The Passiflora incarnata, or passionflower plant, produces stunningly beautiful purple and white flowers along a creeping vine that are collected along with its berries, leaves and stems for use in herbal remedies. To the eyes of the Spanish conquistadors, the corona in the center of the flower resembled Christ's crown of thorns, giving the plant its common name. Passionflower has been used for centuries as a calming herb found growing in parts of North America, Asia and Europe. Consult your health care provider first before taking passionflower as a medicine.
History of Use
Passionflower has a long history of use, dating back hundreds of years to the time of the Aztecs and Native Americans. This herb was used for its sedative qualities, as it still is today, as well as a remedy for hysteria. Passionflower first came into use in the United States during the 19th century, being used by some doctors to treat restlessness and spasms of the digestive system. Until 1978, passionflower was an FDA-approved ingredient in some over-the-counter insomnia medications when its approval was rescinded because its safety and efficacy had not been scientifically proved.
Anxiety
Passionflower contains a wealth of active components called flavonoids and alkaloids, including harmaline and harmalol. These compounds appear to increase the levels of GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, decreasing the activity of certain brain cells resulting in a more relaxed state overall. This effect is backed up by numerous scientific studies. A study published in the "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics" reports an extract of 45 drops of passionflower was as effective as the prescription medication oxazepam in treating generalized anxiety disorder. Do not take passionflower if you are pregnant or taking sedative medications, such as MAO inhibitors, barbiturates or tricyclic antidepressants.
Insomnia
Because of its relaxing qualities, passionflower is also used as a sleep aid by those suffering from insomnia. Because passionflower is considered a mild sedative, it is often used in combination with other herbals, such as lemon balm and valerian root. According to altMD, a standardized tea combined of 40 percent valerian root, 30 percent lemon balm and 30 percent passionflower can be used as a sedative and sleep aid. When drinking the tea for insomnia, it should be taken one hour before retiring.
Opiate Withdrawal
Passionflower has alo been studied for use in easing some of the symptoms of withdrawal from opiate drugs, including morphine. Although it appears to have no effect on the physical symptoms of withdrawal, such as nausea and muscle tremors, it has shown some benefit in relieving some of the emotional symptoms that other withdrawal drugs alone cannot. More studies are needed, but eMed TV reports that when passionflower was used in tandem with the prescription medication clonidine, patients undergoing withdrawal showed a decrease in irritability, anxiety, agitation and insomnia.
References
- altMD: Passionflower
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Passionflower
- PubMedHealth: "Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics"; Passionflower in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety: A Pilot Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial with Oxazepam; S. Akhondzadeh et al.; October 2001
- eMedTV: Passionflower
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Passionflower
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