SYS ONLINE
SUPPLEMENT_SCHOLAR
evidence · mechanism · dose
Supplements/Herb

Passionflower

aka Passiflora incarnata

Mild anxiolytic and sleep aid with GABA-A modulation.

Mood & AnxietySleep & Recovery

Overview

Mild anxiolytic and sleep aid with GABA-A modulation.

Natural sources
  • Passiflora incarnata
Common forms
  • Tea
  • Tincture
  • Standardized extract

Forms & variants of Passionflower

Different chemical forms of Passionflower behave differently. Browse each form's mechanism, bioavailability, and best-use context.

Anxiety dose
Passionflower (Anxiety)

Passiflora incarnata for mild GAD and pre-surgical anxiety.

Mechanism of action

Flavonoids (chrysin, vitexin) modulate GABA-A receptor.

Pathways
  • · GABA-A modulation

Effects on the body

Decreases
Anxiety

Organ system effects

Brain & CNS

Comparable to low-dose oxazepam in some preoperative trials.

Evidence-based benefits

Reduces preoperative anxiety comparable to oxazepam

Moderate evidence

Mild sleep improvement

Limited evidence

Potential side effects

Common
  • · Drowsiness
Rare
  • · Nausea
Serious

    Drug interactions

    CNS depressants
    Additive sedation.
    moderate

    Safety & non-supplemental interactions

    Educational summary — always confirm with your clinician or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or combining with prescription therapy.

    Avoid if you are
    • ·Pregnant or breastfeeding (insufficient safety data)
    • ·Children under 18 (unless directed by a clinician)
    Avoid / monitor with these medications
    • ·Alcohol, benzodiazepines, opioids, sedating antihistamines (additive CNS depression)

    Supplement interactions

    Pairs well with

    None listed.

    Avoid combining with

    No specific avoidances listed.

    Dosing & bioavailability

    Typical dose
    250–500 mg extract

    Where to buy

    Affiliate-style search links to reputable retailers. We don't endorse specific brands — verify third-party testing (USP, NSF, Informed Sport) before purchase.

    Herb
    Passionflower
    Amazon
    Wide selection · fast shipping
    Herb
    Passionflower
    iHerb
    Global delivery · curated brands
    Herb
    Passionflower
    Thorne
    Practitioner-grade · NSF tested

    Scientific evidence (9)

    RCTPhytother Res · 2011

    Passiflora incarnata for sleep quality

    Ngan A, Conduit R

    Pilot RCT of passionflower tea before bed.

    Key findings

    Improved subjective sleep quality vs placebo.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

    PubMed: Passionflower — Reduces preoperative anxiety comparable to oxazepam

    Live PubMed search

    Live results for "Passionflower Reduces preoperative anxiety comparable to oxazepam" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

    Key findings

    Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Passionflower and "Reduces preoperative anxiety comparable to oxazepam". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

    PubMed: Passionflower — Mild sleep improvement

    Live PubMed search

    Live results for "Passionflower Mild sleep improvement" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

    Key findings

    Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Passionflower and "Mild sleep improvement". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

    PubMed: Passionflower — randomized controlled trial

    Live PubMed search

    Live results for "Passionflower randomized controlled trial" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

    Key findings

    Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Passionflower and "randomized controlled trial". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

    PubMed: Passionflower — meta-analysis

    Live PubMed search

    Live results for "Passionflower meta-analysis" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

    Key findings

    Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Passionflower and "meta-analysis". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

    PubMed: Passionflower — pharmacokinetics

    Live PubMed search

    Live results for "Passionflower pharmacokinetics" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

    Key findings

    Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Passionflower and "pharmacokinetics". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

    PubMed: Passionflower — safety adverse events

    Live PubMed search

    Live results for "Passionflower safety adverse events" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

    Key findings

    Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Passionflower and "safety adverse events". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewPubMed (NLM) · 1970

    PubMed: Passionflower — dose response

    Live PubMed search

    Live results for "Passionflower dose response" across the PubMed/MEDLINE peer-reviewed index.

    Key findings

    Opens current human and preclinical literature matching Passionflower and "dose response". Filter by RCT, meta-analysis, or year on the results page.

    Open study
    Systematic reviewGoogle Scholar · 1970

    Google Scholar: Passionflower — clinical evidence

    Live Scholar search

    Cross-database citation index for Passionflower as it relates to "clinical evidence".

    Key findings

    Includes preprints, theses, and journal articles. Useful for tracking citation counts and follow-on work.

    Open study
    Educational use only. This profile is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescription medication or have a chronic condition.