Original from Europe and some areas of Asia, the Valerian is known since ancient times for her alleged soothing. In fact, its name comes from Latin Valerethat mean ‘being healthy’ or ‘having strength’. Since the time of Hippocrates, beneficial effects on sleep and nerves were attributed. Later, during the Middle Ages, it was common to be used as Home remedy To discuss what they called ‘the henchmaking’, insomnia or anxiety. And in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it was one of the most prescribed herbal treatments by European doctors.
A regret of this lustrous past, there are still many doubts about whether the scientific standards dalles are real. To make it clear we have talked to Eduardo Baladia, dietitian-nutritionist and coordinator of the Center for Scientific Evidence Analysis of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietary.
Valeriana properties according to traditional phytotherapy
The Valeriana officinalis It is a perennial plant that grows wild. The part attributed to benicios is the root, which contains a complex mixture of compounds: valenic acid, valepotriatos and essential oils, enter others.
It is one of the best known plants within the arsenal of the Western phytotherapy And «it is presents in miles of herbal products and pharmacies that are sold without a recipe» I know that sedative and anxiolytic properties are attributed, says the member of the academy.
What does science say about these benicios?
The results of the studies carried out so far son of grains less enthusiastic than popular discourse. In fact, several systematic reviews, including A very recentThey have concluded that «the effectiveness of the Valerian to treat insomnia is not conclusive.»
Research of various, such as This metaanálisThey have found that people who take Valeriana report a subjective improvement in sleep quality compared to placebo. No objects, when objective variables are measured, such as the latency of the dream with polysomnography, the differences disappear. «There is no certainty that you have clear effects or time to reconcile sleep, nor in the total duration of the same compared not to use anything«, Says the researcher.
So much so that, in this sense, Baladia says that «Valeriana’s proposals seem more related to individual perception Rest that with a real improvement in sleep patterns. ”In other words, its clinical use is not justified as an alternative to other more proven treatments and that have demonstrated efficacy.
Other potential benefits of the Valerian
In addition to the insomnia, according to Baladia, the use of the Valerian has been proposed for “a list of the conditions of the wide -skewers: anxiety, premenstrual syndrome, stress, stress stress due to tension, menopausal symptoms and inclos we tray we trayed functions”.
Although the list is broad promising, the reality is that “most of these possible benefits are not backed by well -designed clinical trials. For example, for example, The Cochrane review On Valerian for solo anxiety disorders he found a randomized controlled trial of 36 people with generalized anxity, and did not show benefits in front of the placebo group or against Diazepam’s.
The effects on premenstrual syndrome or menopausal nomas are even more doubtful and depend on isolated, low quality and difficult to YACIONES SELESLESLESLESLESLESESLES EANTININ
How to take Valerian safely
If we take into account what has been seen so far respect for scientific evidence at best, limited to a subjective perception of improvements. ”
As if that were not enough, “the potential risk is not null, which further reinforces the cautious principle. Although the Valerian is considered a plant with a good raazon -welding security profile, it can Cause adverse effects Such as residual sleepiness, dizziness, digestive discomfort or headache. ”
Hay to remember that:
- Its present in infusion implies great variability in the composition of active ingredients.
- Its present in capsules with standardized extract, although it has a higher price, is a advantage: I allow to know the exact two of the active ingredients, which is fundamental for both scientific studies for a more controlled use.
Precautions take into account
Baladia is resounding in this regard: «Although many people as association with logo and effective, in the case of the Valeriana do not give the necessary conditions to recommend their therapeutic use. Their inefficiency demonstrated to date, combined with the possibility of therapeutic.
With the evidence we have at this time, the Valerian «must consider a traditional remedy for popular use, without sufficient support for its evidence -based use.»
Frequent questions about the Valerian
Does Valerian create dependence?
There are no studies that demonstrate, but C a psychological dependence could be developed, on person who resort to it as the only mechanism for sleeping or relaxing. «In these cases, the risk is that the person loses loses confidence in their natural ability to reconcile sleep without external help, which perpetuates the problem,» says dietitian-nutritionist.
Can you take every day?
Its continued use is not recommended beyond four or six weeks, that there is no hay evidence about its long -term safety or efficacy.
Can it consume it Emarazadas or infants?
No. The available studies do not include women in these stages, so their safety or infant cannot be guaranteed. Eduard Baladia adds blunt: «In the absence of data, the precautionary principle is clear: better to avoid it.»
How long does it take effect?
In the few studies that have been carried out, it has been described that it became between five and seven days of continued use so that some improvement is perceived, although always taking into account that it is a subjective perception. The expert remarks that the hay to keep in mind that «this effect is doubtful, inconsistent and very likely attributable to the placebo effect. In consequence, the light of the accumulated scientific evidence until this moment, I could not recommend that USE US valid or effective to improve the dream, even if used continuously.»
The lack of clear efficacy, combined with its power to interact with other drugs or generate adverse effects, «reinforces this conclusion.»
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Eduard Baladia. Coordinator of the Gestium Area of the Scientific Knowledge and the Center for Analysis of the Scientific Evidence of the Spanish Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Evidence-based nutrition network (Red-Nube) and associated professor in the Department of Experimental and Methodological Sciences of the University of Vic. Instagram @Ebaladia. Twitter: @Ebaladia. FB: @EBALADIA
