{"id":8398,"date":"2022-12-08T20:00:42","date_gmt":"2022-12-08T20:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/?post_type=herb&p=8398"},"modified":"2025-04-14T10:56:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T09:56:38","slug":"passionflower","status":"publish","type":"herb","link":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/herb\/passionflower\/","title":{"rendered":"Passionflower"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":8401,"parent":0,"menu_order":-250,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"47224","beyondwords_content_id":"74579761-600f-412e-b7b6-9739e2420279","beyondwords_preview_token":"827a822b-b76d-4ccb-a76c-ae67fcc4d808","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"tags":[],"conditions":[685,699,696],"sustainability":[1576],"sense":[27,17,786,30],"western_action":[993,988,990,997,998,1002,1017,1018,1019,1021],"chinese_action":[],"ayurvedic_action":[],"energetics_action":[1382,1490,1495,1494],"region":[1893],"class_list":["post-8398","herb","type-herb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","conditions-digestive-system","conditions-musculoskeletal-system","conditions-nervous-system","sustainability-green-sustainability-status","sense-sweet","sense-aromatic","sense-cooling","sense-sharp","western_action-antimicrobial","western_action-adaptogen","western_action-analgesic","western_action-antispasmodic","western_action-antitussive","western_action-bronchodilator","western_action-nervine","western_action-relaxant","western_action-sedative","western_action-stomachic","energetics_action-cool","energetics_action-relaxing","energetics_action-salty","energetics_action-sweet","region-western-herbs"],"acf":{"last_reviewed":"20221208","herb_author":null,"banner_text":"Passionflower is an effective medicine for anxiety and nervousness","latin_name":"Passiflora incarnata<\/em>","pseudonym_name":"","family_name":"Passifloraceae","herb_summary":"Passionflower has been at the heart of a number of studies for the treatment of anxiety disorders. This gentle, delicate yet powerful medicine lends its support to the nervous system and as a specific nervine adaptogen.","key_benefits":"Mental health\r\nAnxiolytic\r\nSedative\/ Relaxant\r\nNervous system disorders","how_does_it_feel":"Passionflower has a delicate herby taste, with mildly sour and sweet tones. The sourness can be felt as mineral twinges on the sides of the tongue. The infusion of dried herb is refreshingly pleasant smooth and easy to drink.\r\n\r\nPassionflower truly feels like a \u2018mug of calmness\u2019. The tea has a smooth, rich texture which adds to its nurturing and nourishing quality. The calming nervine effects of this herb are felt directly on taking. The aromatic compounds directly engage our sensory nervous system to soothe and settle the mind.","hdif_image_1":8400,"hdif_image_2":8404,"hdif_image_3":8401,"hdif_video":"","sense":[17,786,30,27],"what_can_i_use_it_for":"\"\"Passionflower is a prime remedy for anxiety. This herb can be used to support in all manner of anxiety symptoms. A typical indication for passionflower is where anxiety is accompanied by racing and repetitive thoughts. There may be agitation, restlessness, spasms, neuralgic pain, headaches, palpitations and feelings of panic. Passionflower is truly the perfect fast-acting medicine to bring a sense of calm and relaxation<\/a> (1).\r\n\r\nPassionflower works directly on the brain, removing cerebral irritability. The nerves may feel like they are \u2018rattling\u2019 or on \u2018overdrive\u2019. There may be a sense of mania or that one is about to lose control. Passionflower brings peace to the nervous system and allows one to function from a place of calmness, regaining a sense of confidence and control.\r\n\r\nThe grounding and calming effects of passionflower are second to none where these types of presentations are accompanied by sleep disturbances such as insomnia. It is a gentle relaxant and a mild hypnotic.\r\n\r\nPassionflower is also sometimes used to alleviate the nervous irritability that comes with weaning off from conventional sedatives or anxiety medications. It is also used to support the recovery phase from alcohol and drug addictions by the same mechanism. For this application, it may be combined with other nervine sedative herbs such as hops<\/a> and valerian<\/a> (1).\r\n\r\nFurthermore, passionflower may be used as a stomach relaxant and for symptoms of indigestion, particularly where digestive symptoms arise from stress<\/a> and tension.","into_the_heart_of":"\"\"Passionflower is deemed to be mildly cooling in the understanding of western herbal energetics. This cooling action reduces \u2018heat\u2019, excitation and overstimulation in the cells (2). Whilst passionflower is less obviously sour than other herbal medicines such as the medicinal berries in the Materia medica, it does have a notable sour taste. This cooling action is often seen in plants that have a sour taste profile. Herbs like sorrel and lemon balm<\/a> also fit in this category of non-fruiting sour relaxants whose actions may be well applied for this type of nervous excitability.\r\n\r\nIn Ayurveda, there is a different model and understanding of healthy balance and disease. Ayurveda has its own philosophy and understanding of bodily systems that has been built up over thousands of years of observation. The Ayurvedic understanding of health and disease is based on the three doshas<\/em>, vata<\/em>, pitta<\/em> and kapha<\/em>. In the physical body, vata<\/em> is the subtle energy of movement, pitta<\/em> the energy of digestion and metabolism, and kapha<\/em> the energy that forms the body's structure.\r\n\r\nIn Ayurveda, passionflower is thought to decrease pitta<\/em> and kapha<\/em>. It also moves obstructed vata<\/em>. It is said that used in excess, it may increase vata<\/em>, so it is likely best to use with caution for individuals with a high vata<\/em> constitution (5).\r\n\r\nSimilar to Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has its own unique system of understanding health balance and disease. TCM understands passionflower to be of a calming nature, relieving anxiety and soothing the spirit. It also tonifies heart yin (put simply, yin translates as a restorative energy that allows our body and mind to slow down, rest and relax), whilst clearing internal wind. Internal wind may be indicated by the presence of spasms, pain and seizures arising from hyperactive liver yang (put simply, yang refers to active energy, heat, movement and power) (6).\r\n\r\nIn the energetics of the eclectics, passionflower is understood to be best adapted to debility and nervous irritability. It is specifically indicated for irritation of the brain and nervous system<\/a> with atony. This herb is appropriate for those whose sleep is affected by over work, worry and exhaustion. Sometimes convulsions, hysteria and oppressed breathing may be present (7).","tradtional_uses":"\"\"In Greives\u2019 \u2018A Modern Herbal\u2019 written originally in 1931, the traditional uses of passionflower are understood to be due to a combined effect as a nervous system depressant. She described this mechanism to be specifically moderating from the activity associated with the motor side of the spinal cord (11).\r\n\r\nHistorical records show that the Aztecs used passionflower for its medicinal benefits, including for the treatment of urinary tract disorders, bone fractures, and skin contusions. Traditionally, Native Americans used passionflower as a sedative.\r\n\r\nNicolas Monardes, a Spanish doctor working in Peru, was the first to learn of the medicinal uses of passionflower in 1569. It was he who later returned it to Europe. It then became widely cultivated and used in European folk medicine.\r\n\r\nNorth American physicians prescribed passionflower for its effects on spasmodic conditions such as seizures and epilepsy. In the early 20th century, European physicians were understood to have used passionflower to treat anxiety and mild sleep disorders.","what_practioners_say":"

