Valerian
Valeriana officinalis, from the honeysuckle family
The root of a tall flowering plant, long used as a herbal remedy and studied mostly for sleep and stress. Here is every study in people we could find, sorted from each study's summary.
- Part used: root
- Most tested: 600 mg a day
- Often 4 weeks
From every paper to the studies that matter
Most research on valerian is in the lab or about the plant's chemistry. Only a small share tests it in people, and that is what this page is about.
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1,449 papers mention valerian. Every record in PubMed, all years
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151 are about people. The rest: 439 lab and animal studies, 188 reviews, 671 on chemistry, farming and more
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77 give valerian on its own. 41 more test it inside a blend, most often with hops or lemon balm
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42 are randomised against a placebo. The strongest kind of study
Bar lengths use a square-root scale so the small numbers stay visible.
How much research there is
- 77 studies giving valerian to people
- 42 of them randomised against a placebo
- 3,603 people taking part, where studies say
- 49 systematic reviews pooling the trials
Studies in people, by year published
Valerian on its own. Most were published from 2000 on.
What the studies looked at
Each study can measure several things. Choose a topic to see its studies in the list below.
Studies in people with a diagnosed condition are counted here and listed with their population. We describe what they measured, not what they might treat. Most studies also report safety; see below.
What was tested, and how much
Valerian is taken as dried root, tea, tincture or extracts made in different ways, so the same number of milligrams can mean very different amounts of root. Milligrams don't compare well from one study to the next.
Daily amount, one dot per study
Studies per extract
Named extracts are the maker's brand. "Not named" means the study didn't say.
All studies in people
Filter the list, then open a study on PubMed. Each row comes from the study's published summary.
| Study | Who took part | People | Extract and daily dose | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yekefallah 2025RCT, active or other control | Coronary artery disease patients on nitroglycerin | 90 | Not named | – |
| Hosseini 2025Non-randomised controlled | Healthy volunteers | 12 | Valeriana officinalis tea | – |
| Megalinska 2025Other | People in shelter conditions | – | Not named | – |
| Chandra Shekhar 2024RCT, placebo | Adults with sleep complaints | 80 | Not named | 8 weeks |
| Velasquez 2024RCT, placebo | Patients having third molar extraction | 54 | Not named | – |
| Hajizadeh 2023RCT, active or other control | Hemodialysis patients with restless legs | 40 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Lee 2023Non-randomised controlled | Dementia patients with insomnia | – | Valerian essential oilOn the skin | – |
| Zare Elmi 2021RCT, placebo | Patients after coronary bypass surgery | 72 | Not named, 530 mg | 4 weeks |
| Tammadon 2021Crossover, placebo | Hemodialysis patients | 39 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Azizi 2020RCT, placebo | Adults with tension-type headache | 88 | Sedamin, 1,060 mg | 4 weeks |
| Roh 2019RCT, placebo | Adult volunteers with psychological stress | 64 | Not named, 300 mg | 4 weeks |
| Farah 2019RCT, active or other control | Anxious adults having third molar extraction | 20 | Not named, 100 mg | – |
| Jenabi 2018RCT, placebo | Postmenopausal women with hot flashes | 60 | Not named, 1,060 mg | 9 weeks |
| Samaei 2018Crossover, placebo | Hemodialysis patients | 39 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Ahmadi 2017RCT, placebo | HIV-positive patients taking efavirenz | 51 | Not named, 530 mg | 4 weeks |
| Mineo 2017Crossover, placebo | Healthy volunteers | 15 | Not named, 900 mg | – |
| Behboodi Moghadam 2016RCT, placebo | Female students with PMS | 100 | Not named | – |
| Bagge 2016Single-arm or open-label | Healthy volunteers | 35 | Not named | 1 weeks |
| Thomas 2016Crossover, placebo | Adult participants, health status not stated | – | Not named, 1,600 mg | – |
