Passionflower has a reputation as an herbal alternative to anti-anxiety drugs, and 7 randomized trials seem to back it. Every 1 of those 7 tested a single dose before surgery or a tooth extraction.
That is a real result, and it answers a narrower question than the one most readers are asking.
Quick Answer: Does Passionflower Help Anxiety?
Possibly, modestly, and mostly in 1 situation. Seven single-herb trials, 464 people in total, gave 1 dose before surgery or a dental extraction, and several matched midazolam. Everyday anxiety rests on 1 pilot trial of 36 outpatients. A Cochrane review found 2 eligible trials and called the evidence too thin to conclude anything.
Key Takeaways
- 7 single-herb trials tested 1 dose before surgery or dental work.
- Those 7 trials enrolled 464 people in total, 20 to 200 each.
- Everyday anxiety rests on 1 pilot trial of 36 outpatients.
- Cochrane found 2 eligible trials and 198 people: too few to conclude.
- It may add to benzodiazepines, so tell your prescriber before 1 dose.
Related Products
What Anxiety Research Exists
Before any single result, it helps to see what kinds of question the passionflower trials asked.
| Single-herb passionflower trials, by question | Trials | People |
|---|---|---|
| One dose before surgery or a dental extraction | 7 | 464 |
| Everyday generalized anxiety, over 4 weeks | 1 | 36 |
| Sleep, over 1 to 2 weeks | 2 | 151 |
| Opiate withdrawal, alongside clonidine | 1 | 65 |
The imbalance is the whole story. Most of the evidence is about a moment of acute worry in a dental chair, not about the steady background anxiety people usually mean.
The species, and why passion fruit research does not count, is covered in what passionflower is and where it comes from.
The Pre-Procedure Trials
These 7 trials are the strongest part of the literature. Laid out together, their limits are as clear as their results.
| Setting and year | People | Dose and timing | Compared with | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day surgery, 2008 | 60 | 500 mg, 90 min before | Placebo | Lower anxiety, no extra sedation |
| Spinal anesthesia, 2012 | 60 | Extract, before the block | Placebo | Smaller rise in anxiety |
| Wisdom teeth, 2017 | 40 | 260 mg, 30 min before | Midazolam 15 mg | Similar anxiety control |
| Wisdom teeth, 2021 | 200 | 500 mg, 60 min before | Midazolam, mulungu, placebo | Like midazolam, better than placebo |
| Wisdom teeth, 2021 | 20 | Split-mouth crossover | Midazolam | Less drowsiness than midazolam |
| Wisdom teeth, 2024 | 54 | Before surgery | Valerian, placebo | Both herbs lowered anxiety |
| Wisdom teeth, 2025 | 30 | 30 min before | Midazolam, placebo | Anxiety scores no different |
In day surgery, 500 mg given 90 minutes ahead lowered anxiety without extra sedation.[1]Preoperative oral Passiflora incarnata reduces anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study — Anesthesia and Analgesia (2008) View source Before spinal anesthesia, it blunted the rise in anxiety without changing psychomotor tests.[2]Passiflora incarnata Linneaus as an anxiolytic before spinal anesthesia — Journal of Anesthesia (2012) View source
The newest trial is less flattering. Anxiety scores did not differ between groups, though salivary cortisol was lower after surgery with passionflower or midazolam than with placebo.[3]Effects of Passiflora incarnata on salivary biomarkers and anxiety in patients undergoing third molar extraction surgery — Scientific Reports (2025) View source
The Midazolam Comparisons
This is where the claim that passionflower works like a benzodiazepine comes from, so the details matter.
- What was compared: 1 dose of each, before a wisdom tooth extraction.
- Anxiety control: Broadly similar in the trials that reported it.
- Memory: 20% had amnesia on midazolam, with little effect from passionflower.
- What it does not show: Anything about daily use for months.
In 40 patients, 260 mg worked like 15 mg of midazolam.[4]Effects of passiflora incarnata and midazolam for control of anxiety in patients undergoing dental extraction — Medicina Oral, Patologia Oral y Cirugia Bucal (2017) View source In a smaller split-mouth trial, drowsiness and dizziness were greater with the benzodiazepine.[5]Assessment of Passiflora incarnata L for conscious sedation of patients during the extraction of mandibular third molars — Quintessence International (2021) View source
Because it may act on the same system, combining the two is a different matter, covered in the sedative stacking problem.