\"\"<\/strong>Nervous system<\/h3>\r\nPassionflower has a marked central nervous system sedative effect. It is often used by herbalists to treat anxiety, restlessness and other mental health conditions. It has been shown to improve symptoms in people with attention deficit disorder as well as in treating drug withdrawal symptoms in people recovering from conventional and recreational addictions (3).\r\n\r\nPassionflower is an excellent remedy for insomnia. It works effectively taken in the evening to support one\u2019s transition into sleep. It is well known to induce a restful sleep without the next day hangover that often comes with sedatives.\r\n\r\nFurthermore, passionflower can be applied to spasmodic conditions such as in excesses of the psychomotor system and in spasmodic muscular convulsions such as seen in epilepsy (1). It is also referenced for use in Parkinson\u2019s disease (3,4).\r\n\r\nAs a sedative, passionflower can be used in the acute treatment of mania and also for panic attacks, but it is also safe to use for chronic anxiety. Passionflower is more gentle as a sedative than other herbs like valerian and hops.\r\n

Digestive system<\/h3>\r\nPassionflower may be applied in spasmodic conditions of the digestive system, particularly where they are linked to stress and tension. This herb is antispasmodic, meaning that it can easily relax tension held in the digestive tract such as in flatulence and intestinal spasm. This spasmodic state can also be seen in conditions such as reflux, colic and dysentery (1).\r\n\r\nThis herb is also indicated for when liver congestion is accompanied by haemorrhoids. This connection is understood to be linked to portal vein congestion, which puts additional pressure back into the cardiovascular system.\r\n\r\nCardiovascular system: Passionflower additionally acts as a hypotensive to reduce high blood pressure and prevent tachycardia, particularly where the cause is stress. It is specific for palpitations and likely works via its mechanism upon the nervous system to reduce the stress response (1,4).\r\n

Respiratory system<\/h3>\r\nPassionflower can be useful in the treatment of spasmodic asthma and whooping cough (1,4). As a herb with powerful antispasmodic actions, passionflower can be applied where these conditions leave a patient with persistent tension in the lungs and diaphragm that leads to spasmodic coughing.","research":"

