Passion Flower Extract

Description

Aside from the healthy and versatile passion fruit, the leaves of some species of passiflora have also been used by many native cultures as a medicine. The Native Americans more so than any other tribal culture have used the dried leaves of the passion flower plant as a primary ingredient in the creation of a special tisane (tea) that is drunk to help treat insomnia, epilepsy, anxiety, hysteria, and some types of mania and hyperactivity.

Tinctured from leaves, stems, and flowers.

The Commission E approved its use for anxiety. It is also on the FDA’s GRAS list.

Use Passion Flower to Calm the Mind

Passion flower can also help support those struggling with addiction, tension, irritability, and fear. Research has been done which suggests that “Passiflora extract is an effective drug for the management of generalized anxiety disorder and the low incidence of impairment of job performance” which accompanies pharmaceutical medication.

In South America passion fruit seeds are used to create an oil called Maracuja oil. It is considered to be anti-aging, relaxing, and contains ample amounts of Vitamins A & C. Maracuja oil absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy film. I use it in a natural sun tan oil I make, it is also in the famous sun tanning oil, Hawaiian Tropic.

A study done in 2002 with mice, suggested that a methanol leaf extract of passionflower was shown to be comparable to the cough suppressant action of codeine [1]. It may be possible that these actions are related to the strong antispasmodic activity of the harmala alkaloids contained within Passiflora spp.

Passion Flower is high or very high in Chromium, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Protein, and Vitamin A

🙂 Raising magnesium levels is known to help people sleep better.

Health Benefits of Passion Flower

• Passion Flower is both a sedative and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety). To clarify, not all sedatives have significant effects on anxiety. Passion Flower’s sedative effects mediate both anxiety and sleeplessness. This means that while it has calmative and sleep-inducing effects, it is also effective at reducing anxiety. Due to its sedative properties, it is primarily used to help with nervous restlessness. Because it is not a narcotic, but rather a nervine, its effects are generally slower but work specifically on the nervous system. Two human trials have shown the sedative effects of Passion Flower to be equivalent to that of benzodiazepine drugs (Taibi & Landis, 2009, as cited in Passiflora, 2019).
• Due to the antispasmodic and sedative effects, physical pain is also relieved by passion flower in a myriad of ways. Try it for premenstrual cramps or to lessen headache pain. It could also alleviate muscle discomfort and toothaches. The popular book, “The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants” suggests passionflower notably for pain which causes difficulty falling asleep.
• Passionflower further helps fight withdrawal symptoms from opiate medications like morphine. Furthermore, when passionflower was joined with drugs that control psychological withdrawal symptoms – – including stress and irritability – – the effects were better in comparison to the drug alone. The investigators concluded that passion flower extract might be successful within the direction of opiate withdrawal although larger studies must be conducted to affirm their results.

“Lay down on your pillow
and turn the lights down low
let me take you to the garden
where the passion flower grows… “
~ Charles M. Moore