Valerian forms: drops, tablets or capsules?

Short answer: for every evening and for on the go, capsules or tablets are the more convenient choice. Drops make sense if you want to fine-tune the amount and can live with the alcohol, because a valerian tincture is nothing other than an extract in alcohol. A dragee adds sugar. A capsule does not. We sort the four forms by what is printed on the pack and show what a "valerian complex" on the shelf really contains. Our Inner Balance serves as the example for the capsule.

Valerian drops: what is in the bottle

Valerian drops are a tincture. The root is drawn out in alcohol, usually at a ratio of 1:5 with 70% ethanol. The EU medicines agency lists exactly this preparation in its valerian monograph. Pharmacy packs often read "66% vol. alcohol". For one organic tincture from the pharmacy trade, that is 528 milligrams of ethanol per millilitre.

A quick calculation: one teaspoon, about 3 ml, brings roughly 1.6 grams of pure alcohol into your body, a 0.33-litre glass of 5% beer about 13 grams. The amount is small. Even so, the pack states that the tincture poses a risk for people with liver disease, alcohol dependence or epilepsy, for pregnant and breastfeeding women and for children. If you still have to drive afterwards, read the section on road safety. Reaction time can be impaired even when used as directed.

The advantage of drops is free dosing. One pharmacy product, for example, gives ½ teaspoon (about 1.5 ml) two to three times a day and 1 teaspoon in the evening about 30 minutes before bed, each time diluted in a little water. How many drops that is depends on the bottle. That is why amounts are given in millilitres, not drops. Bitter on the tongue, earthy on the nose. A matter of taste.

Tablets and dragees: convenient, but coated

A dragee is a coated tablet. The coating makes the strong smell of the root bearable, but it brings ingredients that never show up in a capsule and that you have to look for in the small print of the ingredient list. The leaflet of a well-known valerian dragee lists, next to the dry extract (ratio 3 to 6 to 1), maltodextrin, sucrose and shellac, among others. The product points out the sucrose explicitly. If you have a sugar intolerance, ask first. You swallow the tablet whole, with a glass of water, not lying down. That is what the leaflet says.

With tablets and dragees the amount of active substance is built in, so there is no dosing by feel. Convenient, but sometimes a drawback. On the pack, look at two numbers, namely the amount of extract per tablet and the drug-extract ratio, which tells you how many parts of dried root went into one part of extract. A tablet with 450 milligrams of extract at 3:1 is something different from 450 milligrams at 10:1.

Capsules: dry extract in a plant-based shell

Capsules put the dried extract into a shell, usually made of hypromellose. A sugar coating is not needed for that, and neither is alcohol as an ingredient. Our Inner Balance is built this way: 500 mg of valerian root extract at a ratio of 10:1 sits in the daily dose of two capsules. Mathematically that is 5,000 mg of root from which the extract was made, in two small capsules you have swallowed in seconds.

We source valerian and St. John's wort from a French farmer; the passionflower comes from Mexico. No chemical solvents are used, and the natural purity of the raw materials is preserved. The shell is vegan, production takes place in Germany, and every batch goes to an independent lab.

The forms compared in six points

• Alcohol: drops yes, around 66% vol. Tablets, dragees and capsules do not list alcohol as an ingredient.
• Dosing: drops freely in millilitres, tablets and capsules in fixed portions.
• Sugar and excipients: dragees carry sucrose and shellac, capsules only the shell.
• On the go: drops need a spoon and water, a capsule fits in a jacket pocket.
• Taste: drops taste bitter, dragees neutral to sweet, capsules not at all.
• Cost per day: with Inner Balance it is 0.35 euros, and 120 capsules last 60 days.

Why not valerian alone? What is in the complex

"Valerian with passionflower" is a common search, and the combination has a tradition: in herbal lore, valerian and passionflower have long been valued for relaxation and restful sleep. St. John's wort is regarded as Europe's classic mood companion. Inner Balance adds 375 mg of passionflower extract (10:1) and 250 mg of St. John's wort extract (8:1) with 0.3% hypericin, which is 750 µg. Both figures are on the label, and anyone who puts the pack next to a drugstore product sees the difference in seconds.

Two nutrients come on top, for which authorised statements exist. Folic acid (here as methylfolate) contributes to normal psychological function. Folic acid also contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Vitamin B12 (as methylcobalamin) contributes to the normal function of the nervous system. Vitamin B12 also contributes to normal psychological function. Each daily dose contains 200 µg of folic acid and 2.6 µg of vitamin B12, in each case 100% of the nutrient reference value.

