African Forest Medicinals’ Passion Flower Tincture is made from the flowers and growing tips of the Passiflora incarnata plant that grows wild in our garden on the edge of the Knysna Forest.
The exquisitely beautiful Passion Flower, Granadilla or Passiflora incarnata, is a remarkable medicinal plant.
Calms the Nerves, Sleep Tonic
All parts of the plant can be used - the nervine in the seeds of the fruit are calming and relaxing, especially when taken in combination with cacao (passion fruit and cacao are also ridiculously delicious together!). Take the same flowers and leaf tips and make a tea out of them, however, and a completely different effect is achieved - a strong sedative - very useful if you are having trouble sleeping or suffer from anxiety.
Potent Aromatase-Inhibitor
The passion flower and the new growth tips of the leaves are a potent aromatase-inhibitor when prepared as a tincture in alcohol. Aromatisation is when DHEA, testosterone and progesterone “flip” over into bad estrogen. This can cause all manner of health problems related to estrogen dominance (including "man-boobs" (gyneccomastia), ovarian, prostate, testicular and hormone-senistive breast cancers, as well as many less life-threatening, yet still debilitating, conditions).
The roots contain psychoactive cannibonoids - as do cacao and cannabis - although they are not as pronounced in the passion flower plant.
Antidepressant
Passion flower also contains harmaline, an MAO-inhibitor, thereby acting as an effective anti-depressant as it blocks the re-uptake of serotonin and other feel-good chemicals in the brain, enabling their effects to be felt for longer.
Sustainably wild-harvested on our Knysna forest farm in South Africa.
1:4 alcohol extract
40% alcohol - pesticide free
Use 1 - 3 droppers-fill in spring water, herbal tea or hot water (leave it to stand for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol if needed). Hold in the mouth for at least 30 seconds for maximum absorption.