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25 Valerian Root Benefits (No.1-14 Was Scientific Evidence)
25 Valerian Root Benefits (No.1-14 Was Scientific Evidence)
Valariana Officianalis (VO) is plan native to parts of Asia and Europe. Plant who belonging to family of Velerianaceae know also live in North America. Europe are lucky ocean to have this plant. Because VO scattered along rivers of it.
VO names was taken from Latin. Valarae, meaning “to be healthy“. Another name of valerian is all heal. In England it was named setwall. In Germany it was named baldrianwurzel. Greece call it phu. Other call it garden valerian.
VO is one of the natural ingredients. VO used as a traditional medicine. The most populer about the VO benefits is cure insomnia. But we will talk about another benefits of it. The medicine metabolism of this valerian root happen in liver. That is why usage of this natural medicine needs strict supervision. Because the possibility of damage to this organ will so worst.
Liver is the largest organ in human body. It is located in the right upper quadrant of the abdominal cavity. As the largest in our body, so we need to keep it healthy. Liver performs many critical functions. For example and the best one. It is the hero to fight with hazard. But the function of liver is vary and depend of the unique blood system and the highly specialized cells.
CONTENTS OF VALERIAN ROOT
Before talk about VO with so many benefit. We need to know the contents containing in it. Chemical contains of it depending on growing condition, variety, and age of the pant. For valerian extract chemical contains of it depending on the types and storage time.
This are contents in one stem Valerian root:
- Alkaloid;
This is a nitrogeneous base classes of compounds that cotained in plants like VO. But it is also derived from animals. In VO extracts of valerian also contains:- Aktinidin;
- Katinin;
- Valeriianin;
- Valerin
- Beta Caryophyllene
- Bornil acetate;
In VO varieties pratensis there is 35% bornil acetate but in VO varieties illyrica just 0,45%. - Champor;
- Essential Oil (0,2 – 0,8%);
This oil containing bornil acetate. The main component is bornil isovalerianat. - Ester Epoksivalerianat;
- Gamma Aminobutyric acid (GABA);
This is neutransmitter base with sedative effects of valerian. This compunds containing others contents, namely:- Flavanones;
- Hesperidin
- Linarin;
- Metilapigenin.
- Isovaleramida;
- Methyl Ketone Pirolil;
- Monoterpenoid;
- Sesquiterpenoid;
- Valeric Acid;
- Valepotriate;
- Valeranon;
- Valerenal;
- Valerinat Acid.
VALERIAN ROOT PERFORMANCES
Before intoduce to sugar cane face to face. We need to know it history by science. This is it.
No | Classification | Information |
1 | Kingdom | Plantae (Plants) |
2 | Sub Kingdom | Angiospermae |
3 | Super Division | Spermatophyta |
4 | Division | Magnoliophyta |
5 | Class | Magnoliopsida |
6 | Sub Class | Sympetalae |
7 | Ordo | Dipsacales |
8 | Family | Velerianaceae |
9 | Genus | Valeriana |
10 | Species | Valeriana Officialis |
BENEFITS OF VALERIAN ROOT
With all of the compunds this plants has many benefits. But there some of that has a proof and ohters not. So let us separate them in two place. First benefits without proven or any reference, namely:
- Clearing Sound;
- Cure cholera;
Valerian oil helping for this curing - Dietary Supplement
Valerian roots extact can used as additive in herbs. - Relieves migraine and rheumatism;
- Eliminate Dandruff
Some reference said that valerian tincture - Strengthen the work of heart;
- Lowering blood pressure;
- Lozenges;
- Mouse bait;
- Relieves pain or cramps due to menstruation and manopause;
- Relieves toothache;
And than the best for the last. Benefits of valerian roots with story of proven. This is it.
1. Sedatives
Tranquilizer is some of many kinds of medicines with sleepy effects. Tranquilizer must use a docter prescription. This type is not sold freely in pharmacies. This is why this lucky plants with many benefits is referred as alternative to benzodiazepine. Kind of plants with sedative function. The effects of valerian roots has two types is calming and sleepy.
Benzodiazepines as calming medicine is prescribed for those who are depressed and anxious. It is only used for short time treatment. VO is big answer for sedative and calming thing. Nature thing is always the best part for helping.
2. Anxiety Disorders Treatment
According to the first benefits. VO with benzodiazepine can helping to treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and anxiety disorder related. VO are superior as nature thing for this kind of disorder. Need to know that VO also effective for panic disorder.
3. Spasmolitik
This benefit does not need long explanation. Calming effects of valerian roots can help for conculsions.