| Bagheri-Nesami 2015RCT, active or other control | Acute coronary syndrome patients in CCU | 90 | Not namedOn the skin | 0 weeks |
| Gharib 2015RCT, placebo | Infertile women having hysterosalpingography | 64 | Not named, 1,500 mg | – |
| Hassani 2015RCT, placebo | Patients scheduled for coronary bypass surgery | 61 | Not named, 1,060 mg | 8 weeks |
| Pinheiro 2014Crossover, placebo | Anxious adults having third molar surgery | 20 | Not named, 100 mg | – |
| Mirabi 2013RCT, placebo | Menopausal women with hot flashes | 68 | Not named, 765 mg | 8 weeks |
| Chen 2012RCT, active or other control | Intensive care unit patients | 85 | Not namedOn the skin | – |
| Barton 2011RCT, placebo | Adults with cancer under treatment | 227 | Not named, 450 mg | 8 weeks |
| Taavoni 2011RCT, placebo | Postmenopausal women with insomnia | 100 | Not named, 1,060 mg | 4 weeks |
| Mirabi 2011RCT, placebo | Female students with dysmenorrhea | 100 | Not named, 765 mg | – |
| Pakseresht 2011RCT, placebo | Adult outpatients with OCD | 31 | Not named, 765 mg | 8 weeks |
| Anderson 2010Pharmacokinetic | Older women | – | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Cuellar 2009RCT, placebo | Adults with restless legs syndrome | 37 | Not named, 800 mg | 8 weeks |
| Taibi 2009Crossover, placebo | Older women with insomnia | 16 | Not named, 300 mg | 2 weeks |
| Taibi 2009RCT, placebo | Adults with arthritis and mild sleep disturbance | 15 | Not named, 600 mg | 1 weeks |
| Oxman 2007RCT, placebo | Adults with insomnia, recruited online | 405 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Koetter 2007RCT, placebo | Adults with non-organic insomnia | – | Ze 911 (valerian alone) and Ze 91019 (valerian-hops), 500 mg | 4 weeks |
| Jacobs 2005RCT, placebo | Adults with anxiety and insomnia, recruited online | 391 | Not named | 4 weeks |
| Gurley 2005Other | Healthy volunteers | 12 | Valerian extract (standardised) | 4 weeks |
| Anderson 2005Pharmacokinetic | Healthy adults | 6 | Not named, 600 mg | – |
| Arushaian 2005Other | Humans with different chronotypes | – | Not named | – |
| Ustimov 2005Non-randomised controlled | Women with focal breast disease before surgery | – | Valerian extract | – |
| Diaper 2004Crossover, placebo | Sleep-disturbed adults aged 50 to 64 | 16 | Li 156 | – |
| Donovan 2004Pharmacokinetic | Healthy volunteers | 12 | Not named, 1,000 mg | 2 weeks |
| Gutierrez 2004Crossover, placebo | Young healthy volunteers | 10 | Valerian extract | – |
| Arushanian 2004Other | Healthy young men and women | – | Valerian extract | – |
| Coxeter 2003Crossover, placebo | Adults with chronic insomnia in general practice | 42 | Not named | – |
| Glass 2003Crossover, placebo | Healthy elderly volunteers | 14 | Not named | – |
| Hallam 2003Crossover, placebo | Healthy volunteers | 9 | Not named | – |
| Ziegler 2002RCT, active or other control | Adults with non-organic insomnia | 202 | LI 156 (Sedonium), 600 mg | 6 weeks |
| Cropley 2002Non-randomised controlled | Healthy volunteers under mental stress | 54 | Not named | 1 weeks |
| Andreatini 2002RCT, placebo | Outpatients with generalised anxiety disorder | 36 | Valepotriates, 81 mg | 4 weeks |
| Poyares 2002RCT, placebo | Insomniacs after benzodiazepine withdrawal | 19 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Hariya 2002Single-arm or open-label | Patients with atopic dermatitis | – | Modified valerian oil | 4 weeks |
| Wheatley 2001Single-arm or open-label | Adults with stress-induced insomnia | 24 | Not named, 600 mg | 6 weeks |
| Wheatley 2001Single-arm or open-label | Adults with stress-induced insomnia | 24 | LI-156, 600 mg | 6 weeks |
| Dorn 2000RCT, active or other control | Adults with non-organic insomnia | 75 | LI 156, 600 mg | 4 weeks |
| Dominguez 2000Single-arm or open-label | Hispanic outpatients with insufficient sleep | 23 | Nature's Way valerian | 2 weeks |
| Donath 2000Crossover, placebo | Adults with psychophysiological insomnia | 16 | Not named | 2 weeks |
| Kuhlmann 1999RCT, placebo | Healthy volunteers | 102 | LI 156, 600 mg | 2 weeks |
| Ammer 1999RCT, active or other control | Patients with fibromyalgia | 39 | Not namedOn the skin | 3 weeks |
