Valerian

Valeriana officinalis

Family: Valerianaceae Part used: Root

Key Compounds

• Valerenic acid
• Valeranone
• Acetoxyvalerenic acid
• Isovaleric acid
• Isovaleryl valtrate
• Valtrate
• Didrovaltrate
• Linarin
• Hesperidin
• Luteolin-7-glucoside
• GABA (trace)
• Glutamine

Traditional Use

• Sleep support — the most studied herbal sleep remedy in Western medicine; multiple meta-analyses confirm modest but real improvement in sleep quality and sleep onset; effect builds over 2–4 weeks of consistent use rather than acting like a sedative on the first night
• Traditional European medicine — recorded use from ancient Greece (Dioscorides, 1st century CE) and Rome through medieval Europe and into the 19th century; described by Hippocrates for sleep disorders; central herb in European nervine tradition
• German Commission E approval — approved by the German Commission E (the European standard for herbal medicine evaluation) for restlessness and sleep disorders of nervous origin; one of the most used OTC sleep preparations in Germany
• Anxiety and nervous tension — used in traditional and contemporary Western herbalism for generalized anxiety, nervous restlessness, and tension; mechanistic support through GABA modulation; less sedating than pharmaceutical anxiolytics
• Kampo and Japanese traditional use — *Valeriana fauriei* (カノコソウ, kanokoso) is a native Japanese valerian species used in some kampo formulations for restlessness and nervous conditions; appears in minor formulations though not as prominently as in European herbal traditions

Valerian root smells bad.

This is not a description that needs hedging. Dried valerian root has an intensely pungent, earthy, sweaty smell that most people find unpleasant on first encounter. The smell comes from isovaleric acid, produced during drying as the root’s iridoid compounds break down. This is the same compound — in different concentrations — responsible for the smell of sweaty feet.

The pharmacologically active compound (valerenic acid, the one that inhibits the enzyme that breaks down GABA in your brain) does not smell. Only the smell smells. This distinction is rarely made in descriptions of valerian because the smell dominates the first impression so thoroughly that it is difficult to think about anything else.

It also attracts cats.

Meet the plant

A tall perennial herb, 60–150 cm, with pinnate compound leaves and dense clusters of small white to pale pink flowers in summer. It grows in moist conditions — riverbanks, woodland edges, damp meadows — across temperate Europe and Asia. The roots form a dense mat. They are harvested in autumn, dried, and produce the smell.

Japan has its own native species: Valeriana fauriei (カノコソウ, kanokoso), growing in mountain areas across the country. Closely related, similar chemistry, similar traditional applications.

Two thousand years of sleep

Dioscorides (1st century CE) used it. Galen (2nd century CE) used it. The medieval German abbess Hildegard von Bingen described it. The plant has been in continuous use as a nervine and sleep herb longer than most medicines on earth.

It is called officinalis — the species epithet indicating a plant with official pharmaceutical recognition — which tells you it was in European pharmacopoeias. It appears in the German Commission E’s approved herb list for restlessness and sleep disorders of nervous origin. It is one of the most sold herbal products in Germany’s pharmacy system.

The common name valerian may come from the Latin valere (to be strong or healthy) — the same root as valiant, valid, and value. Or from the Roman province of Valeria. The etymology is uncertain. The use is not.

How it works

Valerenic acid — the primary pharmacologically active compound — inhibits GABA-T: gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase.

GABA-T is the enzyme that breaks down GABA in the central nervous system. GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter — the “calm down” signal. By inhibiting the enzyme that destroys GABA, valerenic acid allows GABA to accumulate. Higher GABA levels reduce neural excitation, producing the sedative and anxiolytic effects.

This mechanism is different from benzodiazepines. Benzodiazepines bind directly to the GABA-A receptor as positive allosteric modulators — they amplify the effect of existing GABA. This produces immediate, powerful sedation on the first dose and leads to tolerance, dependency, and rebound anxiety when discontinued.

Valerian increases the available GABA through an enzymatic mechanism. The effect is gentler, slower to accumulate, and does not carry the dependency risk. It is also less dramatic: no one is using valerian as a surgical anaesthetic. It makes sleep easier. It does not knock you out.

The two-week lag before the full sleep effect is consistent with an enzymatic mechanism that requires time to change steady-state GABA concentrations.

