Risks And Side Effects
At one time passion flower was approved as an over-the-counter sedative and sleep aid in the U.S., but in 1978, it was taken off the market due to safety and lack of testing. While studies indicate many positive uses for passion flower, always check with your doctor before taking any new herb in any form.
If you experience nausea, vomiting, drowsiness or any other odd symptoms, even if after a few days, please seek the help of a physician. Do not take if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have medical problems. It may not be suitable for children under 6 months of age.;
Final Thoughts
Passion flower may be a great alternative for you if you have anxiety, problems sleeping and struggle to focus, those nagging, uncomfortable hot flashes and even problems with high blood pressure. Numerous studies have found it to be very beneficial, even for children with ADHD. Though it is important to make sure your doctor approves its use and to pay attention to any possible side effects, you can start;with;small doses using some of the recipes in this article.
Passion flower could be the perfect solution, especially when combined with other relaxation-inducing herbs, to create calmness in your day, without affecting your productivity. Since stress induces many other problems within our bodies, you may want to consider trying passion flower to see it it can help reduce stress and get you some much-needed shut eye!
Bulksupplements Passion Flower Extract
Bulksupplements delivers its trademark super-pure and simple powder-form supplements in its passion flower extract: this powderized extract comes in a 250 gram resealable plastic bag.
However, due to the fairly small doses most people use for passionflower, its not particularly useful unless you are mixing up large batches of herbal preparations.
Even then, youll need a precision scale to measure out anything resembling a consistent dosage, so despite its purity, Bulksupplements is only recommended for niche users.
When You Can’t Sleep: Passionflower Or Melatonin
Sleep is essential for an individual’s well-being and healthy immune system. We spend up to one-third of our lives asleep, and there’s a very good reason why. It is often thought that when you close your eyes and drift into sleep, your mind and body powers down. However, this is not the case. In reality, sleep is an active period during which important processing, restoration and strengthening occurs.
One of the most important roles of sleep is to help us consolidate memories. Each day we acquire new information and experiences. These need to be processed and stored. Memories are transferred from our short term memory to our long-term memory.;Much of this is done;while we sleep.;
Sleep also helps us to be more alert, present and feel better overall. Sleep restores and rejuvenates our bodies. Sleep is needed to grow muscle, repair tissue and synthesize hormones. Sleep is essential to help us function physically, mentally and emotionally. Yet, many of us struggle to get a restful sleep. Insomnia and sleep disorders are extremely common in North America. Symptoms of sleep disorders and insomnia may include:
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Fatigue during the day
- Depression
- Lack of concentration
While symptoms can be debilitating, there are many medications and sleep aids to help sleep disturbances or insomnia.;Two popular sleep aids available over-the-counter include passionflower and melatonin.;
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How Do You Make Passionflower Tea
If you want to brew passionflower tea at home, all you need is dried or fresh;passionflower;leaves and hot water, in addition to any sweeteners you may;desire. Dried leaves can either be crushed into a powder to infuse in the tea, or the leaves can be placed in an infuser or tea strainer. Fresh leaves can also be used to brew this tea, in which case about a 1/4 cup of the leaves is required for a strong brew.
Herbal Synergy Of Passion Flower
Passion flower benefits are often more pronounced when combining the herb with other medicinal plant extracts. Several clinical studies have shown the efficacy of passion flower benefits in combination with other soothing plant extracts to resolve anxiety and mild sleep disorders.
Proven combination partners of Passiflora include:
- Valerian
- Lavender
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Herb / Drug Interactions:
The NMCD concludes passionflower is possibly safe when taken for less than two months as medicine or tea. However, since passionflower has sedating properties, users should exercise caution when taking with alcohol or sedative medications. These include: benzodiazepines and tricyclic anti-depressants, anticonvulsants, and barbiturates. Other side effects of taking passionflower orally include dizziness, confusion, ataxia , and sedation.
Passionflower may cause dangerous side effects when taken with blood-thinner medications and an older class of antidepressant medication called monoamine oxidase inhibitors .
Because passionflower may help lower blood pressure, caution is advised when using this herb with antihypertensive medications.
What Is The Dosage For Oral Passion Flower
Children should not be given passion flower without a doctor’s supervision and dose adjustment.
Adults
- Liquid extract: Take 45 drops by mouth daily.
- Tablet: Take up 90 mg by mouth daily.
Opiate withdrawal
- Liquid extract: Take 60 drops by mouth daily.
General dosing
- Dried extract: Take 0.25 to 2 grams by mouth three times a day.
- Tea: Take 0.25 to 2 grams extract per 150 ml of water, by mouth two to three times a day and 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Liquid extract: Take 0.5 to 1 ml by mouth three times a day.
- Tincture: Take 0.5 to 2 ml by mouth three times a day.
