Valerian -Valeriana officinalis COMMON NAMES Valerian, Setwell, Phu, All-heal LATIN NAME Valeriana officinalis FAMILY Valerianaceae PARTS USED Root, rhizome DESCRIPTION Valerian is a perennial that reaches heights of three to five feet, with pairs of fern-like leaves and crowning masses of small, pale pink flowers.
HABITAT Temperate regions around the globe are home to this plant.
FOLKLORE AND TRADITIONAL USES Countless legends surround valerian, which was called "phu" for its foul odor in ancient times.
Despite its odor, valerian was used as a potent perfume during the Middle Ages.
Chaucer's "Miller's Tale" describes a character as "sweet-smelling as the root" of valerian and other herbs.
Cats and other small animals are attracted to it.
According to early German folklore, the Pied Piper had it squirreled away in his pocket as he lured the rats and eventually the children from Hamelin.
Humans have also been attracted to it for centuries.
Native Americans used its roots for food and as a flavoring in tobacco.
MEDICINAL USES Valerian was held in such high esteem in medieval times as a remedy that it received the name "all heal.
" It has been used as a healing agent for cuts and boils, as an antidote for poison, and in the treatment of epilepsy.
It is now primarily employed as an aid for sleep problems, nervousness, headaches, and anxiety.
While there is substantial debate over the constituents responsible for valerian's sedative properties, the plant's extract has been proven in experiments with humans and animals to reduce sleeplessness and seems to have no short-term negative effects.
In Germany it is the active ingredient in more than a hundred over-the-counter tranquilizers and sleep aids.
Recently scientists have learned that the aqueous extract of valerian contains substantial quantities of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-a neurotransmitter that is thought to inhibit the brain's arousal system.