Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

V
valerian A medicinal herb (Valeriana officinalis)
that causes drowsiness and relaxation, commonly
taken as a sleep aid. Until the twentieth century
physicians also used valerian for seizures, to relieve
anxiety, for mild sedation, and as a diuretic. The
valerian root, or rhizome, contains the highest concentration
of active ingredients and is the source of
medicinal preparations. Though valerian has an
unpleasant taste and smell, herbalists recommend
the tea, brewed from freshly harvested or freezedried
rhizomes, for optimal benefit. Other forms,
including capsules and tablets containing ground
valerian root, are also available as dietary supplements
in the United States.
VALERIAN (Valeriana officinalis)
Uses Risks/Side Effects Interactions
insomnia excessive drowsiness other sleep aids or
relieve
medications
anxiety
narcotic ANALGESIC
MEDICATIONS
ANTIANXIETY MEDICATIONS
ANTIDEPRESSANT
MEDICATIONS
ANTIHISTAMINE MEDICATIONS
MUSCLE RELAXANT
MEDICATIONS
104
Efforts to isolate valerian’s active ingredients
have so far eluded researchers, though a number
of clinical studies affirm its effectiveness as a mild
sedative and sleep aid. Health experts recommend
using valerian, like any other sleep aid, for no
longer than two weeks. A doctor should evaluate
sleep disturbances that continue longer. People
who are taking other medications that cause
drowsiness should not take valerian. ALCOHOL consumption
also intensifies the drowsiness effect.
There are no known health risks associated with
valerian, though women who are pregnant or
BREASTFEEDING should not take it because doctors
and researchers do not know what effects, if any,
it might have on the developing fetus or newborn
infant.
See also GENERAL ANXIETY DISORDER (GAD); MELA-
TONIN; SLEEP DISORDERS.
visualization A form of MEDITATION in which the
person envisions his or her desired state of health
or a treatment outcome such as surgery. Hospital
surgery programs, CANCER recovery programs, and
hospice programs began to integrate visualization
methods in the 1990s. Many people find it calming
and comforting to visualize themselves as
healthy and whole, and many practitioners
believe such visualization improves recovery rates
and levels. Some people prefer guided imagery, in
which a practitioner offers suggested visualizations
and guides the person through the visualization
process. Other people prefer to establish their own
visualizations, and may integrate them with
PRAYER AND SPIRITUALITY practices.
See also BIOFEEDBACK; LABYRINTH; MIND–BODY
INTERACTIONS; NATIVE AMERICAN HEALING.
vitamin and mineral therapy Doses of vitamins
and minerals that are higher than those typically
recommended for health maintenance. Vitamin
and mineral therapy derives from the perspective
that depletions of vital nutrients are the primary
cause of disease and that preventing these depletions
can prevent the health concerns. Vitamin
and mineral therapy in this context differs from
routine vitamin supplementation and treatments
that target specific nutritional deficiencies.