Improvement after a supplement is not the same as a comparative result
Start with the comparison. A before-and-after change alone cannot isolate the contribution of an ingredient.
Valerian
Selected research topic
Sleep
Findings differ across measurements or study conditions. The results below keep them separate.
Some findings concern patients or people with a deficiency.
- Publications for this topic
- 13
- Human comparison publications
- 2
- Publications needing review
- 9
Findings in the studies
sleep latency
- No clear difference from the comparison group was found.
What the comparison group used was not confirmed.
Single ingredientMeasurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Randomized controlled trial: subjects were randomly assigned to groups for comparison.
- Study population
- Human participants · Participant characteristics were not confirmed.
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Results were compared between groups.
- Measurement time
- Not confirmed.
total sleep quality
- A better result than the comparison group was reported.Patient group · Single ingredient · days 3, 14, and 30
Measurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Randomized controlled trial: subjects were randomly assigned to groups for comparison.
- Study population
- Human participants · Patient group
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Results were compared between groups. · Study comparison: valerian versus placebo; time-by-group interaction in odds of worsened sleep quality
- Additional measurement information
- Primary outcome
- Measurement time
- days 3, 14, and 30
insomnia
Other human research, including observational studies and reviews
- A change was reported before and after use. Its cause cannot be isolated.Patient group · Single ingredient · end of week 1
Measurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Other evidence
- Study population
- Human participants · Patient group
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Changes within the same group were compared. · Study comparison: within-patient self-reported change; no control group
- Measurement time
- end of week 1
Research with unclear study subject or type
- A change was reported, but the comparison could not be confirmed.Single ingredient
Measurement and study conditions
- Study type
- Review
- Study population
- Recorded population category: Patient group. Whether the research involved humans needs confirmation.
- Ingredients tested
- Single ingredient
- How results were compared
- Study comparison: review synthesis of valerian studies for insomnia
- Additional measurement information
- Primary outcome
- Measurement time
- Not confirmed.
This result is held for interpretation. That does not mean research found no effect.
Outcome groups needing additional review (5)
- Insomnia symptoms · Distinct papers needing additional review: 1Evidence criteria check: 1
- positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of A1ARs · Distinct papers needing additional review: 1Direction unclear: 1
- Sleep quality · Distinct papers needing additional review: 1Evidence criteria check: 1
- sleep · Distinct papers needing additional review: 1Evidence criteria check: 1
- sleep efficiency index · Distinct papers needing additional review: 1Direction unclear: 1
One paper can appear under multiple measured outcomes or review reasons, so these counts should not be added together.
Representative outcome and study details
Human studies reported a within-group change in insomnia; while Studies with an unspecified organism reported a change with no confirmed comparison group in insomnia.
These conditions come from related studies and may not describe a single paper.
Single-ingredient studies · Human studies · Includes patient groups · within-group comparison · comparator not confirmed
2 publications linked to this result
- Study conditions differ; results are shown descriptively and are not pooled.
Data coverage and detailed study classifications
Paper counts are separated by research topic below. One paper may contribute to multiple findings.
Analysis status: Public-ready
Ingredient analysis date:
How the grade was determined: C
The 29.9 evidence score includes 2 independent human studies and 1 clinical studies in the representative benefit area. The C tier remains conservative because of limited repetition across independent human clinical studies, too few clinical findings with an explicit effect direction.
The grade is based mainly on the research area with the most evidence. It does not mean the same result was found in other areas.
Papers linked to this ingredient overall: 68
Papers linked to this topic 13 · distinct papers 13 · papers with a confirmed human comparison 2 · papers needing additional review 9
A publication may appear in more than one count. These numbers should not be added. Ingredient-wide papers, topic-linked papers, and sources in outcome groups use different scopes. Adding source counts may count the same paper more than once.
- insomnia: Sources represented in this measurement group: 2 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- Insomnia symptoms (Insomnia Severity Index (ISI)): Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of A1ARs: Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- Sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) · total score): Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- sleep: Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- sleep efficiency index: Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 0
- sleep latency: Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 1
- total sleep quality: Sources represented in this measurement group: 1 · Distinct papers with human comparisons for this outcome: 1
What the research found
sleep latency
No clear difference in this measurement was found between the compared groups.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Unspecified population
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
total sleep quality
The study reported improvement in this measurement.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
insomnia
A change was reported before and after use. Its cause cannot be isolated.
Other evidence · Single ingredient · Patient group
Within-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
insomnia
A change was reported, but the comparison could not be confirmed.
Review · Single ingredient · Patient group
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
ISI score
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Observational study · Ingredient combination · Patient group
Several ingredients were used together. This does not establish the effect of this ingredient alone or synergy.
The comparison could not be confirmed.
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of A1ARs
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Other evidence · Separable contribution · Unspecified population
The comparison could not be confirmed.
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
PSQI Total Score
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
sleep
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Meta-analysis · Unknown intervention · Patient group
The comparison could not be confirmed.
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
sleep efficiency index
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
Unspecified measured outcome
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Patient group
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
Unspecified measured outcome
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Controlled study in people · Single ingredient · Unspecified population
Between-group comparison
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
Unspecified measured outcome
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Meta-analysis · Single ingredient · Unspecified population
The comparison could not be confirmed.
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
Unspecified measured outcome
The study needs further checking before its result can be interpreted.
Review · Unknown intervention · Unspecified population
The comparison could not be confirmed.
Analysis coverage and paper counts
1 paper · 1 measured outcome
1 papers held from direction counts
Review overlap with primary papers is unknown; counts stay separate.
Direction counts are distinct papers within each row. Outcome contributions count endpoint results, so one paper may contribute more than once.
How to read research findings
How should I read research findings?
Research guidesNo clear difference and an uninterpretable result are different
A reported null comparison contains a result. An abstract without an interpretable comparison leaves a question unresolved.
Paper counts and study counts are different
Count original research separately from research that reanalyzes it. Publication volume is neither replication nor a quality rating.
Side effects and combination findings
Findings from this ingredient alone are shown separately from those involving another supplement or medication.
No reviewed caution rules are available yet. Reported caution findings are shown below.
Findings to review with care
Side effects reported for the ingredient alone are separated from findings involving another supplement or medication.
Side effects reported with this ingredient alone
Symptoms or adverse events reported in studies without another active ingredient.
Adverse Effects1 papers
Valerian is well tolerated with infrequent benign side effects.Human studies · Meta-analysis