Passionflower's therapeutic uses
Passionflower, a native plant of the Western hemisphere, is primarily recognized for its therapeutic uses in treating anxiety and related conditions. Historically used as a mild sedative by Indigenous North Americans, it later gained popularity as a folk remedy in Europe. Today, passionflower is considered a potentially effective treatment for anxiety, insomnia, and nervous stomach, although the scientific evidence supporting these uses has only recently begun to emerge.
Notably, studies suggest that passionflower may help alleviate symptoms of drug withdrawal, particularly in conjunction with other medications for those with opiate addiction. Furthermore, it has been investigated for its benefits in addressing pain related to headaches, fibromyalgia, and menstrual cramps, as well as managing symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and menopausal symptoms.
While generally recognized as safe, caution is advised when combining passionflower with sedative medications due to potential interactions. The active compounds in passionflower, including flavonoids and harmala alkaloids, are believed to contribute to its therapeutic effects, though further research is needed to fully understand their role. Overall, passionflower represents a traditional remedy with emerging scientific support, appealing to those interested in herbal approaches to health and wellness.
Passionflower's therapeutic uses
DEFINITION: Natural plant product used to treat specific health conditions.
PRINCIPAL PROPOSED USES: Anxiety, drug addiction
OTHER PROPOSED USES: Insomnia, nervous stomach, pain relief, menopausal symptoms, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Overview
The passionflower vine is a native of the Western hemisphere, named for symbolic connections between its appearance and the crucifixion of Jesus. Indigenous North Americans used passionflower primarily as a mild sedative. It quickly became a folk remedy in Europe and was adopted by professional herbalists as a sedative and digestive aid.
Therapeutic Dosages
The proper dosage of passionflower is 1 cup three times daily of tea made by steeping 1 teaspoon of dried leaves for ten to fifteen minutes. Passionflower tinctures and powdered extracts should be taken according to the label instructions.
Therapeutic Uses
In 1985, Germany’s Commission E officially approved passionflower as a treatment for nervous unrest. The herb is considered to be a mildly effective treatment for anxiety and insomnia, less potent than kava and valerian, but nonetheless useful. Like Melissa officinalis (lemon balm), chamomile, and valerian, passionflower is also used for nervous stomach. However, supporting scientific evidence that passionflower works for these purposes has only begun to emerge in the twenty-first century. Preliminary trials suggest that passionflower might be helpful for anxiety and chemical dependency. Animal studies suggest that passionflower extracts can reduce agitation and prolong sleep. The active ingredients in passionflower are not known. However, passionflower's flavonoids and harmala alkaloids are believed to be responsible for some of its therapeutic actions.
Other proposed therapeutic uses for passionflower include treating pain associated with headaches, fibromyalgia, or menstrual cramps. Emerging studies suggest passionflower may help manage the symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and menopause.
Scientific Evidence
Anxiety. A four-week double-blind study of thirty-six individuals with anxiety (specifically, generalized anxiety disorder) compared passionflower to the standard drug oxazepam. Oxazepam worked more quickly, but by the end of the four-week trial, both treatments proved equally effective. Furthermore, passionflower showed a comparative advantage in terms of side effects: Oxazepam was associated with more job-related problems (such as daytime drowsiness). In a placebo-controlled trial involving sixty surgical patients, passionflower significantly reduced anxiety up to ninety minutes prior to surgery.
Chemical dependency. A fourteen-day double-blind trial enrolled sixty-five men addicted to opiate drugs and compared the effectiveness of passionflower and the drug clonidine together against clonidine alone. Clonidine is a drug widely used to assist narcotic withdrawal. It effectively reduces physical symptoms such as increased blood pressure. However, clonidine does not help emotional symptoms, such as drug craving, anxiety, irritability, agitation, and depression. These symptoms can be quite severe and often cause enrollees in drug treatment programs to end participation. In this fourteen-day study, the use of passionflower along with clonidine significantly eased the emotional aspects of withdrawal compared with clonidine alone.
As the twenty-first century progressed, additional scientific studies on passionflower were undertaken. A 2011 study found participants noted subjective improvements in sleep quality when drinking passionflower tea. A study published the same year found that participants who took a combination of passionflower and St. John's wort saw a reduction in menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes. A study published in 2008 noted improvements in the ADHD symptoms of children and adolescents when supplementing with passionflower.
Safety Issues
Passionflower is on the US Food and Drug Administration’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list. The alkaloids harman and harmaline found in passionflower have been found to act somewhat like the drugs known as monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors and stimulate the uterus, but whether whole passionflower has these effects remains unknown. Passionflower might increase the action of sedative medications. Finally, there are five case reports from Norway of individuals becoming temporarily mentally impaired from a combination of herbal products containing passionflower. It is not clear whether the other ingredients may have played a role. Safety has not been established for pregnant or nursing mothers, very young children, or those with severe liver or kidney disease.
Important Interactions
Passionflower may exaggerate the effect of sedative medications, so those taking these medications should use passionflower only under a physician’s advice.
Bibliography
Akhondzadeh, S., et al. "Passionflower in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety: A Pilot Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial with Oxazepam." Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, vol. 26, 2001, pp. 363-367.
Cuncic, Arlin. "The Health Benefits of Passion Flower." Verywell Mind, 8 Aug. 2024, www.verywellmind.com/how-is-passion-flower-used-to-treat-anxiety-3024970. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
Dhawan, K., et al. "Anxiolytic Activity of Aerial and Underground Parts of Passiflora incarnata." Fitoterapia, vol. 72, 2001, pp. 922-926.
Movafegh, A., et al. "Preoperative Oral Passiflora incarnata Reduces Anxiety in Ambulatory Surgery Patients." Anesthesia and Analgesia, vol. 106, 2008, pp. 1728-1732.
Ngan, A., and R. Conduit. "A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Investigation of the Effects of Passiflora incarnata (Passionflower) Herbal Tea on Subjective Sleep Quality." Phytotherapy Research, vol. 25, no. 8, 2011, pp. 1153-1159, doi.org/10.1002/ptr.3400. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.
"Passionflower." National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Aug. 2020, www.nccih.nih.gov/health/passionflower. Access 19 Sept. 2024.
"Passionflower Information." Mount Sinai, www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/passionflower. Accessed 19 Sept. 2024.