"Drink The Valerian!" - Research

Anxiety has recently become almost the most widespread phenomenon both in large cities and in the regions. We are constantly exposed to stress, we do not really rest, there are eternal problems with sleep. Since childhood, we have been taught that valerian can calm our nerves, but recent studies suggest that only a certain medical form of this medicine really helps.

Over the years, many experiments have been carried out, some have proven the benefits of valerian for improving sleep, while others, on the contrary, have completely opposite properties. What's the matter? The explanation is found by the specialist in longevity Dmitry Veremeenko.

“If we want to guarantee sleep improvement with valerian, then we only need to use a decoction of the herb, and not the various lipophilic forms that can be sold at the pharmacy. That is why in various studies it was possible to observe that valerian either improved sleep or not. Let's take a closer look at this,”he said.

“Adenosine stimulates sleep, suppresses vigor by stimulating A1-adenosine receptors. In theory, valerian should increase the activity of A1-adenosine receptors in order to improve sleep. But, as it turned out, some valerian extracts stimulate A1-adenosine receptors, and some, on the contrary, reduce the activity of A1-adenosine receptors, causing insomnia in the same way as coffee drunk before bedtime. But why?

The fact is that valerian contains isovaltrate. Isovaltrate stimulates the nervous system by blocking A1-adenosine receptors in the brain, disrupting sleep. But isovaltrate is fat-soluble. It does not dissolve in water and practically does not get into water if we drink an aqueous decoction of valerian. But it does come in lipophilic (fat-soluble) forms that are sometimes sold over the counter. Therefore, in studies that tested valerian decoction brewed like tea to improve sleep, valerian was effective. But in studies using lipophilic forms that can be sold at the pharmacy, the effect was often not observed.

Hydrophilic (aqueous decoction) and lipophilic valerian extracts act in opposite ways. Hydrophilic valerian solutions stimulate A1-adenosine receptors, improving sleep. In contrast, lipophilic valerian solutions inhibit the activity of A1-adenosine receptors, impairing sleep. In addition, valeric acid from valerian may act on serotonin 5-HT5A receptors, which are involved in the wakefulness cycle.

Therefore, if you want to improve your sleep, you should only take valerian water infusions. And it is really important for each of us to do this, since a systematic violation of the quality of sleep greatly reduces mental abilities, increases the chances of developing obesity, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, senile dementia, manifestations of obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc.

Based on materials from the site nestarenie.ru