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When Do I Need To Call The Doctor
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Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
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Very bad throwing up
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Not able to wake up or feeling too sleepy
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Very bad dizziness, passing out, or fast heartbeat
Passion Flower Tea Properties
There are numerous Passion Flower Tea properties worth noting, many of which have a significant influence on your health and wellbeing. This includes, but is not limited to, flavonoids, maltol and indole alkaloids.
Arguably most important, though, are its active ingredients such as chrysin, vitexin, coumarin, and umbelliferone. Many of these serve as antioxidants.;
Why does this matter? Antioxidants in Tea combat and often neutralise free radicals in the body, which are the product of oxidative stress.
This kind of oxidation, when left unchecked , increases the risk of a multitude of chronic conditions. Yet Passion Flower Loose Tea counters its effects, thereby reducing risks. And thats just the beginning.;
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Animal And Cellular Research
No clinical evidence supports the use of passion flower for any of the conditions listed in this section. Below is a summary of the existing animal and cell-based research, which should guide further investigational efforts. However, the studies listed below should not be interpreted as supportive of any health benefit.
7) Seizures
In studies on rats and mice with epilepsy, researchers observed the potential of passionflower extract to :
- Reduce the duration and severity of seizures
- Enhance the brain-protective effects of GABA
- Maintain normal levels of serotonin and noradrenaline
Vitexin, a flavonoid from passionflower, strengthened the brain tissue and blocked inflammation in rats. As a result, it cut the risk of seizures. Another passionflower flavonoid, chrysin, protected mice against seizures and relaxed their muscles .
8) Brain Protection
In mice and rats, purple passionflower blocked free-radical brain damage, improving the animals cognition and movement. Another type of passionflower, P. cincinnata, prevented the progression of Parkinsons disease in mice .
Vitexin, apigenin, and chrysin have shown beneficial effects against Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease in animal and cellular models studies by .
9) Depression
Passionflower contains indole alkaloids, which can boost the levels of essential neurotransmitters in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline. This feature makes them promising candidates for the development of new antidepressants .
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3. Health Benefits Of Passionflower Relieve Gastrointestinal Discomfort
In fact, passionflower tea is considered as an effective remedy for many stomach issues;such as an upset stomach or indigestion. Simply, drink a cup of the passionflower tea twice daily at the first period of minor gastrointestinal discomfort. If this discomfort is not reduced within 3 days, it is best for you to consult your doctor to ensure that it does not cause any serious issue.
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4. Health Benefits Of Passionflower Smoking Cessation
According to a study in the Pharmaceutical Biology in 2012, if you are trying to quit smoking, using passionflower may give you a natural method to keep your cravings for nicotine at bay. In this study, researchers tested the ability of passionflower extract to reduce symptoms of nicotine sensitization on rats and realized that passionflower extract could significantly relieve these symptoms. These researchers called for further research to determine how this extract can be used in the programs of treatment for smoking cessation.
5. Health Benefits Of Passionflower Treat Insomnia
Alternatively, you may also combine passionflower with valerian root to substantially boost up the benefits of passionflower for insomnia.
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Should You Use Passion Flower For Anxiety
While passion flower is believed to be effective in the short term, its long term effects have yet to be established, and very few controlled studies have shown any substantial results. There is a chance that passion flower’s effect on anxiety is either very mild or a placebo, but many people do use it today with varying degrees of success.
If you do intend to use passion flower as a treatment for your anxiety, pay attention to the dosage to avoid any harmful effects from the harmala alkaloids. Also, bear in mind that your motor skills may be impaired by higher doses. Dizziness, confusion and lack of muscle coordination have been noted as possible side effects.
According to the studies that have been done there is little known risk to taking extract of Passiflora incarnata, and the supplement can be effective, but it is acknowledged within the scientific community that further studies are needed.
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What Is Passion Flower Tea
Passion Flower Loose Leaf Tea comes from the plant of the same name. It belongs to a genus of around 550 species of flowering plants, which in turn are in the Passifloraceae family.
They mostly originate from Mexico and Central and South America. However, some species are endemic to Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Most people know them for their beautiful flowers and fruit.
The flowers, specifically, when made into a Herbal Tea, have a mild flavour with grassy, earthy notes and sweet, floral undertones.
Historically, Native Americans made this beverage to treat a variety of ailments, including boils, wounds, earaches and liver issues. Spanish colonists later learned about it from indigenous Peruvians, whereby they called it Passion Flower after the passion of Christ.
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Passion Flower Tea Is Mild
This isnt really a flavor note so to speak. But I felt it important to put this out as the first reaction that I got from drinking passionflower tea.
This is an incredibly mild tea. I steeped two or three cups for different times just to be sure that I was getting the most out of these flowers when I went to make a cup of tea with them.
It just turns out that this tea is incredibly mild and theres no other way around it. There are certain little flavor notes that Ill get into in a minute.
This is one of the blandest herbal teas Ive tried a long time. And probably one of my least favorite flower herbal teas that Ive had lately.
