Valerian officinalis - origin and application

Valerian officinalis is a perennial plant that can reach a height of up to one and a half meters. This plant likes high humidity, therefore it is most widely distributed near lakes, rivers, marshes and is a frequent neighbor of willow trees.

The most common and well-known name is valerian officinalis, but there are other less well-known names, such as averyan, baldrian, incense, maunas, wood frankincense and others. According to some sources, Valerian is an emperor, after whom this plant is named. There is also another version: the name comes from the word "valere", which means to be healthy.

At the moment about 150 species of this plant are known. The most common and well-known after all is valerian, which is widely used in medicine. To do this, use a rhizome, which has healing properties.

Collection of rhizomes is carried out in the beginning of autumn, after the drying of the stems. That's when they have the maximum content of medicinal substances. After the roots are dug up, they are washed with cold water, a few days are withered in the fresh air and only then dried, but the temperature should not be above 35-40 degrees. During drying, the roots acquire a darker color and the slower the drying, the more aromatic the roots will be.

Dried valerian officinalis is stored in places where it can not be damaged by frost, since at subzero temperatures it loses its medicinal qualities.

The roots of valerian are used not only in medicine, they are made from aromatic oil, added during the preparation of wine. In ancient times, valerian evening was used in the treatment of diseases such as diarrhea, kidney disease, liver and many other ailments. Also tincture of valerian was used for jaundice and dropsy.

The ancient Greeks considered valerian oil a very good perfume and cosmetic. It was widely used as a perfume and while visiting a bath. It was also used in cooking and was a part of many dishes. The smearing of the hive was carried out in order to attract a new swarm to it, and it was also used as a bait during fishing.

Thanks to its medicinal properties, valerian is cultivated in many countries for a long time, in Russia the widespread use and cultivation of valerian began only under Peter I.

Our ancestors tried to conserve the well-dried roots of valerian in glass vessels, which were very tightly clogged to protect them from dampness. It was also recommended to rub the root to a powdery state only immediately before its use. Rhizomes that are excavated in very dry or on the contrary strongly waterlogged places, have less healing properties.

Modern science has established that the root of this plant is very rich in various biologically active substances, it contains up to 3% of essential oil, which has medicinal properties.

Currently, the therapeutic properties of valerian have been studied and proven, and it is widely used in medicine due to the sedative, tranquilizing properties that it exerts on the human nervous system. Also valerian has cholagogue and antispasmodic properties, positively affects cardiac activity, increases the secretion of gastric juice. Preparations that include this plant, prolong sleep, have an anticonvulsant effect.

The doctors of the Ancient East recommended that patients chew the roots of valerian for pain in the abdomen, diseases of the spleen, and cold diseases. True, they believed that such a method of valerian can badly affect the condition of the kidneys, but if you use it with honey, you can avoid negative consequences.

Nowadays, folk medicine uses the juice of this plant, it is obtained either in late autumn or early spring.