\"\"<\/strong>Anxiety<\/h3>\r\nA double-blind randomised control trial was carried out to compare the efficacy of Passiflora incarnata extract with oxazepam (an anti-anxiety and insomnia pharmaceutical medication) in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder.\r\n\r\nThe study was carried out on outpatients with a generalised anxiety diagnosis. Patients were allocated in a random fashion: 18 participants received the Passiflora extract at 45 drops per day, 18 in the placebo tablet group, and 18 received oxazepam at 30 mg per day plus placebo drops over a 4-week trial.\r\n\r\nThe results show that Passiflora extract and oxazepam are equally as effective in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder. However, subjects taking oxazepam displayed significantly more problems relating to impairment of job performance. The study concludes that Passionflower is effective for the management of generalized anxiety disorder. Passionflower holds the advantage over oxazepam with its low incidence of impairment of job performance and side effects (8).\r\n

Pre-clinical anxiety<\/h3>\r\nA systematic review was carried out on 9 different clinical trials where passionflower is used in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The review includes a number of studies where passionflower was used in clinical trials to assess its efficacy for anxiety. Some of these studies focused on preoperative and pre-spinal anaesthesia anxiety and also for anxiety related to dental procedures. The results resounded across each study that passionflower was safe and effective for reducing anxiety. This includes the case of conscious sedation in adult patients. Passionflower was found to significantly contribute to reducing pre-procedural anxiety. A very low incidence of side effects was reported however, a study where passionflower was used in preoperative anxiety found that psychomotor functions were impaired 30 minutes after extubation (9).\r\n\r\nThe same review discusses the results of a study where the effects of passionflower were compared to midazolam for bilateral extraction of the mandibular third molars. The anxiolytic action of both substances used in the study was similar. Among the subjects in the midazolam group, 20% reported significant memory loss, while none of the patients receiving passionflower reported such an experience. The midaxolam group reported a higher incidence of drowsiness (9).\r\n\r\nThe review concludes with a theme of strong evidence to support that passionflower is able to alleviate some symptoms of neuropsychiatric origin. The anti-anxiety effect of passionflower is parallel to drugs such as oxazepam or midazolam. However passionflower holds the advantage of having little to no adverse reactions, such as including memory loss or collapse of psychometric functions as often seen with its pharmaceutical equals. Consequently, it seems to be a safe and effective medicine to reduce stress reactivity, insomnia, anxiety, and depression-like behaviours (9).\r\n

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD)<\/h3>\r\nIn an 8-week, double-blind, randomised clinical trial the effectiveness of passionflower in treatment of ADHD<\/a> was carried out on a group of 34 children aged between the ages of 6- 13 years old. Subjects in the treatment group were given 0.04mg passionflower tablets twice daily whilst the control received methylphenidate (an ADHD medication) at 1 mg twice daily. Both treatment groups demonstrated significant clinical benefits over the period of treatment as assessed by both parents and teachers. The study concludes that \u2018passionflower may be a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of ADHD\u2019 (10).\r\n\r\nResearch into passionflower's effects on psychiatric disorders is promising, however larger scale clinical trials and studies are required to add more weight to the evidence base.\r\n

Anticonvulsant<\/h3>\r\nAnimal studies have long been used in scientific research of herbal medicines. Whilst herbal reality does not condone the use of animals in research for ethical reasons, we are including an animal study that demonstrates one of the important actions of passionflowers for which there are limited in vitro or in vivo studies.\r\n\r\nA study that combines insights from in vitro and in vivo methods was carried out to the investigate biological actions of passionflower extracts under cold and hot extraction methods. Flavonoid yields increased substantially with hot versus cold extraction methods.\r\n\r\nThe in vitro methodology demonstrated that passionflower extract induced prominent, dose-dependent direct GABA currents in hippocampal slices, but the expected modulation of synaptic GABA currents was not seen. Interestingly GABA was found to be a prominent component of passionflower extract and when amino acids were removed from the extract, the GABA currents were absent. GABA is known as a calming neurotransmitter, and it is the GABA receptors that drugs like Xanax and benzodiazepines target.\r\n\r\nFurthermore, the in vivo method which evaluated the behavioural effects of passionflower extract on mice demonstrated prominent anticonvulsant effects against PTZ-induced seizures (13).","did_you_know":"The name passionflower refers to the \u2018passion of christ\u2019. It was thought to symbolise events in the last hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Symbolically the corona or flower was thought to represent the crown of thorns, the styles represent the nails used in the Crucifixion, the stamens represent the five wounds, and the five sepals and five petals represent 10 of the Apostles\u2014all but Judas.","additional_information_right":{"illustration":8406},"additional_information_left":{"botany":"","common_names":"","safety":"Passionflower is generally referenced as unsafe to take during pregnancy and lactation. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding it is best to consult with a clinical herbalist before taking this herb.","interactions":"Passionflower may increase the effects of prescription sedatives, antispasmodics and anxiolytics; it is best to consult a herbal practitioner if you are taking any of these medications.\r\n\r\nPassionflower should not be taken alongside the older types of anti-depressants called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)<\/a>.","contraindications":"It is important to consider the possibility of antagonistic effects when passionflower is given with stimulants.","preparation":"