Passiflora

Passiflora was discovered by the West when Spanish explorers first ventured into Peru and came across the Aztec Indians, who were very fond of using Passiflora, mainly as a sedative and analgesic.
Passiflora is a native of the American continent but now grows throughout the world, thriving on rich soils in sunny climates. Passiflora is a perennial vine with a woody, hairy stem and three lobed, pointed, serrated leaves. Passiflora's flowers are cream with striking purple centres that yield orange fruits with scented seed.
The main active constituents of Passiflora are alkaloids and flavonoids, the former of which include harmine. This ingredient on its own has rather a startling history. It was used as a 'truth serum' by the Germans in World War II, by virtue of its ability to relax the mind and create a contemplative state. This, together with the mild euphoria that it can induce, may be part of the reason why the Aztecs were so attached to Passiflora.
The overall effect of Passiflora, when used as a whole herb, is as a sedative that calms the central nervous system. In Ayurvedic medicine Passiflora has been used to aid withdrawal from opium. You do not, however, have to use Passiflora in quite such an extreme way - it is a minor tranquilliser with no addictive properties, so it is appropriate for a whole host of conditions, from sleeping problems to nerve spasms.
Helping you to slip over the threshold into restful sleep, Passiflora can bring you the relief of a good night's rest without leaving you with a residual hangover in the morning. Passiflora isn't addictive so you can use it for as long as necessary. Passiflora has been used successfully for the sleep problems connected with ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
As Passiflora has antispasmodic properties, it can reduce the muscle spasms and gastric spasms that often accompany stress. Tension and anxiety will be countered, and it contains alkaloids that prevent serotonin from being broken down. This makes Passiflora anti-depressive, a useful alternative to Hypericum for those who can't take it. Stress and depression are key health issues in our modern world, and the nerve relaxant, blood pressure lowering effects of Passiflora make it of prime interest to those vulnerable to stress symptoms.
Passiflora seems to reduce perception of pain, and has been used for neuralgia, shingles and general nerve pain. Passiflora is very helpful during the menopause, when falling hormone levels can make women prone to anxiety and depression.
Herbalists consider Passiflora to work best when mixed with other sedative herbs such as Avena sativa, which increase its sedative powers. It is suitable for long term use and has no adverse effects. You should not add Passiflora to existing medication such as tranquillisers or anti-depressants, but it is not contraindicated with anything else.