Valerian for anxiety disorders

Miyasaka LS, et al.

Published in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Methodology

Cochrane systematic review of randomized controlled trials of valerian versus placebo or active comparator in patients with diagnosed anxiety disorders, with anxiety symptom scores and dropout as outcomes.

Key Findings

Only one small randomized trial met inclusion criteria; valerian showed no significant difference from placebo or diazepam on anxiety symptom scores, and adverse-event data were too sparse for conclusions.

Conclusions

Since only one small study is currently available, there is insufficient evidence to draw any conclusions about the efficacy or safety of valerian compared with placebo or diazepam for anxiety disorders.