Valerian Root (Image Library)

Known for its qualities as a sedative, valerian root does have a calmative effect. However, personally, and perhaps surprisingly, it had little effect as a sleep-aid. I also noticed that at higher doses (usually in its extract form) it did tend to induce the symptoms of a headache, so perhaps this isn’t as mild as it can appear.

This and the other images posted in this series were taken during the researching for and the writing of The Honest Drug Book