You might need passionflower if . . .

Have you ever felt worn down and stressed out? Have you ever felt like your brain was going a million miles an hour (not in a good way), but the rest of you was lagging? Have you ever struggled to get good sleep? We have all been there! This may be your body telling you that you need some support for your nerves. What better way is there to support your nerves than with a nervine herb. Passionflower can be a great friend at a time like this.

Passionflower is a great choice for those that:

• Have trouble falling asleep

• Have constant racing thoughts

• Struggle with stress or anxiety

• Suffer from tension headaches

• Have muscle spasms

Benefits of passionflower

The great thing about nervine herbs, including passionflower, is that they don’t dull you or your sense and they don’t make you get the odd sensation that you are floating outside of yourself like some prescription drugs can. They work with your body naturally to improve nerve function and help you be the best you. If there is one word that you remember about the benefits of passionflower, it should be calm. It calms both the body and the mind. Here are some ways that passionflower could help you.

Promotes relaxation: Passionflower has mild sedative properties, so it can help calm you without making you sleepy. It can be helpful in supporting your body dealing with daily stress and helpful in promoting a sense of overall calmness. The exact way that passionflower promotes relaxation is unknown. It is believed to be a combination of flavonoids and alkaloids.

Improves sleep quality: Passionflower does not make you drowsy. It does, however, help bring tranquility to both your body and your mind. It is a great option for those that struggle to sleep because their thoughts keep going and going.

Relieves muscle spasm and muscle tension: Passionflower has antispasmodic properties which can help relax muscles.

Provides antioxidants: Passionflower has a wide range of antioxidants. It contains various flavonoids (including quercetin), various alkaloids, vitamin C, vitamin E, and phenolic compounds. Antioxidants help the body neutralize free radicals, which cause damage to cells. This helps lower oxidative stress in the body.

Common Ways to Use Passionflower

Tea: You can make a simple herbal tea with passionflower by steeping 1 tsp of dried passionflower in 8 ounces of boiling water for at least 15 minutes. You can sweeten it with raw honey to taste.

Tincture: Passionflower is also consumed in tincture form. You can readily find them at health stores or online. They are also quite simple to make, although it takes about a month before the tincture is ready to be used. Find out how to make your own tincture here.

Growing and Foraging Information

You can easily buy dried passionflower online. But did you know in many parts of the United States, you could grow your own? If you live in the Southeast, you can even find it growing wild. It is hard to believe that such an ornate, tropical-looking flower could grow in so much of the US. It does depend on your USDA hardiness zone.

Passionflower will grow well in zones 6-9. Many people also do well growing passionflower in zone 5. You may have to provide some fleece or mulch heavily if a particularly cold winter is predicted and while the plant is being established. Once established, there is less of a chance of the cold killing the plant in the winter. Passionflower is a climbing vine that can grow to be up to 20 feet. It is not the same vine that passionfruit comes from, although those two plants are related.

Safety Concerns

Passionflower has been used for at least 500 years in North and South America, where it is native. It was used by indigenous people groups on both continents as herbal medicine. Spanish colonizers were introduced to passionflower in South America in the 1500s. They took some back to Europe, where it very quickly became cultivated and used as herbal medicine across the continent.

It is important to consider safety concerns in the context of history. You also must realize that many of the departments that bring up safety concerns, are responsible for managing pharmaceutical drugs that have been manufactured in recent history. In the United States, there is no controlling authority or regulatory board specific to herbs. The most common reason you will see that these organizations bring up to question the safety of various herbs is “insufficient evidence to determine safety.” Since there is no way to patent a naturally growing plant, there is often insufficient funding to conduct massive human studies.

Drug Interaction: If you are taking any prescription medications, it is important to always consult with the prescriber before adding any herbs to your diet.

Breastfeeding and Pregnancy: There are no known contraindications for breastfeeding and pregnancy. Many herbalists recommend it for pregnant and breastfeeding moms to get the sleep they need. Richard Whelan, an herbalist, says, “Passionflower is completely safe to take in high or frequent doses if needed and may be used with confidence by the young and old or during pregnancy and breastfeeding.” (1)

Because of the presence of harmaline alkaloids, some mainstream sources caution that it may stimulate the uterus, and thus should be avoided during pregnancy. There are no known instances of passionflower causing issues in pregnancy, but NIH says, “Passionflower should not be used during pregnancy as it may induce uterine contractions. Little is known about whether it’s safe to use passionflower while breastfeeding.” (2)

Other Concerns: Passionflower is a very gentle but effective herb. There are very few concerns. As with any food, there is a chance that someone could have an allergy to the plant itself, but this is extremely rare in the case of passionflower.

Select Studies About Passionflower

Passionflower for anxiety: Passionflower extract vs oxazepam

In this double-blind and placebo-controlled study, an extract of passionflower was compared to the drug oxazepam. Both were equally effective, but oxazepam had a much higher rate of people being unable to perform tasks with efficiency. Passionflower was shown to lower anxiety without impairing people’s ability to focus, reason, and perform various tasks.

Passionflower for sleep: Passionflower tea placebo controlled

In this double-blind and placebo-controlled study, passionflower tea was demonstrated to be effective in helping adults improve their sleep quality. Typically, studies use strong extracts to get a more obvious result. This study is interesting in that it uses a normal amount of dried passionflower to simply make an herbal tea. It is also great to note that it improved the sleep quality almost immediately. The participants did not have to drink the tea for months before seeing results.

Passionflower for stress

This study was not placebo controlled. However, it demonstrates how passionflower can significantly increase stress tolerance and consequently greatly improve quality of life. The study was done on adults with nervous restlessness. After the 12 week study was complete, the results overwhelmingly pointed to passionflower improving the mental health of the participants.

How Earthley Uses Passionflower

Sleepy Time

Do you need sleep NOW? If you don’t want to wait a month for your tincture to be ready or DIY just isn’t your thing, we have made our Sleepy Time tincture with you in mind. It uses the power of passionflower and other synergistic herbs to promote sleep naturally. Read these real reviews we have received, and you will see the power of passionflower coming through (emphasis added).

Check out these reviews:

“I use sleepy time every night for myself and for my daughters when they need it. It really works, and it doesn’t leave me feeling tired or groggy like sleeping pills. Highly recommend!”

“Love this stuff! Helps my brain shut off so I can sleep normally. It’s also a lifesaver in my 3rd trimester when I’m not sleeping as well, it gives me longer stretches of good sleep!”