Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

European Vervain (Verbena officinalis) has a long history of use in European herbal medicine for nervousness, anxiety, and stress-related symptoms. Its traditional application as a mild sedative and nervine can be traced to ancient Greece and Rome, where it was regarded as a sacred and healing plant. In various folk medicine systems, vervain infusions or teas were recommended to “calm the nerves” and treat conditions like tension, restlessness, and insomnia.

However, scientific evidence to support these uses remains limited. While some laboratory studies suggest that extracts of V. officinalis may have mild sedative, anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing), or antispasmodic effects in animal models, robust clinical trials in humans are lacking. The active constituents, such as iridoids and flavonoids, have been proposed to influence the central nervous system, but their mechanisms and efficacy in humans are not well established.

Current herbal references often cite vervain for its traditional uses in nervousness, but authoritative reviews (such as those by the European Medicines Agency or Commission E) emphasize the absence of high-quality clinical data. Therefore, while vervain’s use for nervousness is justified by tradition and some preliminary pharmacological findings, it cannot be considered evidence-based by modern scientific standards.

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