Passionflower vine is well known for its gorgeous flowers. Its fruits are edible and are used for making delicious passionfruit juice. Passion  fruits are known as maypops and looks like an egg. Passionflower grows both in wild and as cultivated variety. It is commonly grows in warmer climates and is a garden favorite plant and many herbal gardens grow them for flower, fruits and as well as for its medicinal properties. Its flowers appear like a clock and exhibit beautiful colors. Most common passionflower that one can find is purple flower passionflowers.

Passionflower plant leaves, fruits, roots and flowers – all exhibit medicinal properties.

What is in passionflower plant?

1. Amino acids: It is loaded with GABA an inhibitory neurotransmitter. GABA’s receptors are distributed in human brain.
2. Indole alkaloids
3. Maltol
4. Fatty acids such as linoleic, linolenic and palmitic fatty acids
5. Flavonoids such as orientin, vitexin, apigenin, luteolin

Presence of these compounds makes one of the best herb for calming human system. Presence of GABA helps in calming brain. Appropriate levels of GABA helps to relax muscles. Not only calming mind, consuming passionflower in different forms helps to get relieve from muscle cramps, seizures, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders.

Presence of flavonoid glycoside in this plant, makes it a sedative, analgesic and anxiolytic herb.

1. Passionflower helps in anxiety and insomnia – improves sleep quality
2. It reduces anxiety
3. It is good for calming nervous system
4. It helps to control body pain, chronic pain, and inflammation
5. It is a muscle relaxant
6. Helps in improving memory
7. Helps in seizures and neuralgia conditions
8. According to some studies, it is good for children who are diagnosed with ADHD.
9. Good for heart health, it lowers blood pressure
10. Recommended for  menopause relief
11. It helps to alleviate spasmodic asthma symptoms.

How Passionfruit vein parts are used?

1. Dried aerial parts are used as infusion
2. Tincture made of aerial parts are used for topical application.
3. Passionflower tea is used for reducing stress and anxiety
4. Passion flowers are edible and eating them helps to reduce anxiety.
5. Passion fruits – ripe fruits are edible. One can eat them (spit black seeds) or fruit pulp can be used for making juice. Unripe fruits are sour, ripe fruits taste better and good for preparing juice.
6. Leaves of passion fruit plant can be used for making tea by infusing 2-5 grams of leaves into one or 2 cups  of water.
7. Roots of the plant is used as poultice to reduce inflammation of wounds.
8. Tea from the root is used to bring down earache
9. Infants can be weaned using the root tea.
10. Entire plant is used as blood tonic, to improve blood.

How to include passion fruit plant in diet? Before collecting passion fruit plant or vein parts, make sure the vein is not sprayed with pesticide or herbicide.

• Rinse and dry passion flowers and add to desserts and drinks – use them for garnishing dishes.
• Both flowers and young leaves can be added to salad.
• Steep passion flowers in tea or cold juices (like lemonade)

If you are a lactating mother or suffering from serious conditions, before consuming this plant parts contact your physician and seek advice.

Image credit: Image by wurliburli from Pixabay  (Free for commercial use)