Everyday Anxiety: One Pilot Trial
For the use most people have in mind, the evidence is a single small study from 2001.
- Who: 36 outpatients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.
- What: Passionflower extract, 45 drops a day, or oxazepam 30 mg.
- How long: 4 weeks.
- Result: No significant difference between the 2 at the end.
Oxazepam worked faster, and caused more problems with job performance. The authors called their result a pilot and said a large trial was justified.[6]Passionflower in the treatment of generalized anxiety: a pilot double-blind randomized controlled trial with oxazepam — Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics (2001) View source We found no such larger trial among the 23 on PubMed.
What the Reviews Concluded
Reviews of this small pool disagree, which is the honest summary.
- Cochrane, 2007: 2 trials, 198 people, too few to permit conclusions.
- Systematic review, 2020: 9 trials lasting 1 to 30 days, mostly positive.
- Its caveat: The effect was less evident in people with mild anxiety.
- Safety: No memory loss or psychomotor collapse reported.
Cochrane asked for larger trials against placebo and against antidepressants.[7]Passiflora for anxiety disorder — Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2007) View source The 2020 review found reduced anxiety in most of its 9 trials, less clearly in mild cases.[8]Passiflora incarnata in Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review — Nutrients (2020) View source
How the other calming herbs fare on the same scale is in how it compares with valerian and kava.
What It Does Not Replace
Anxiety disorders have treatments with far more evidence than any herb. Stated plainly:
- Not a replacement for: Therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Not a replacement for: A prescribed antidepressant or benzodiazepine.
- Never: Stop a benzodiazepine suddenly to switch to a herb.
- Get help: If anxiety stops you working, sleeping or leaving home.
A Sensible Way to Try It
If you want to try passionflower for occasional tension, these terms match what was tested.
- Use: Short courses, or ahead of a predictable stressful event.
- Alone: Not with alcohol, sedatives or other calming herbs.
- Expect: A modest effect at best, on small trials.
- Review: Stop within NCCIH's 8-week window for extracts.
Taken on those terms, our passionflower capsules are a single herb at 1 capsule a day.
Speak to a Clinician Before Taking Passionflower If
- You take a benzodiazepine, a sleeping pill, an opioid or another sedating prescription
- You drink alcohol in the evening, or need to drive after taking it
- You already take valerian, kava, hops or another sedating herb
- You are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding
- You have surgery or a dental procedure with sedation within 2 weeks
Frequently Asked Questions
Does passionflower really work for anxiety? +
Possibly, in a narrow way. 7 trials show a single dose can calm pre-procedure anxiety; everyday anxiety rests on 1 pilot of 36 people.
What does passionflower make you feel like? +
Trial participants mostly reported feeling calm or only a little anxious. Two pre-surgery trials of 60 people found no measurable extra sedation.
How much passion flower should I take for anxiety? +
Trials used 260 to 500 mg of extract as 1 dose, or 45 drops a day. Our capsule is ground herb, so follow its label rather than those numbers.
Does passionflower reduce cortisol? +
1 trial of 30 dental patients found lower salivary cortisol after surgery than placebo, though anxiety scores did not differ.
What is a natural relaxer for anxiety? +
Passionflower is 1 of several herbs studied. A 2022 analysis of 29 trials found no herb clearly ahead, and therapy has stronger evidence than any of them.
Is passionflower as effective as benzodiazepines? +
Only in 1 narrow sense: single doses before dental surgery performed like midazolam. That says nothing about replacing daily medication.
How long does passionflower take to work for anxiety? +
In the pre-surgery trials it was given 30 to 90 minutes ahead. The only everyday trial ran for 4 weeks.
Can I take passionflower with my anxiety medication? +
Ask your prescriber first. It may act on the same GABA system, and 1 case report described dizziness and tremor alongside lorazepam.
Is passionflower good for panic attacks? +
No trial has tested it in panic disorder. The 2007 Cochrane review found only 2 anxiety trials in total.
Related Reading
- Passionflower for Sleep, Measured
- How Much Passionflower the Trials Used
- Choosing Between Capsule and Tincture
Related Products
