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Also known as- Passiflora incarnata, Passiflora caerulea, Apricot Vine, Blue and Purple Passionflower, and Maypop.
Introduction
Passionflower is a climbing vine native to South Texas, Mexico, and Central America. Growing to a length of 30 feet (9 meters) under ideal conditions, the vine bears three-lobed leaves, purple flowers, and yellow-to-orange egg-shaped fruit. The name of the plant comes an analogy between the plantÍs ornate flower to the elements of the crucifixion of Jesus, white and purple to symbolize heaven and purity, five stamens for the five wounds he suffered, three style for the three nails used to affix him to the cross.
Passion Flower was named by Spanish explorers who thought that its flowers resembled three nails and a crown of thorns, reminding them of the Passion of Christ. Both the plant and its flower can be dried and used medicinally.
Passion Flower is used as a mild sedative and sleep aid. Though few clinical trials have been conducted on Passion Flower, the herb has been used widely in Europe, and it is beginning to get attention in America as well.
Passion Flower is the main ingredient of a sleeping pill in Germany and a popular herbal sedative in the United Kingdom. In Romania, a patented chewing gum containing Passion Flower is used as a sedative. The herb is also used to treat fatigue and nervousness.
It is believed that Passion Flower has an effect on the nervous system that makes it useful in treating these ailments. The active ingredients in Passion Flower are unknown, but it is thought that the alkaloids and flavonoids it contains are among the most active of its components. A variety of other substances, including amino acids and sterols, are also said to support the actions of Passion Flower.
In addition to being used as a sedative and sleep aid, Passion Flower has been used in the treatment of asthma, circulatory problems and symptoms of menopause. It also has pain-relieving and antispasmodic effects. Passion Flower is thought to affect the nervous system in several ways. Interestingly, it can act as both a sedative and a stimulant. In fact, it is sometimes used as a hallucinogen at very high doses, though its primary therapeutic use is as a sedative.
Constituents
Chrysin, harmane, harmaline.
Parts Used
Dried leaves and stems. Passionflower powder must be stored at temperatures below 77 degrees F (25 degrees C), and should be used within six months of purchase.
Typical Preparations
Teas, tinctures and encapsulations. Sometimes found in relaxing bath blends and sleep pillow mixes.
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Black cohosh. This traditional women’s herb is most known today for its role in preventing hot flashes. However, it was used by Native Americans for treating snakebite, and it slows and strengthens the heartbeat, calming women with anxiety accompanied by an increased heart rate.
Chamomile. With a long history of use in France, this tiny flower is a safe source of the amino acid tryptophan, useful in treating insomnia. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reported using chamomile tea in a hospital to induce relaxation and sleep when other drugs were not working. For ten out of twelve patients, chamomile worked like a charm. This is one of the safest herbs for children; however, it may cause reactions for some who are allergic to ragweed.
Damiana. Also useful for bronchitis and emphysema, hot flashes, impotence, and low sex drive, damiana supports the endocrine system and is useful for mid-afternoon anxiety. First used by the Mayan Indians of the Yucatan peninsula, they called it mizi-coc, which means herb for asthma. Asthma frequently has a stress factor as a trigger as well as environmental stimuli; damiana helps maintain relaxation of the bronchials, adrenals, and nervous system. Traditionally taken in the afternoon.
Ginseng. Generally recommended for women in their thirties and beyond, morning application of ginseng can eliminate nighttime insomnia as well as giving the energy and endurance to handle the stresses of everyday life. My friend Linda has had insomnia off and on her whole life. When we did a scan for herbs for her, we came up with ginseng. She wondered how an herb taken at breakfast time would help her sleep at night, but she tried it, and sure enough, she slept like a baby from the very first night.
Licorice. This is an excellent herb for adrenal support and is also helpful for quitting smoking. It promotes calmness and endurance, with a sense of inner strength and tranquility, and is especially useful for women with low blood pressure. When used inappropriately for patients with hypertension or kidney disease, or to excess, the side effects include water retention and swollen ankles, which will disappear when the use of licorice is discontinued. In China, licorice is used in almost every herbal formula, in minuscule amounts, as an endocrine support and to increase energy.
Passionflower. A highly effective nervine, passionflower was discovered on the central American islands by the Spanish in the 1500s, who named this thorny plant with the beautiful red-splashed white flowers after the Passion of the Christ. Renewed interest in passionflower has occurred due to its use in racehorses in Australia and New Zealand by the premier horse veterinarian in that part of the world. He uses passionflower and valerian for horses with mental fidgets," passionflower and hops for horses with restless legs, who can’t stand still, and passionflower and chamomile for horses with a tendency to develop colic. The principals of his herbal medicine work well for people too.
Summary
Herbalists in Mexico, Central America, and Texas have used passionflower as a calmative and sleeping aid for over 200 years. Relieving muscle tension, the herb lowers blood pressure and calms anxiety. Passionflower is also a source of chrysin, a chemical that helps the body release testosterone. Chrysin stimulates the production of testosterone, and thus can seldom aggravate conditions caused by excessive testosterone (baldness and prostate problems in men, unusual aggression, hair growth, and skin problems in men and women). Passionflower is most appropriate for men who have conditions such as gynecomastia (enlargement of the breasts) caused by excessive estrogen. While chrysin keeps testosterone from being converted into estrogen, it also blocks some of the receptors on cells that cause them to respond to estrogen.
Passionflower is the herbal remedy of choice for treating nausea and vomiting resulting from withdrawal from Vicodin, cocaine, heroin, or opiate painkillers. It may also help in attention deficit disorder and restless legs syndrome. Compounds in passionflower occupy the same receptor sites in the brain as the benzodiazepine drugs Librium (chlordiazepoxide) and Valium (diazepam), but cause less drowsiness. Passionflower may also help withdrawal from alcohol.
Finally, passionflower is help for nerve pain caused by post-herpetic neuralgia, the sometimes intense pain following outbreaks of shingles.
Precautions
DonÍt take passionflower if you are taking an MAO inhibitor such as Elavil (amitryptyline) for depression or diabetic neuropathy. The combination of the herb and the prescription drug can cause excessive sleepiness. Pregnant women should avoid passionflower, since it can stimulate uterine contractions. Safe dosages for children under 6 have not been established.
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