Native Americans have another pearl in their ancient herbal pharmacy – passion flower. This plant has stunning flowers, delicious fruits, and a calming effect, but clinical research has yet to cast more light on it. Read on to discover the benefits, dangers, and interesting facts about passion flower.<\/p>\n
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Over 500 different species of passionflower (Passiflora<\/i>) belong to the Passifloraceae<\/i> family of herbs. The most common ones include [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Most species are climbing vines while some grow as shrubs or small trees. In late spring, they bloom large and beautiful flowers which last only a day.<\/p>\n Spanish conquistadors named this unique flower after the \u201cPassion of Christ<\/b>“; they found a complex symbolism between the numbers of flower parts and certain events from the last days of Jesus’ life. The flower also resembles a clock, and many nations call it a “clock-flower<\/b>.”<\/p>\n Passion flowers are native to Latin America, but they grow well in any tropical area. People cultivate them for their sensational flowers and delicious fruits.<\/p>\n People around the globe enjoy the fruit of Passiflora edulis<\/i>, the famous \u201cpassion fruit\u201d or maracuja. Native Americans also use dried leaves of passion flower for smoking.<\/p>\n Proponents:<\/b><\/p>\n Skeptics:<\/b><\/p>\n Purple passionflower or maypop<\/b> (Passiflora incarnata<\/i>) has a long history of use in traditional medicine. This evergreen vine climbs up to 6 m and tolerates urban conditions, including roadsides and waste grounds.<\/p>\n Native Americans have used passionflower for insomnia, anxiety, seizures,<\/b> pain<\/b><\/a>, and more. The colonists adopted this calming herb and made it an essential remedy in European herbalism.<\/p>\n Other traditions have used passion flower to combat muscle cramps, asthma, and even cancer. Its relaxing properties are even more popular nowadays, as a promising solution for a stressful life and mental distractions [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Although we call it passion flower<\/i>, the whole herb has medicinal value. The above-ground parts contain a wide range of bioactive components, such as [R<\/a>, R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Standardized passionflower (P. incarnata<\/i>) extracts contain 3.5% or 7% <\/b>of total flavonoids, expressed as vitexin or isovitexin [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Components and medicinal properties vary between the species. Passiflora edulis<\/i> is famous for its sweet fruit, commonly called passion fruit, but it has weak therapeutic value [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Flavonoids<\/b> from passionflower can combat inflammation and free-radical damage, prevent cell mutations, block pain signals, and more [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n They also activate the GABA receptors in the brain, supporting relaxation and repair. The presence of GABA in passionflower enhances these effects [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Indole alkaloids<\/b> may boost crucial neurotransmitters in the brain — dopamine<\/a>, noradrenaline<\/a>, serotonin<\/a> — by blocking an enzyme that transforms them (MAO<\/a>). This effect may protect against depression and other mental disorders [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Thanks to a unique blend of these components, passionflower may [R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>, R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n Note<\/b>: All studies and health benefits refer to purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata<\/i>) unless stated otherwise. Clinical trials with passionflower, although promising, had notable design flaws we\u2019ll cover in \u201cLimitations and Caveats<\/b>.”<\/p>\n\n
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Health Benefits of Passion Flower<\/span><\/h2>\n
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