Quick Summary
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Do valerian supplements work?
Valerian root powders, extracts, and tinctures are commonly used to aid sleep and reduce anxiety and stress. While some studies have shown a sleep benefit, more rigorous studies have not, and the evidence regarding anxiety and stress is similarly weak. (See What It Is and What It Does).
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How to choose a valerian supplement?
The activity of valerian may depend on its valerenic acids. It may be best to choose a supplement that provides at least 2 mg of valerenic acids per dose. Also choose one that is not contaminated with heavy metals (such as lead or cadmium).
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What did CL's tests of valerian find?
Unfortunately, three of the valerian supplements we selected for testing did not contain even the minimum amounts of valerenic acids we expected based on their listed ingredients (one contained only 3% of what we expected) and/or were contaminated with lead. These, as well as three others, provided less than 2 mg of valerenic acids per dose. (See What CL Found, use the Results table to compare the amounts of valerenic acids found in products, and learn How Products Were Evaluated).
Best valerian products?
Among products that met our basic criteria for quality, two emerged as our Top Picks.-
How much valerian should I take?
To aid sleep, valerian is typically taken about 1 hour before bedtime at a dose of about 600 mg of valerian extract or 2,000 to 3,000 mg of valerian root powder. (See ConsumerTips™: Dosage).
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Safety and side effects of valerian supplements:
Valerian has generally been found to be safe, but minor gastrointestinal or allergic reactions can occur. For more details, see Concerns and Cautions.
Products tested in 2018
+— 17 sources
In addition the results of its expert testing, ConsumerLab uses only high-quality, evidence based, information sources. These sources include peer-reviewed studies and information from agencies such as the FDA and USDA, and the National Academy of Medicine. On evolving topics, studies from pre-print journals may be sourced. All of our content is reviewed by medical doctors and doctoral-level experts in pharmacology, toxicology, and chemistry. We continually update and medically review our information to keep our content trustworthy, accurate, and reliable. The following sources are referenced in this article:
- Felgentreff, Phytomedicine 2012
- Andreatini, Phytother Res 2002
- Cuellar, Altern Ther Health Med 2009
- Shekhar, Adv Complement Alt Med 2024
- Shekhar, Adv Ther 2023
- Taavoni, Menopause 2011
- Winkelman, J Clin Sleep Med 2024
- Kennedy, Phytother Res 2006
- Bogacz, Biomed Res Int 2014
- Burke, Psychosomatics 2020
- Garges, JAMA 1998
- Gerhard, Praxis (Bern 1994
- Lin, Phytochem Anal 2009
- Renneburg, AAGP 2026 Annual Meeting
- Tammadon, Oman Med J 2021
- Valente, Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024
- Yang, World J Hepatol 2012
You must be a ConsumerLab.com member to get the full valerian supplements test results and reviews for 10 valerian products including root powders, extracts, and tinctures. Eight of these were selected for review by ConsumerLab.com and two others passed the same testing in CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program. In the review, you'll learn: 
- ConsumerLab's Top Picks for valerian supplements based on quality, purity, dose, and value
- Which products passed or failed our tests and why
- How valerian supplements compare on ingredients, dosage, amounts of valerenic acids, and cost
- Amounts of valerenic acids in each product
- Price comparisons showing how to get the best valerian at lowest cost
- Clinical information about whether or not valerian works for sleep and anxiety and dosage
- Safety, side effects, and potential drug interactions with valerian
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The "Latest Update" date indicates when new clinical or product information was most recently added. In the full review (available to CL members), the newest information is highlighted in yellow and, if a new product is added, it is footnoted in the results table, showing the date added to the review. The year(s) when testing was completed for the products in the review appears at the end of the Summary section.
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