Passion Flower

Passion flower is widely used in Europe for inducing relaxation and sleep. Studies have shown that, unlike narcotics, passion flower promotes sleep normally, providing easy, light breathing. There is little or no mental or neural depression and upon waking, no signs of confusion, melancholy or stupor.

In Germany, passion flower preparations are recommended for nervous or easily aroused children, concentration problems in school children, bronchial asthma, cardiovascular neurosis, coronary disease, poor circulation, sleep disorders, and geriatrics. Passion flower is used in homeopathic preparations to treat pain and insomnia.

Traditionally, passion flower has been used for insomnia and disturbed sleep patterns, with special use for short-term periods of sleeplessness. The 1950 U.S. Dispensatory lists passion flower for use as a nerve sedative for general restlessness and to alleviate insomnia and specific types of convulsions and spasmodic conditions.

Today, passion flower’s sedative, tranquilizing and sleep-inducing qualities have been confirmed in studies, perhaps due to the presence of certain alkaloids and flavonoids; however, the herb’s exact method of action on the central nervous system is still not completely understood by researchers. Nevertheless, passion flower is widely used for anxiety, hyperactivity in children, hypertension, irritability, nervous tachycardia, and nervous tension. Passion flower’s relaxing effect helps reduce nervous overactivity and panic, and has proven quite effective for nervous tension stemming from hormonal changes associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menopause. Thus, passion flower is regarded as a mild and non-addictive herbal sedative, fairly comparable to valerian. In fact, passion flower is currently being used as a non-addictive natural substitute by physicians for tranquilizer addiction.

One of the flavonoids in passion flower, known as apigenin, is responsible for the herb’s antispasmodic activity. Such activity enables passion flower to relax muscle spasms associated with asthma, colic, dysmenorrhea, elevated blood pressure, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, muscle cramps, palpitations, and whooping cough. Passion flower has been used in some instances for convulsions.

Passion flower’s analgesic (pain-killing) properties have been demonstrated in studies and proven helpful for headaches, menstrual pain and toothache.

Research also indicates passion flower is moderately effective against Candida albicans yeast, as well as shingles.

Passion flower is not recommended during pregnancy.