4. Insomnia Treatmen
Today and before VO used to treat imsomnia. In the days of ancient Greece and Rome VO has been known as sleeping pill. This plants was described the properties by Hippocrates. Then, Galen writedown the benefits. He prescribe that VO can helping for sleeping treatmen. VO also can use sometimes to reduce night sleep disorder before surgery.
In America and Europe valerian known as “Valium 19th Century”. This lucky plants was more widely used as an insomnia medicine. Until it get arrived to North America, Europe, and Japan.
5. Hipotensif
Pressure on live can make condition of our body get worst. Stress can come anytime. Valerians is one of choice as stress reliever.
6. Seizure Disorder Treatment
VO can be used for seizure disorder treatment and care. We can use VO in conventional antikonvulsan. Epileptic is seizure friends. Both of them also close to death thing. For reduce that mortality, VO is solution to epileptic seizure disorder treatment.
7. Mood Disorder Treatment
For mild or moderate depression benzodiazepin in VO can help in treatment process. In the outpatients case benzodiazepin in VO is really helps. Advanced treatment or severe depression benzodiazepin still needs.
8. Movement Disorders Treatment
It is effective to many case of restless legs syndrome. VO with benzodiazepin also really helps for it.
9. Recovery and Intoksication From Alcohol and Others Substance
Everyone with addiction to alcohol and other substances is need benzodiazepin for treatment. Especially for addiction complications such as seizures and hyperpyrexia. Hyperpyrekxia is an abnormally condition on our body. Benzodiazepin in nature way can help for this body low temperature.
10. Healing Pain Gastrointestinal
In traditional way valerian roots can use to healing gastrointestinal pain. Irritable bowel syndrome can treat also in traditionally. But there is a warning ofr using this plants in continuesly. Long term using it has not been proven. There is mutagenic compound contain in valerian root extract. If it is must should be watched closely.
11. Antiemetic
Valerian roots like was said above is native of Britain. In that land VO use as antiemetic. Valerian roots has benefits also can strengthen the digestive organ and digestive system.
12. Calming Nerves
Valerian roots have used to suppres the entire cental nervous system. Essential oil in it can handle that. So calming effects in valerian root can be a stimulants. Essential oil can use to treat hysteria, hypochondriasis, nerveous weakness, and epilepsi.
Hypochondriasis is psychological disorder that makes someone feel too scared will get serious illness. This funny disorder can help by a roots, Valerian roots. This disoder most commomly will touch man in aged between 20 to 30 years. In some case the sufferers also experinced depression or anxiety. For you who have irritability friends this valerian roots is the best choice.
Use valerian root in 30 gram boiled for 15 minutes. Drink 3-4 times a day. This herb can help from weak nerves.
13. High Fever Treat
High fever can make sufferers fly. So calming effects in valerian root can be a stimulants.
14. Carminative
There is a substances in valerian root that can reduce bloating in the belly. Remove the wind or gas through the gastrointestinal tract. This substances can used to treat colic in babies. Colic is a condition where pain arises regularly in the abdominal area and surrounding. For adults colic caused by many thing. So valerians roots substances is not enough to treat.
SIDE EFFECTS OF VALERIAN ROOT
Needs to know, eventhough VO is usefull for medicine but it still limited use. Valerian extract dose varies between 2-10 mg per day. This limited use caused by difficulty of determining the dose. Lack of standardization and variability of valerian extract also a matter. So do not ever valerian roots extract in high doses more than 500 mg. Because it has side effects namely:
- Abdominal Pain;
- Feeling Foolish Mentally;
- Lethargy;
- Moderate Depression;
- Sleepy ; So this is so clear. Do not ever riding after taking valerian.
We have talk a lot of the benefits of valerian roots. So now we have to know the shape about this plants and another stuff of it.
VO has two brothers, Valeriana Edulis and Valeriana Wallichii. How to the different of those plant? Just calm, maybe you need VO too. Valerianat acid, Asetoksivalerenat acid, and valerenal compunds of those three plants are the difference.
VO is usefully from roots, branch, and bar sections underground. This plant has small size. The height is only 60 cm. But was harvested to use for medicinal plant. England harvest it because actually is native from. Other country such as Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, and Russia also harvest this plant. United States of America too.
It will be flowering in June until September. Eventhough the flower is so beauty in pink but it is so smelly and sting. It also has sweet taste and biiter. That is because camphor and valeric acid in it. The best part of this survival plant is can grows well in subtropical climate in temperature below 40C. That is why it is also grows well in Asia mainland.
