Lemon Balm Blog Post | Rooted Being

Lemon Balm

BY THEASHEN MOODLEY

Key Definitions

Antigonadotropic – a drug which tends to inhibit the physiological activity of gonadotropic hormones.

Antithyrotropic – a drug which tends to calm an overactive thyroid.

Astringent – slightly acidic or bitter taste or smell.

Constituent - a component part of something.

Contraindications – a condition or circumstance that suggests or indicates that a particular technique or drug should not be used in the case in question.

Diaphoretic – having the power to increase sweating.

Hepatic – relaxing to the liver.

Indications – a symptom that suggests certain medical treatment is necessary.

Nervine – a medicine used to calm the nerves.

Neuralgia – a sharp, shocking pain that follows the path of a nerve and is due to irritation or damage to the nerve.

Teddy Bear lying in bed with a cloth over forehead

Introduction

Entering the flu season while trying to avoid prescription medication is easy when you consider the plethora of plants and herbs that are at your disposal. Lemon Balm is one of the most effective plants for fighting colds, digestive issues and flu while having a pleasant aroma and a deliciously refreshing taste. Lemon balm is also a fantastic antiviral, that can help with cold sores, shingles, cuts and insect stings, and Lemon Balm can help those with an overactive thyroid (Easley & Horne, 2016) (De La Foret, 2017) (Gladstar, 2014) (Chevallier, 2016).

Lemon Balm (otherwise known as Melissa, common balm and balm mint) is part of the Lamiaceae plant family. Lemon Balm grows throughout the world and is a perennial that grows to approximately 1.5 m in height. It has white flowers and veined, toothed leaves that are harvested just before the flowers open (Chevallier, 2016).

Constituents, Actions & Indications

Constituents

Volatile oil (citral, caryophyllene oxide, linalool, citronellal, neral, geranial, terpenes); flavonoids (luteolin-7-glucoside, rhamnazin); triterpenic acids (ursolic, pomolic acids); polyphenolics (protocatechuic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tannins) (Chevallier, 2016) (Hoffmann, 2003).

Actions

Antidepressant; antiseptic; antithyrotropic; antiviral; aromatic; carminative; diaphoretic; nervine; antispasmodic; relaxant; antimicrobial; hepatic (Easley & Horne, 2016) (De La Foret, 2017) (Chevallier, 2016) (Hoffmann, 2003).

Indications

Anxiety, depression and tension; nervousness; stress; viral infections; bug bites; nervous digestion; fevers; coughs; herpes, chicken pox and shingles; flu with muscle aches and pains; stomach ache; neuralgia; insomnia (De La Foret, 2017) (Chevallier, 2016) (Hoffmann, 2003).

Scientific Research

Journal articles by Ghazizadeh, et al., 2021 and Świąder, et al., 2019 presented the findings of clinical studies that were completed on Lemon Balm. These findings are summarised below:

Studies completed on animals and humans showed that Lemon Balm can treat mild to moderate depression and reduce agitation among patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Several human studies have verified that Lemon Balm exhibits anti-anxiety effects.
Lemon Balm exhibits antioxidant properties.
Several human studies have shown that Lemon Balm may reduce premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms, especially those related to anxiety, depression, sleep problems, social problems, lethargy, fatigue and sexual desire.
Lemon Balm has been shown to improve sleep quality and reduce insomnia frequency.
Several smaller studies on humans showed that Lemon Balm may improve cognitive abilities such as concentration, mathematical skills and psychomotor skills.
A single study showed that Lemon Balm may be able to reduce body mass, body mass index and blood pressure in those suffering from obesity.

Preparations & Dosage

Weak Infusion – a hot infusion that is only steeped for 10-30 mins. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2-3 tsp of dried herb or 4-6 g of fresh herb. Take 240 mL 1-4 times a day (Easley & Horne, 2016) (Hoffmann, 2003).

Cold Infusion – an infusion that is steeped for 4-8 hours. For nervous headaches take 120-240 mL 1-4 times a day (Easley & Horne, 2016) (Chevallier, 2016).

Tincture – for anxiety and mild depression take 2-6 mL 3 times a day of a fresh dried leaf tincture. Fresh leaf tincture ratio to be 1:2 (containing 85% alcohol and 10% glycerin). Dried leaf tincture ratio to be 1:5 (containing 65% alcohol and 10% glycerin) (Easley & Horne, 2016) (Chevallier, 2016) (Hoffmann, 2003).

Glycerite – take 2.5-10 mL 3 times a day. Fresh and dried leaf glycerite ratios are 1:6 (containing 80% glycerin) (Easley & Horne, 2016).

Essential oil – for shingles add 5 drops to 1 tsp of olive oil and massage the painful area gently (Chevallier, 2016).

Lotion – for cold sores make an infusion and apply regularly (Chevallier, 2016).

Juice – apply as needed to cuts and scrapes (Chevallier, 2016).

Ointment – apply to insect stings (Chevallier, 2016).

Shop our Lemon Balm infused Rawbiotics Gut liquid probiotic here.

Lemon Balm Nourishing Infusion

Lemon Balm has a fresh, lemony scent and taste, with a mild astringent action. The leaves of Lemon Balm are predominantly used in preparations, just before they flower. The following recipe was taken from Alchemy of Herbs and is perfect for those requiring the calming and restoring properties of the herb (De La Foret, 2017).

Ingredients

½ cup of dried Lemon Balm
½ cup of dried oats
2 tbsp dried rosebuds or rose petals
Stevia or honey to taste (optional)
3 ½ cups of water

Instructions

Bring water to a boil.
Place the herbs in a 1 L container and fill the container with the boiled water.
Let the mixture steep, covered, for 4 hours or overnight.
Strain the mixture of solids and add stevia or honey if desired.
Drink within 24 hours.

Safety Considerations

Lemon Balm is largely safe for human consumption, but caution is advised that it may interfere with the action of thyroid hormones (Hoffmann, 2003) (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Contraindications

None known (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).
Consult with a certified medical practitioner before consuming Lemon Balm while pregnant or breastfeeding (Brinker, 1998) (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Drug Interactions

None known (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Adverse Events

Clinical trials have shown that Lemon Balm is well tolerated by humans and has few adverse events (Gardner & McGuffin, 2013).

Disclaimer

The information presented in this post is intended as an informational guide. The remedies, approaches and techniques described herein are meant to supplement, and not to substitute for, professional medical care or treatment. They should not be used to treat a serious ailment without prior consultation with a qualified health care professional.

References

Brinker, F., 1998. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions. 2nd ed. Oregon: Eclectic Medical Publications.
Chevallier, A., 2016. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. 3rd ed. New York: DK Publishing.
De La Foret, R., 2017. Alchemy of Herbs. 1st ed. California: Hay House Inc.
Easley, T. & Horne, S., 2016. The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide. California: North Atlantic Books.
Gardner, Z. & McGuffin, M., 2013. Botanical Safety Handbook. 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Ghazizadeh, J. et al., 2021. The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta‐analysis.. Phytotherapy Research, 35(12), pp. 6690-6705.
Gladstar, R., 2014. Herbs for Stress & Anxiety. 1 ed. North Adams: Storey Publishing.
Hoffmann, D., 2003. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. 1st ed. Vermont: Healing Arts Press.
Świąder, K., Startek, K. & Wijaya, C., 2019. The therapeutic properties of Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.): Reviewing novel findings and medical indications. Journal of Applied Botany & Food Quality, Volume 92.

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