactation.
2. Since MFA oils are deficient in essential fatty acids (e.g. polyunsaturated fatty acids, Omega-6 and Omega-3), diets containing only MFA oils may result in a lack of essential fatty acids, so care should be taken when using MFA oils.
3. Do not use if you have poor liver function (e.g. hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, because the fatty acid oils are mostly metabolized by the liver, and overdose may lead to liver dysfunction).
Experiments on the effect of ashwagandha on anxiety
Sabinsa recently published a clinical article in Medicine examining the effects of the company’s patented ShagandhaTM South African Drunken Garlic Root Extract in relieving stress, anxiety and enhancing quality of life.
This was a randomized, double-blind, blank controlled trial with a total of 54 subjects participating in the study, 50 of whom completed the trial. In this study, the study group was given 500 mg of ShagandhaTM South African Drunken Garlic Root Extract + 5 mg of BioPerine® Black Pepper Extract per day, and the blank group was given a placebo for 60 days. Assessment was done through Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Quality of Life (QOL), and cognitive scores.
The results of the study showed that ShagandhaTM was effective in improving the stress and anxiety status of mildly and severely stressed and anxious subjects by decreasing cortisol levels and increasing serotonin levels. Also, subjects showed significant improvement in cognition, multitasking and attention compared to placebo.
can you take ashwagandha and valerian root together?
YES,While there are many similarities between ashwagandha and valerian root, there are a few differences to keep in mind. Both plants get their medicinal properties from the root, allowing them to manage stress and insomnia herbs together, but they differ in their amount of research.
Ashwagandha has been researched more thoroughly with more positive results that show its prevalent power. On its own, ashwaganha can do miraculous things for your health. Valerian root, while powerful, needs a little help from other herbs to reach its full potential. Both promote healthy brain activity and function, but there is a more prominent difference in how the two herbs work.
Valerian root targets the nervous system, helping it to relax and unwind. The root targets the stressful center to help it calm and release the stress that holds the body captive. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that has anti-stress capabilities. Still, its primary function is to help the body learn to adapt and relax by normalizing the physiological responses to stressful stimuli. In short: valerian root calms the nervous system, and ashwagandha helps the body adapt to stress.
Both herbs have remarkable healing properties, but they are designed to target different and specific ailments. Their origins are also slightly different, but both have been used faithfully for centuries to treat a myriad of health problems like insomnia, anxiety, and stress.
