passion flower and anxiety

[love138]

Does the herb passion flower reduce or get rid of the physical symptoms of anxiety?

[Paxiled]

Long-term, passionflower is an excellent choice.  But kava is stronger for the short term stuff you were talking about.

[love138]

Wow, thats a mouth full of information..lol So, you say Kava and holy basil are better choices..I'll try do more research and see whats the best choice for me.

[Paxiled]

By itself probably not.  Herbs and natural remedies are usually used in combination.  Passionflower is considered a systemic anti-anxiety herb, meaning regular use over a period of time helps the nervous system calm down.  Quicker and stronger natural remedies would be kava and holy basil -- the first works on GABA, probably, and the second works on cortisol production, which creates the physiological symptoms of anxiety.  Herbs that balance the adrenals, such as ashwagandha, might help as well.  Valerian also helps some people.  5-HTP, when it works, will help balance serotonin production.  Some are low in B6 and it can be helpful, but you don't want to take too much  -- but it is an essential cofactor in the production of serotonin.  There are several anti-anxiety herbs floating around out there that aren't very common, and some are addictive -- ethnobotanists are finding new ones all the time as they scour the world for traditional remedies.  If you use kava, make sure to buy from a very reputable company owned by herbalists -- bad kava can be liver toxic.  Taurine, a pseudo-amino acid, produces GABA in the body, so this can help as well.  A lot of research to do, eh?