Valerian Root & Kava Comparison

Uses

• Both kava and valerian have sedative and anti-anxiety properties. In some cases, kava is used for depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, colds, cancer prevention, bladder infections, menstrual problems and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, though less scientific evidence supports these uses. Valerian may also be used in cases of depression, gastrointestinal disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, muscle pain, headaches, joint pain, menstrual problems and restlessness. Medline Plus qualifies these benefits by saying that more scientific proof is necessary to prove valerian's efficacy.

Function

• The National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements states that scientists have yet to agree on valerian's active constituents. It may work because of the interactions between multiple compounds. Standardized valerian typically contains volatile oils, volatile sesquiterpenes or valepotriates. The constituents responsible for kava's efficacy are kavalactones, specifically methysticin, dihydrokawain, kawain, dihydromethysticin, desmethoxyyangonin and yangomin. Scientists have yet to discover the exact way kava works. It may affect the limbic system -- which plays a part in regulating behavior and emotions -- and emotion-regulating brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine.

Considerations

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a health warning on kava, due to its negative effects on the liver. However, valerian has earned a spot on the FDA's "Generally Recognized as Safe" list.