| Schulz 1998Crossover, placebo | Healthy adult women | 12 | Valerian extract | – |
| Gerhard 1996RCT, placebo | Healthy volunteers | – | Valerian syrup (and valerian-hops tablets) | – |
| Yang 1994Non-randomised controlled | Patients with coronary heart disease and angina | 116 | Volatile oil of V. officinalis var. latifolia | – |
| Schulz 1994RCT, placebo | Elderly poor sleepers | 14 | Valdispert forte, 1,215 mg | 1 weeks |
| Lindahl 1989RCT, placebo | People with poor sleep | – | Valerina Natt (sesquiterpene-rich) | – |
| Kohnen 1988RCT, active or other control | Healthy volunteers under social stress | – | Not named | – |
| Balderer 1985RCT, placebo | Healthy young adults | 18 | Aqueous root extract | – |
| Leathwood 1985Other | Not stated | – | Aqueous valerian extract | – |
| Gessner 1984Crossover, placebo | Healthy volunteers | 11 | Harmonicum Much | – |
| Leathwood 1982Crossover, placebo | People sampling sleep aids | 128 | Aqueous root extract, 400 mg | – |
| Mayer 1974RCT, active or other control | Volunteers | – | Valepotriate preparation (valtrate) | – |
| Sobocký 1971Other | Patients with vegetative dysfunction of neurotic origin | – | Valman (alkaloid complex) | – |
| Dymchenko 1969Other | Not stated | – | Valerian tincture | – |
| ABRAMOVICH 1961Other | Patients with insomnia | – | Valerian tincture | – |
| ROVINSKII 1959Other | Not stated | – | Concentrated valerian root infusion | – |
| LYMPIUS 1953Other | Dental surgery patients | – | Valerian | – |
| POTTHAST 1952Other | Minor surgery patients | – | Tinctura valeriana | – |
| DONALIES 1952Other | Patients with vegetative dystonia | – | Tinctura valeriana | – |
What's known about safety
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In trials
Reviews of dozens of trials found side effects were rare and mild, such as headache, stomach upset and vivid dreams. Long-term safety isn't known, and liver injury has been reported in very rare cases.
Taibi 2007, review of 37 studies; Shinjyo 2020, review of 60 studies; NCCIH, updated May 2025
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In the UK
About two dozen valerian root products are registered by the MHRA as traditional herbal medicines, based on long use rather than proof that they work. Whether any other valerian product counts as a medicine or a food supplement is decided case by case, from its claims and how it's presented.
MHRA list of traditional herbal registrations, 27 Oct 2025 (24 contain valerian); MHRA Guidance Note 8, Sept 2025
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Check first
Don't take it with alcohol or sedatives, and take care driving, as it can make you drowsy. It isn't known to be safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and EU medicines guidance says to avoid it then and in children under 12. Speak to a pharmacist or doctor first if you take regular medicines.
NCCIH, updated May 2025; EMA valerian root monograph, revised 2017
Where these studies come from
We list every published study of valerian in people. This first version is built from each study's summary; full-paper checks come next.
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We search
PubMed, the world's main library of medical research, for every paper on L-theanine.
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We keep studies in people
Lab and animal work is counted but left out of the list, because it doesn't tell you what happens in people.
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We note the basics
Who took part, how many, how much and for how long, from each study's published summary. A second check corrects what the first read gets wrong.
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We read them in full
Results appear once we've read the whole paper and checked every number. The date at the top shows when this entry was last updated.
Download the study list
Every study in people as a spreadsheet, 77 rows, free to reuse with a link back.
Versions
Each update to the data gets a new version number, so you can tell what changed and when.
See every version
1.0 · 19 Oct 2026. First release. Every published study giving valerian on its own to people is listed from its summary. None is read in full yet.
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