Valerian is an annual shrub form. The trunk upright, soft, slick surface, and with green color in oval shapes. The leaves long about 2 – 4 cm and thw width about 1 – 2 cm. The tip and base of leaves is tapered. Valerian has light green petals, smooth white crown, cylindrical white stamen stemmed about 0,2 – 0,4 cm length. The anthers flat in gray, white stemmed pistil about 0,3 – 0,4 cm.The fruit is oval in brown. The seeds is black. The roots is tap in light brown.
In Indonesia VO generally can be grown. It does not need a specific requirements for growth. VO can grow in many variety of soil. But it is better for wet ground. This plant can grow with full sunshine and partial shade.
We have know the benefits and what is the valerians look like. How about the side effect of it? How about dosage?
DAMAGE FOR LONG TERM USE VALERIAN ROOT
Very important to know that use valerian roots as natural medicine does not cause any health hazard. A study usage of multi herbal medicine have been reported hepatotoxicity case. Hepatotoxicity is side effects of concume medicine that can damage the cells of liver and surrounding. But in this case, it is need more clarification. Because hepatotoxicity is not clearly potential. There is a possibility combination with others herbs. There are 10 hepatotoxic effects that we must to know. So that we can use valerian roots wisely, namely:
- Causing granuloma liver cells;
- Causing injury to the liver parenchyma; This thing will make encouraging the formation of scar tissue like liver cirrhosis.
- Damage the liver portal vein system.
- Damage cells of the bile duct slowly; This is happen like symptons of biliary cirrhosis.
- Encourage the occurrence of liver tumors.
- Fatty infiltration; This is will happen on liver cells.
- Inhibit excretion of bile; This will causing obstructive jaundice. It is like symptons of cholestasis.
- Quickly damage of liver parenchymal; Resembling symptoms of acute viral hepatitis.
- Slowly damage of liver parenchymal; Resembling symptoms of active chronic hepatitis.
Toxicity research has not been done to many. The research actually very needed. To protect society from possible adverse effects. Toxic effcets can make damage for the hero from hazard, liver. The liver is central role in metabolizing all medicine and foreign substances that get in human body. Research about damage that can be happen to liver is very needed. Liver will change medicine structure from lipophilic become hydrophilic. So that can be easy to removed from human body through urine or bile. This excretion process in bile allows accumulation xenobiotik in liver. This process that will make hepatotoxic effects.
Xenobiotic is derived from Greek. Xenos is mean foreign. Xenobiotics are foreign substances that get in human body. The example is easy. Everything that we make in to the body such as medicine, insectisida, dan chemical foof additives like sweeteners, food coloring, and preservatives. Xenobiotic generally insoluble in water. So this is why we needs to carefully use valerian root extract to get in our body.
RULES TO USE VALERIAN ROOT
So, for using this natural medicine there are rules. Rule that a must to obey.
1. Must Use Appropiate The Dose
If we used according to the dose. It is so rare about gastrointestinal complaints. It was has talked and warned above so many time in each benefits. For long term use the valerian roots extract can be hazard. It can cause many sides effect, namely:
- Anxiety;
- Cardiac dysfunction;
- Headaches;
- Lack of sleep;
- Mydriasis;
2. Special Usage
There are some kind of injury or illness that can be worst if use valerian root, namely:
- Heart weakness;
- Illness due to infection;
- Large wound in the skin;
- Severe fever;
- Skin diseases acute;
- When someone has those illness do not ever try to use essential oil or extract of the valerians roots.
3. Concurrent Medication Usage Rules
Animals studies have shown that valerian have additive effects. When used in combination with benzodiazepin and barbiturates. Benzodiazepines as calming medicine is only used for short time treatment. According to usage rule above. Number 1 (one) said that valerian roots must esed appropiate the dose. Actually everyone does not like to concume medicine everyday. But someone need to use valerians root for long time term. It is not recommended. Please consult a doctor id your pain is still ongoing.
Barbiturates is a group of sedative that reduce activity in the brain. Barbiturates are mainly used for mild sedation, general anesthesia, and treatment for some types of epilepsy.
4. Do Not Consume With Alcohol
Eventhough there is no complaints of depressive effects when combined with alcohol. But use of valerians roots with alcohol is not recommended. The only one reason is the sedatice effects of valerian. The substances of this valerian root be addictive and may be fatal when taken with alcohol.
Actually for who want quickly wat to get hung over. This the best way. But sorry to say. In the world of medicine, it does not recommended. But I guess somebody after read this will try in solitude.
5. Prohibited Activity After Use
After use valerians root, it is not remmomended at all to operate heavy machinery and control vehicle a few hours after application. It is recommended to get rest after use this natual medicine. Do not ever use natural medicine as excuse to do an activities after use valerian roots.