The smell and the cats

Isovaleric acid develops when the iridoid compounds (valtrates) in the root break down during drying. The smell strengthens over time in storage. Fresh-harvested root has a mild earthy scent; properly dried commercial root has the full characteristic odour.

Cats are attracted to dried valerian root and respond to it with behaviours similar to their response to catnip: rolling, rubbing, vocalisation. The responsible compounds are actinidines — iridoid compounds structurally similar to nepetalactone, the catnip compound. Cats who do not respond to catnip sometimes respond to valerian instead. Keep dried valerian in a sealed container if you have cats.

What people actually do with it

Capsules (most practical): 400–900 mg of dried root extract, taken 30–60 minutes before bedtime. This is the form that avoids the smell entirely. Standardised extracts (0.8% valerenic acid) provide consistent dosing. Take consistently for 2–4 weeks; assess after this period.

Tea: 1–2 teaspoons of dried root, steeped in hot water for 10–15 minutes. The smell will be present in the steam. Effective but unpleasant for many people. Traditional form.

Tincture: 1–3 mL in water, 30–60 minutes before bedtime. Faster than capsules; smell is present.

For anxiety (daytime): Smaller doses (200–400 mg) throughout the day. The sedative effect at smaller doses is milder and does not cause unacceptable daytime drowsiness for most people.

Combination products: Valerian + lemon balm and valerian + hops are well-studied combinations for sleep and anxiety. Both combinations have clinical trial support.

Could you grow this yourself?

Yes — easily in most Japanese conditions.

Valerian grows throughout Japan in moist, well-drained soil in partial shade to full sun. It naturalises in riverbank and woodland edge conditions and is occasionally found growing wild in these habitats. Valeriana fauriei is native and grows throughout Japan’s mountain areas.

Sow from seed in spring or divide established plants in autumn. The plant flowers in summer and the root is harvested in autumn of the second or third year. Dry at low heat and store in sealed containers. The smell develops over the first several weeks of drying and storage.

Valerian (カノコソウ) in Japan

Japan’s relationship with valerian is divided between the native species and the European supplement market.

カノコソウ (V. fauriei) appears in some traditional Japanese herbal preparations — particularly in formulations for restlessness and nervous agitation. It is less central to Japanese traditional medicine than European valerian is to Western herbalism. The European species (V. officinalis) arrived in Japan through the Western supplement and pharmaceutical tradition, where it is sold as a sleep supplement (バレリアン) at natural food stores and supplement retailers.

The German Commission E approval and the European pharmaceutical tradition give valerian more credibility in supplement markets than many comparable herbs. Japanese consumers familiar with German herbal medicine standards (which have a good reputation for rigour relative to most supplement claims) respond to this framing.

Valerian is one of the better-selling sleep herbs in the Japanese supplement market alongside melatonin, theanine, and ashwagandha.

Things you’re probably wondering

Why does it take two weeks to work? The mechanism is enzymatic — valerenic acid inhibits the enzyme that breaks down GABA. Changing steady-state GABA concentrations through enzymatic inhibition takes time. Unlike pharmaceutical sedatives that work immediately by binding receptors, valerian’s effect accumulates.

Why does it smell so bad? Isovaleric acid, released during drying as iridoid compounds break down. The active compound (valerenic acid) doesn’t smell. Only the smell smells.

Do cats really like it? Yes — actinidine compounds in the root are structurally similar to nepetalactone (catnip). Cats react similarly to both. Keep it sealed.

How does it compare to sleeping pills? Much gentler mechanism (enzymatic, not receptor binding), much better safety profile, no dependency risk, no rebound insomnia. The tradeoff is that it is less immediately effective.

Botanical details

The full compound list

See Also

• Lemon Balm — frequently combined with valerian in sleep formulas; complementary nervine mechanism
• Hops — another nervine combined with valerian for sleep; the lupulin in hops also modulates GABA
• Ashwagandha — adaptogenic sleep support through different mechanism; may be combined with valerian for anxiety-driven insomnia

References

• Bent, S. et al. (2006). Valerian for sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Medicine, 119(12), 1005–1012.
• Fernandez-San-Martin, M.I. et al. (2010). Effectiveness of valerian on insomnia: A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials. Sleep Medicine, 11(6), 505–511.
• Houghton, P.J. (1988). The biological activity of valerian and related plants. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 22(2), 121–142.
• Murphy, K. et al. (2010). Valerenic acid potentiates and inhibits GABA-A receptors. European Journal of Pharmacology, 632(1–3), 8–11.