Nature's Way Valerian Standardized Extract, EXTRACT, 90 CAP

I used to own a natural food store and am careful to buy brands that I trust. Nature’s Way is one. I know they will provide the real deal and this Valerian is a great example. Yes, it smells like dirty gym socks, but Valerian does that. It helps with sleep and relaxation and muscle stiffness so we always keep it in our cabinets.

A lot of herbs on here may not be legit and you are not getting legitimate ingredients. The supplement industry is not regulated. I've been taking herbs and supplements for probably about 17 years now or so. Valerian works great, but it's stinky. I've had Valerian from here before that wasn't that good and it basically had no smell or no Valerian-like smell. You know they're especially not legit when you're getting like 240 capsules or 150 capsules or something for like $15 bucks. Good Valerian won't cost a lot, but it's not that cheap. For this one, one serving size is 2 capsules, but if you wanna use it during the day for stress or anxiety, you can just take one. It works really well. It mostly works on GABA-A in the brain, which is the primary neurotransmitter in your brain that alcohol and benzodiazapines (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, etc.) work on, which is the main reason those things can help with anxiety and stress. Sometimes depression, but those things can sometimes not be good for depression. Valerian probably can though. It also works on a Serotonin receptor in the brain too, which relates somewhat to mood and well-being. Serotonergic drugs are also prescribed for anxiety often also.For me, the herb is something I always keep around. I have moderate social anxiety and OCD and I've been using Valerian on and off for probably over 7 years now. This company makes a good Valerian and Solaray makes some good stuff too. This one is a better value though. Some people can't stand the smell, I really don't mind it. It's in a capsule and Valerian usually doesn't give people any nasty burps like Black Seed Oil or Omegas can sometimes do. Plus, the fact it does help me, makes it well worth dealing with a tiny bit of a weird smell. It really is a weird smell though, it reminds me of old, worn socks, haha.And of course, since it's an herb, side effects are usually non-existant or negligible. When I use it for sleep, I usually take the full serving, 2 capsules. You can probably take like 4 capsules per day total if you wanted, that's usually the highest I'll go. Usually I just take 2 or 3 a day, but split up into different doses throughout the day/night. Like some compounds or herbs, it's probably better to not take it every single day, or take breaks after each bottle or something like that. You don't need a huge break, but maybe just like 1 to 3 weeks, depending on how much you take and how often. There isn't much of a withdrawal effect or anything, but like literally any drug used for sleep consistently, if you use it for sleep enough nights in a row, you may have slight trouble sleeping without it if you stop abruptly.When you're getting low on them and if you are using them every day, before you fully run out, just wean off a little bit and take a smaller dosage after a while. 2 capsules a day will move to 1 capsule a day, for example. But this is just if you wanna definitely minimize any potential small issues. Otherwise, there really isn't much to worry about, like with most herbs. If you take any other medications, Google any potential "contraindications" to see if it may not work with one of your meds. It should be well tolerated with most drugs. Be careful if you take anything else that affects GABA in the brain though, with Valerian, like alcohol, benzodiazapines, etc. It probably wouldn't be potentially dangerous or anything, but it might end up being a little too much.

My wife suffers from insomnia so she uses Valerian every night to help he relax so she can fall asleep, as well as to help her stay asleep through the night. We've gone through a lot of brands and strengths of Valerian over the years and this is one of the better ones we've used.It's standardized so it's much more potent than most 'whole root' formulations. I'll occasionally take on of these if I've had too much caffeine or if I'm feeling restless or anxious and two of them is almost like a low dose of Valium. Three of these capsules will relax you quickly and have you nodding off in no time. Four of them will have you waking up with that same slow, groggy feeling that a dose of NyQuil gives you. We've never had to use more than that, but I imagine five or six will put you into a deep, deep sleep and keep you solidly there. We've also noticed that too higher doses can give you very vivid and, at times, weird dreams so keep that in mind if you intend to dose it high.The physical bottle is exactly as you see pictured and the Valerian in the capsules inside are a very dark, rich color. Much darker and richer than you'll see in less potent formulations. The smell is potent as well, though no more strong or offensive than any other bottle. Generally the capsules are in good shape with maybe one or two broken or opened inside the bottle.Overall, if you're looking for a good relaxation or sleep aid, or even just a new brand/formulation of Valerian to try, this one is worth your time and money. It's one of the cheaper priced products (especially for its potency) and you get a lot for your money.

I have only tried one pill before bed and not two. One pill doesn't seem to help, plan to try 2. For those with a sensitive nose, the smell is Awful, and you will need to wash your hands because they will also smell. Hold your nose when taking out of bottle and putting into your mouth.

This was the exact thing I needed. Real thing!Thank you