Valerian

It’s believed that the ancient Greeks and Romans used it as a medicinal herb. Hippocrates described its therapeutic applications, while Galen prescribed it for insomnia in the 2nd century. In the 16th century, valerian was used as a remedy for nervousness, trembling, headaches, and heart palpitations. In his book Complete Herbal, the 17th-century apothecary Nicholas Culpeper wrote: “The root of valerian boiled with liquorice, raisins, and aniseed is singularly good for those that are short-winded and for those that are troubled with the cough, and helps to open the passages and to expectorate phlegm easily.” During World War II, valerian was used in England to relieve the stress caused by air raids.