Recommended for:
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Promotes Restful Sleep
- Full Spectrum Herb
- Valeriana officinalis
- Encourages Calm & Relaxation
- Holistically Balanced
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
- May be helpful to lower blood pressure
What is Valerian Root?
Valerian Root is a very fragrant flowering plant, the root of which is used to create herbal remedies. Its use has been known since ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates referred to it, describing its medicinal properties. Considered a poor man’s drug in the 16th century, valerian root was boiled and added to licorice extract and other tinctures to relieve coughs, dizziness, plague, and insomnia. Valerian root includes a variety of physiological active compounds.
- Alkaloids – These are neutral amino acid derivatives with strong physiologic activity (some examples are morphine, strychnine, quinine, ephedrine, and nicotine).
- Isovaleramide – An anticonvulsant molecule isolated from Valeriana pavonii that inhibits the liver alcohol dehydrogenases.
- Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) – This is an amino acid that inhibits nerve transmission in the brain.
- Isovaleric acid – This is a fatty acid with anticonvulsant properties and strong, cheesy odor/taste.
- Iridoids – These are secondary metaboloids commonly bound to glucose bearing anti-inflammatory properties.
- Sequiterpenes – These are hydrocarbons with anti-inflammatory and tumor reduction properties.
- Flavanones – These are aromatic ketones, promoting cardiovascular health, and supporting all elements necessary to the human body.
Today, you can easily find the medicinal root in capsule form, classified as a nutritional or dietary supplement. They are typically large capsules with a fairly strong odor, thanks to the isovaleric acid; so take with a full glass of water to wash it all down. The best method of delivery is to take fermented valerian root. Fermented herbs, in liquid form, have a higher bioavailability as many compounds found in the plant are broken down to micronutrients. Following fermentation, the herb is more easily assimilated and absorbed by the body.
Valerian Root and Adrenal Fatigue
It is vital to keep the central nervous system calm during adrenal fatigue. The autonomic nervous system, the central nervous system, and the gut, regulate the neuroaffective response system. Anxiety and difficulty falling asleep, or staying asleep, are common symptoms seen in the setting of adrenal fatigue. This is because your neuroaffective response system is not well balanced due to, among other factors, the cortisol imbalances mentioned above. As a result, the CNS is often times excited by norepinephrine and epinephrine. In order to counteract this, inhibitory neurotransmitters need to work in your CNS and calm the brain, and subsequently the body, down. GABA is an example of such a neurotransmitter.
Valerian root is thought to work by interacting with GABA receptors, the receptors responsible for interacting with Gamma-aminobutyric acid, which is known to inhibit the central nervous system. In short, valerian root naturally contains GABA and acts on the central nervous system to induce calm and balance, thus helping to normalize the neuroaffective response.
Valerian Root for Anxiety and Sleep
Because of the calming effect on the central nervous system, valerian root is known to help with insomnia. Since your adrenal glands are responsible for the production of the anti-stress hormone cortisol, and your cortisol levels are lowest while you are sleeping and highest first thing in the morning, it is imperative that your circadian rhythm is in balanced so your body can perform the necessary release of cortisone at the right times.
In fact, insufficient sleep is the major contributor to many ailments that come along with AFS. When you do not sleep properly or cannot calm your central nervous system long enough to get a solid night of sleep, your body will continue to weaken as it cannot find the time to repair itself and is constantly on the go 24/7. As this continues, adrenal fatigue will worsen and more advanced symptoms will start to present themselves.
Once you begin taking valerian root for anxiety and AFS, you may start feeling calm enough to sleep. After several days of getting good, hard REM sleep (deep enough to dream), your adrenal glands will be able to begin the production of the proper balance of hormones, and your body can start to heal.
The healing process starts with the body turning down the flight or fight response and putting out the proper amount of cortisol as needed. Cortisol controls your ability to handle stress, so it is one of the most vital hormones to have in check. The sedative properties of valerian root will aid in this production by calming the body down and allowing it time to heal and build up a nutritional reserve. As the body calms down and the neuroaffective response normalizes, the body begins to stabilize and become grounded. Mood and sleep disturbances will start to diminish as neurotransmitters and hormones in the body realign in the proper proportions.
Other Benefits of Valerian Root
Once you have solved the sleep issue with the use of valerian root, you may find additional collateral benefits as well.
For example, when your body has a craving but does not receive the necessary balance of nutrition and hormones, you can become addicted to substitutes, such as carbs (for energy) and high fat foods (for hormones). As the body stabilizes, your cravings for these foods reduce. As your blood sugar becomes more balanced, your body strengthens. Valerian root also contains flavanonones as well as sequiterpenes. In adrenal fatigue, sequiterpenes can play an important role in reducing inflammation in your body. Inflammation is one of the body’s primary defense mechanisms and constantly needs to be regulated. The need to manage inflammation in your body is an ongoing battle and can be stressful for the body. In the setting of adrenal fatigue, it is vital to reduce stress as much as possible, whether from external sources or from within. Sequiterpenes help your body do that, thereby helping to fight adrenal fatigue. Flavanones are also great to keep your heart healthy during adrenal fatigue, when norepinephrine levels increase making your heart pump faster and harder.