Special edition: Botanicals
Valerian
Valerian, a member of the Valerianaceae family, is a perennial plant native to Europe and Asia and naturalized in North America. Dietary supplements are made from its roots, rizones (underground stems), and stolons (horizontal stems). Dried roots are prepared as teas or tinctures, and dried plant materials and extracts are put into capsules. Often promoted as a mild sedative or sleep aid (and used in conjunction with other botanicals), evidence from clinical studies of the efficacy of valerian in treating sleep disorders such as insomnia is inconclusive.
