A favourite at Herbs on the Hill this week, the beautiful Passiflora incarnata or commonly known as Passionflower (sometimes a herbal medicine as beautiful as this one feels like it needs a formal introduction using its botanical name). While the flower holds its beauty, its stems and leaves that hold its medicinal actions.
Passionflower is a favourite for many reasons, it can be a wonderful addition to a herbal mix but its efficacy as a single dose at times to manage those feelings of anxiety is one that is just hard to beat.1,2 Compared to two different medications commonly prescribed for anxiety, passionflower showed similar positive outcomes.3,4,5
A firm belief at Herbs on the Hill is not having to choose between prescribed medication and herbal medicine. This is another area where passionflower shines, with studies adding passionflower to anxiolytic medication finding additional benefit.6
While these results are exciting, it is always important to remember that there is no one size fits all treatment. That is where we come in, our team is happy to work with you to ensure your treatment is personalised and the best fit for you. Meet our team here.
1. Movafegh A, Alizadeh R, Hajimohamadi F, Esfehani F, Nejatfar M. Preoperative Oral Passiflora Incarnata Reduces Anxiety in Ambulatory Surgery Patients: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Anesthesia and Analgesia. 2008;106(6):1728-32.
2. Aslanargun P, Cuvas O, Dikmen B, Aslan E, Yuksel MU. Passiflora Incarnata Linneaus as an Anxiolytic before Spinal Anesthesia. Journal of anesthesia. 2012;26:39-44.
3. Azimaraghi O, Yousefshahi F, Khatavi F, Zamani MM, Movafegh A. Both Oral Passiflora Incarnata and Oxazepam Can Reduce Pre-Operative Anxiety in Ambulatory Surgery Patients: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2017;10:331-4.
4. Dantas L-P, de Oliveira-Ribeiro A, de Almeida-Souza L-M, Groppo F-C. Effects of Passiflora Incarnata and Midazolam for Control of Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Dental Extraction. Medicina oral, patologia oral y cirugia bucal. 2017;22(1):e95.
5. Akhondzadeh S, Naghavi H, Vazirian M, Shayeganpour A, Rashidi H, Khani M. Passionflower in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety: A Pilot Double‐Blind Randomized Controlled Trial with Oxazepam. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2001;26(5):363-7.
6. Nojoumi M, Ghaeli P, Salimi S, Sharifi A, Raisi F. Effects of Passion Flower Extract, as an Add-on Treatment to Sertraline, on Reaction Time in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study. Iranian journal of psychiatry. 2016;11(3):191.