Properties of passion flower

Health benefits of passion flower supplements

Passion flower constitutes one of the best remedies against all type of nervous manifestations. Contrary to other treatments, this plant doesn’t present contraindications. Most of the tranquilizers, especially those of chemical nature, have an immediate effect but they produce non desirable effects as the habituation.

Habituation syndrome implies every time bigger doses. Apart from this side effect, chemical sedatives produce drowsiness, so that they should be used with wisdom in activities in which we should be very wakeful as driving vehicles or working with dangerous machines.

This plant, because of the action of the flavonoids, exercises a sedative effect on the nervous system without creating depressive effects in it.

Passion flower remedies

Among the main properties, all them related with the nervous system, we can mention the following ones:

  • Passion flower for insomnia: It calms the nerves and it relaxes the organism. It is very appropriate in those stressing situations when we are very nervous and excited, because of personal or work problems (stress, anxiety). Specially interesting when the situation doesn’t allow us to sleep well and we suffer of insomnia. You can also use with the children or with the grown-ups, even with prolonged treatments, which will allow them to rest better at night.
  • Passion flower for anxiety: Also very useful to calm the nerves in those stressing situations such as an exposition in front of an audience, exams, etc.

It prevents vertigo or dizziness caused by alterations of nerves (Infusion of a couple of teaspoonfuls of the dried plant in half a liter of water. Drink a couple of small cups a day)

  • Passion flower for depression: Very profitable to help those people that are following a treatment against depression or those who have tendency to be sad or depressed, in situations like unemployment, the death of some relative, the nervous problems related with menopause, premenstrual syndrome, postpartum depression, etc.

(Infusion of a couple of spoonfuls of the dry plant in half a liter of water. Drink a couple of small cups a day) (Macerate the dry plant with the same quantity of alcohol during one week. Filter it and take about 25 drops a day)

The same treatment could be very be suitable for the treatment of depression symptoms that accompany multiple sclerosis. Passion flower is extremely effective in the treatment of urinary incontinence.

Painkiller: It calms pain, especially when it is related with problems of the nervous system, and it favors the disappearance of a series of physical symptoms that have their origin in emotional problems.

It will be very appropriate to take some of the previous treatments in those situations when frequent headaches are presented (migraines), once the doctor has discarded that their origins don’t come from other more serious organic causes.

Also very useful when another series of physical manifestations arising from tested nervous origin exist (the need of urinating very frequently at night, what is known as night enuresis, palpitations and heart arrhythmias, problems in the speech that impede a fluent speech – stammering problems -) nausea, breathing problems of nervous character, well-known as nervous dyspnoea -) etc.

  • Spasmolytic: The infusions or Passiflora dyes are appropriate to avoid the involuntary spasms taken place by a nervous system subjected to stress. We should use these remedies in intestinal spasms stomach cramps when we know that they have a nervous character. Very useful to combat the pains of the menstruation, the muscular spasms or fibromyalgia.
  • Urinary incontinence: To remedy incontinence caused by nerve problems or related to menopause or PMS.
  • Circulatory system diseases: The use of this plant diminishes the arterial pressure so it is recommended use it in cases of circulatory system diseases, such as arterial hypertension. (Take some of the preparations previously seen during 15 days. In this case it is recommended not to overcome the established quantities to avoid it to be toxic)
  • Hypothyroidism: any of the symptoms associated with hypothyroidism (Depression, insomnia, headache, etc.) can be alleviated with the use of this plant. (Infusion of a couple of tablespoons of dried plant per half a liter of water. Drink a couple of small cups a day)

Is passion flower safe?

The presence of uterotoxic alkaloids doesn’t make it appropriate to use it during the pregnancy or the nursing. It doesn’t be administered to children under 3 years and the quantity given to those until 12 years old should be proportional to their weight.

Equally, with youths and adults, the doses should not be superior to the recommended ones. The reason is that passionflowers possess passiflorine and gynocardin, that are two cyanogenetic components, that is to say able to produce cyanide in combination with the corporal enzymes.

The intoxications are fundamentally manifested in form of adverse stomach reactions. Other reactions with higher doses are the narcosis, or feeling of unconsciousness or drowsiness and the hallucinations taken place by their alkaloids that can be considered psychotropic and hallucinogen.

* Related information: Passion flower toxicity, passion flower contraindications, passion flower side effects

punto rojoMore information on passion flower and passion fruit.

This article was endorsed by Elisenda Carballido - Dietitian nutritionist. Postgraduate in Phytotherapy and master in Nutrition and Metabolism.
Editorial
Written by Editorial Botanical-online team in charge of content writing

1 June, 2021

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