Skip to main content

Natural Awakenings Greater Boston - Rhode Island

Try Lavender and Valerian to Reduce Fatigue

Bunch of lavender flowers

Marek Walica/AdobeStock.com

Fatigue that hampers daily activities is a major symptom of heart failure, the leading cause of U.S. hospitalization for people over 65. To explore inexpensive and accessible herbal treatments researchers at the Aja University of Medical Sciences, in Tehran, Iran, divided 120 heart-failure patients into three groups: one received aromatherapy, breathing in lavender essence every day; another took 530 milligram capsules of valerian root extract daily; and the third group had conventional medical therapy with no herbal supplementation. After 15 days, fatigue was significantly reduced in both herbal groups, while individuals receiving only conventional care did not experience a noticeable relief in fatigue.