History of Traditional Use of Passionflower vine

This climbing shrub is native to the tropical parts of the United States from Virginia to Florida and Westward to Missouri and Arkansas. The name comes translated from Italian; fiore della passione in reference to the flowers resemblance to the implements of the crucifixion. It does produce a mesmerizing and beautiful yet delicate flower which develops into a large oval fleshy fruit. The Eclectic Physicians used it to promote healthy sleep, especially where restlessness, wakefulness and interrupted sleep were the chief complaints due to debility or exhaustion. The whole plant is used to make medicine, yet the stem and leaves seem to have the highest amount of chemical activity.

Structure Function Claims

Ultimate Support for Refreshing and Revitalizing Sleep.

Promotes Restfulness and Supports the Body During times of Occasional Stress.

Encourages Trophorestoration of the Nervous System.

Mechanism of Therapeutic Action

The vine and leaves contain many alkaloids such as harmaline, harmine, harman, and harmalol. The plant also contains many bioflavonoids including quercitin, rutin, apigenin, kaempferol, vitexin, and orientin. There have been scarce human clinical trials on this plant, yet it remains a steadfast choice of traditional herbalists for its ability to gently restore debilitated nerve centers by promoting nutrition uptake at the cellular level.

Specific Differentiation of Gaia Herbs Product

Gaia Herbs grows its own Passionflower on its 250 acre Certified Organic farm in Brevard, NC. There it is propagated from seed and nurtured through the growing process until it is tested for peak chemical activity then harvested and extracted fresh in Gaia’s adjacent Certified Organic manufacturing laboratory. 40 drops (one dropperfull) of the liquid extract is the equivalent of 400mg of dried herb material by mass; yet the extreme benefit of preserving the essence of the plants vitality while fresh and succulent is lost when it is dried, powdered, and mixed with excipients as most crude herb capsules are.

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