Side effects: what the leaflets say

For valerian preparations the EU monograph names gastrointestinal complaints such as nausea and abdominal cramps; the frequency is not known. The US health institute NCCIH also lists headache, mental dullness, restlessness and vivid dreams. It advises against taking valerian together with alcohol or sedatives. For very long use, meaning months and years, there is no reliable data. Good to know.

Valerian is not intended for children under 12. In pregnancy and breastfeeding the EU agency advises against it because the data are insufficient. If you still drive, wait and see how you react. If complaints last longer than two weeks, they belong with your doctor.

St. John's wort in the complex: when to leave the capsule alone

For anyone buying a complex with St. John's wort, this is the most important paragraph: St. John's wort can weaken the effect of medicines, and the ones named are the pill, blood thinners such as warfarin, some antidepressants and drugs taken after organ transplants, exactly the medicines where nobody wants to live with fluctuations. Combined with other preparations that affect serotonin, serious side effects can occur. If you take such medicines, speak to your doctor or pharmacist first.

On top of that, St. John's wort can make skin more sensitive to light in larger amounts. In pregnancy and breastfeeding you skip it. That applies to Inner Balance just as to any other St. John's wort product. It is part of an honest buying decision.

Test winners, drugstore shelves: how to recognise a good product

Stiftung Warentest examined 25 sedatives, including products with valerian alone and in combination with hops, lemon balm or passionflower. The result: many are of little use, and only a few come out positive. We have no test seal for Inner Balance. We do not claim one either. What matters more is what you check yourself, whether the pack comes from the pharmacy, the drugstore or the internet.

• Medicine or food supplement? A herbal medicine calls itself that and lists indications in the leaflet. A food supplement carries a recommended intake.
• Extract in milligrams and ratio: if one of the two is missing, you cannot compare products.
• What else is in it: sugar, shellac, colourings, alcohol. A short ingredient list is a good sign.
• Testing: the consumer advice centre points out that plant extracts in food supplements are not uniformly defined. Ask for the lab report of the batch.

How to take Inner Balance

The pack says: 2 capsules daily with sufficient liquid, preferably before a meal. That is it. You do not exceed the stated daily amount. Store cool and dry, away from sunlight. Herbal products of this kind are built for regularity, and the EU monograph for valerian assumes two to four weeks of continuous use. A single evening says little, a whole month more.

Matching Products from Scheunengut

Inner Balance combines 500 mg of valerian root extract (10:1), 375 mg of passionflower extract and 250 mg of St. John's wort extract (8:1) in two capsules daily, plus folic acid and vitamin B12 at 100% of the nutrient reference value each. 120 capsules last 60 days, which is 0.35 euros a day. The shell is plant-based, there are no colourings, fillers or additives, and every batch is lab-tested. Folic acid contributes to normal psychological function. Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal function of the nervous system.

Scheunengut has done this since 2012, without investors, with a focus on pure raw material quality. The St. John's wort note above applies here too. If you want to look after head and gut together, you will find Inner Balance as a double pack with the culture complex Flora Intenso in our range.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which valerian tablets are the best?

There is no blanket answer, because test portals mostly compare only price and stars. What counts is the amount of extract, the drug-extract ratio, additives and a lab report. With these four points you can sort any shelf.

What side effects do valerian tablets have?

Nausea, abdominal cramps, headache and mental dullness are named. The frequency is not known. If you drive, wait first to see how you react. With St. John's wort in a complex, possible interactions with medicines come on top.

How many valerian drops are usual?

That depends on the product. One pharmacy example gives ½ teaspoon (about 1.5 ml) two to three times a day and 1 teaspoon (about 3 ml) in water in the evening. The number of drops per millilitre varies from bottle to bottle, so the leaflet always applies.

Are there valerian drops without alcohol?

A classic valerian tincture is an alcohol extract. If you want no alcohol, check the ingredient list of capsules, tablets and dragees. Our Inner Balance does not list alcohol as an ingredient.

What are valerian dragees?

A dragee is a coated tablet with a sugar or shellac coating. It contains the extract from valerian root, tastes neutral and is swallowed whole with water.

Can I take St. John's wort and valerian in one capsule?

Both in one capsule is common, as in Inner Balance. If you take the pill, blood thinners, antidepressants or other long-term medicines, clear it first at the pharmacy. In pregnancy and breastfeeding you skip it.

With names like Passedan or Klosterfrau, how do I find out what I am holding?

The pack says whether it is a herbal medicine or a food supplement. Then read the leaflet and the ingredient list. That is where it says what is behind it, not on the brand name.