Valerian Description

Valerian - Valerian is a member of the Valerianaceae family, and is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia and which has been naturalized into North America. Valerian has a distinctive odor that many find unpleasant. Other names for this product include setwall, Baldrianwurzel, and phu. The genus Valerian includes over 250 species. Preparations of valerian marketed as dietary supplements are made from its roots, underground and horizontal stems. Dried roots are prepared as teas or tinctures, and dried plant materials and extracts are put into capsules or incorporated into tablets. There is no scientific agreement as to the active constituents of Valerian, and its activity may result from interactions among multiple constituents rather than any one compound or class of compounds. The content of volatile oils, including valerenic acids; the somewhat less volatile sesquiterpenes; or the valepotriates is sometimes used to standardize valerian extracts. As with most herbal preparations, many other compounds are also present.