Sedative Medications Interacts With Passionflower
Passionflower might cause sleepiness and drowsiness. Medications that cause sleepiness are called sedatives. Taking passionflower along with sedative medications might cause too much sleepiness.Some sedative medications include pentobarbital , phenobarbital , secobarbital , clonazepam , lorazepam , zolpidem , and others.
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Passion Flower Tea Is Pretty Bland
Of course, this is all just my individual opinion of what I taste when I drink passionflower tea. So you may feel very differently about this particular aspect of the flavor.
I find this tea to be incredibly Bland and not very enjoyable to drink.
Its a very relaxing tea to drink and is very mild and very unoffending to your taste buds.
But it just does not do it for me and I dont really see any way to make it something I would really enjoy on its own.
Now you could blend it with some other teas or flavors and you might have something there.
But as for the general flavor of passionflower tea, I think its one of the weakest herbal infusions Ive had in a long time.
Special Precautions & Warnings
Pregnancy and breast-feedingPOSSIBLY UNSAFE
Not enough is known about the safety of taking passionflower during breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and don’t use it.
Surgery: Passionflower can affect the central nervous system. It might increase the effects of anesthesia and other medications on the brain during and after surgery. Stop taking passionflower at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Passionflower
Passionflower seems to be safe for most people to take by mouth in amounts found in food. It seems to be safe to take short-term as tea or medicine. It seems to be unsafe to take by mouth in a large amount.
Passionflower may cause side effects such as confusion, dizziness, altered consciousness, inflamed blood vessels, and irregular muscle action & coordination. In addition, there has been a report of vomiting, nausea, drowsiness, abnormal heart rhythm, and a rapid heart rate in some people who took it.
Now, there is not enough evidence to tell the safety of using passionflower to apply to the skin.
Special Precautions And Warnings:
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Avoid taking passionflower when you are pregnant. This is completely unsafe. There are a few chemicals found in passionflower that may contract the uterus. The safety of consuming passionflower during breastfeeding is not unknown. Therefore, dont use it.
Surgery: This plant has an effect on your central nervous system. It may raise the effects of anesthesia as well as other medications on your brain during & after surgery. Stop taking this plant at least two weeks before a surgery.
Passion Flower Herb Tea Benefits
What is Passion Flower Tea good for? In theory, quite a lot. Although it hasnt been as extensively studied as the likes of Green Tea Benefits and Nettle Tea Benefits, it still has several extraordinary qualities.
Preliminary research has found that it relieves anxiety, for example, while at the same time improving sleeping patterns. There is also the chance of it lowering blood pressure.
Preliminary is the word to remember here, however, which means that we remain in the early stages of understanding Passion Flower Tea benefits.
Therefore, until we know more, The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company urge caution when consuming it. If you have any concerns, we recommend you speak to a medical professional. We care most about the welfare of our customers.
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Passion Flower Extract Anxiety
Is passion flower extract good for anxiety? How can you use the extract for anxiety?
Evidence from limited animal and human research suggests that the extract may be good in the treatment of anxiety. The flavone chrysin within passion flower is what produces the anti-anxiety benefits.
âPerhaps you feel nervous or anxious some or all of the time, but just donât want to take drugs to calm yourself down. If you wish to allay your nervousness without becoming dependent or suffering unwanted effects, you can turn to Passion flowerâ, Chris Kilham Medicine Hunter fox health
How can you use the extract for anxiety? Check on the dosage section below.
What Are Dosages Of Passion Flower
Dosages of Passion Flower:
- 0.25-2 g orally three times daily
- 1 cup orally two to three times daily and 30 min before bedtime; 0.25-2 g/150 ml water
Liquid Extract
- 0.5-1 ml orally three times daily; 1:1 in 25% alcohol
Tincture
- Liquid extract: 45 gtt orally daily
Opiate Withdrawal
- Liquid extract: 60 gtt orally daily
Dosage Considerations Should be Given as Follows:
- See “Suggested Dosing”
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Best Passion Flower Extract Reviews
Are there individuals with real life experience with passiflora extract? What are they saying about this extract? Well, there are plenty of best passion flower extract reviews. Here are a few I picked from renowned websites.
âI use passion flower extract for anxiety and insomnia. It has helped me in a good way it calms me and relaxes me. I donât have to be doped on meds for the anxiety or sleep problems. i am very pleased with the results. I would recommend it to anyone their health permitting.â
âAfter Dr. OZ mentioned this product on his show, it flew off the shelves and was difficult to find. I didnât buy the larger size, because I wanted to see if it truly worked and it does. I take the recommended amount before bed and Iâm off to sleep in no time. You donât feel drugged in the morning, either. Iâm unsure about taking it during the dayâ¦to calm frazzled nerves..maybe in a lesser amount, so you donât feel sleepy. I would definitely buy it again!â
âReally works well if youâre feeling stressed out or need to relax. Sometimes is nice to take before bed to help fall asleep. Much better than taking any drug. No bad side effects. Very good price and good brand. Definitely recommend.â