Passion Flower Extract: Benefits, Uses & Safety

Passion flower extract has been used throughout history for multiple nervous and heart disorders. Often included in supplements or prepared as a tea, this herbal remedy should be used carefully, and is not recommended for pregnant women or those taking blood thinners.

Anxiety

• Passion flower extract is a sedative that has a long history in the treatment of anxiety. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, scientists suspect that these calming qualities are the result of a change in brain chemistry that causes relaxation by quieting certain cells.

Blood Pressure and Heart Problems

• Although clinical testing has not been done on humans, laboratory experiments have shown passion flower extract to be useful in treating heart and circulatory problems in mice. Alan C. McKelvey of the Fred White Health Center at Wright University reports its effectiveness in treating high blood pressure and heart palpitations specifically.

Insomnia

• The sedative effects of passion flower extract make it an ideal sleep aid. In a 1999 article for Better Nutrition magazine, J. Jamison Starbuck suggests that this is due to the extract's anti-spasmodic properties, which prevent insomnia caused by coughs or physical injuries.