Lemon balm Benefits, Usage, Medicinal Properties, Nutrition, Dosage, Preparations, safety, science backed and traditional view

Lemon balm – Melissa officinalis (L.) also known as Melissa, Sweet Balm, Sweet Mary, Sweet Melissa, Honey Plant, Dropsy Plant, Balm, Toronjil, Cure-All, Balm Mint, Toronjil, Xiang Feng Cao​, Melisa.

 

Lemon balm is widely used to treat digestive disorders ranging from bloating and intestinal gas, to vomiting and even menstrual cramping. It has been used for hundreds of years to calm the heart and body and uplift the spirit, even helping to mend a broken heart. It is often combined in teas containing other calming herbs such as valerian. Lemon balm is used to call ghosts and spirits and promote clairvoyance.

 

 

Lemon balm is a perennial herb in the mint family. It is a lemon-scented, aromatic plant with serrated heart-shaped leaves which emit a fragrant lemon odour when bruised, they also have a distinct lemon taste, and whorls of small blue, yellow, or white flowers. There are five different species of lemon balm.

Lemon balm is native to the Mediterranean and various regions of North Africa, Central Asia, and South-Central Europe. It is now cultivated all over the world in temperate areas. It likes moist, fertile soil but can tolerate some drought.

The name is from the Greek word signifying 'bee,' indicative of the attraction the flowers have for those insects, on account of the honey they produce.

 

Part used: leaf, essential oil

 

Constituents: Volatile oil ( incl. Citronellal, Geraniol, Linalool, Pinene, Aldehydes, Limonene, acids), Catechin Tannins, Rosmarinic acid, Flavonoids (Quercitrin), , Kaempferol, Quercetin, Luteolin, Phenolic acid, Tannins, Terpenes, Triterpenes, Caffeic acid, Oleanolic acid, 7-Glucosides of Apigenin, Sesquiterpenes, Eugenol, Caryophyllen, minerals

 

Flavor/Temps: Aromatic, Sour, slightly Bitter, Astringent, Cool, Dry

Restoring, Calming, Astringing, Relaxing, Stimulating

 

Tropism: Nervous, Skin, Digestive, Heart, Brain, Intestines, Uterus, Stomach

 

Meridians: Liver, Kidney, Heart, Lung, Pericardium, Bladder, Kidney, Triple Heater, ren, chong

 

Key actions in Western Medicine: Antioxidant, Detoxing, Digestive, Antibacterial, Antiviral, Antifungal, Antiseptic, Analgesic, Anti-inflammatory, Diaphoretic, Sedating, Calming, Carminative, Antispasmodic, Antidiabetic, Antineoplastic, Antiprotozoal, Antithyroid, Cardiovascular, Dermatologic, Immunostimulant

 

Indications: Digestive disorders, bloating, intestinal gas, vomiting, cold sores, colds, flu, palpitations due to anxiety, phobias, paranoias, irritability, dizziness, high blood pressure, tachycardia, neurocardiac syndrome, menstrual cramps, headache, hysteria, melancholia, insomnia, ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), Grave’s disease, chronic fatigue, Alzheimer’s, bruises, arthritis, fibromyalgia, insomnia, anxiety, stress, diabetes, thyroid support, shingles, herpes, restlessness, irritable bowel syndrome, ringing ears, Allergies (incl. atopic dermatitis, rhinitis, asthma), PMS, poor memory, absentmindedness, acute bronchitis, candidiasis, ecchymosis, eye inflammation, insect sting, nosebleed, lymphadenitis (scrofula), tumors, viral infections, infertility, sterility, prophylactic and remedial in last 3 weeks of pregnancy and during labour, Menopause

 

Key actions in Eastern medicine: Releases to the Exterior, Cooling and Drying, Stops Bleeding, Moves Qi, Restores Jing, Calms Shen,  Harmonizes Labor, Restrains Infection, Clears Parasites, Sedates Spasms,

 

Indications: Restlessness, depression, anxiety, mental confusion, poor memory, fainting, headaches, palpitations, insomnia, hot flashes, burning eyes, melancholy, tinnitus, anxiety, difficult breathing, abdominal pain, stomach ache, fatigue, vomiting, painful menstruation, scanty urination, bronchitis, weak knees, sterility, painful labor, depression, blood in urine, swellings, fever, delirium, scrofula, insect bites, worms.

 

Constitutions:

Sanguine and Choleric krases

All constitutions and biotypes

 

Preparations: infusion, tincture, essential oil, infused oil

 

Dosage usually 3 times a day unless instructed otherwise by Herbalist:

Infusion 8-16g

Tincture 2-5 ml 1:3, 45% ethanol

Tincture 5-10 ml 1:5, 45% ethanol

Essential oil 1 drop in gel capsule topped with olive oil

Essential oil dilution no more than 1% in carrier oil to prepare topical compresses, washes, etc. Same use for infused oil.

(beware of cheap Lemon balm oils they usually adulterated with Lemon grass, Lemon and citronella oils as main ingredient, Lemon balm oil has very low yield and that’s why genuine oil is expensive)

Infusion is great, gentle yet effective nervous sedative and relaxant, ideal unwinder for evening, time before exams, or any stress causing anxiety. It is also great carminative/relaxant for time before, during and after meals. Prepared strong and drink hot, reduce fever and promote sweating in wind-heat infections.

For preparation of Uterus for Labour, Melissa may be used in moderate doses, starting 2-3 weeks before the date due, take 15-30 drops of tincture 1:3 or drink 3 cups of Lemon Balm tea.

 

Synergy examples:

Mix Lemon Balm with Basil, Raspberry, Chamomile and Catnip for PMS

Mix lemon balm with Cinnamon, Basil, Mint for cold and flu

 

Cautions: Lemon balm has mild uterine stimulant effect, as so cautions should be taken during pregnancy.

 

Contradictions: Contraindicated with low thyroid activity. (Theoretically, lemon balm may alter thyroid function, reduce thyroid hormone levels, and interfere with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. In vitro, constituents of lemon balm extract bind to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), preventing TSH receptor binding and leading to the inhibition of TSH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity. In animals, lemon balm extract has been shown to decrease levels of circulating TSH and inhibit thyroid secretion.)

Not to be used during pregnancy (due to mild uterine stimulant effect) except preparing for labour.

 

Interaction with drugs: Theoretically, concomitant use of lemon balm might have additive effects with CNS depressant drugs.

 

Side effects: None expect at recommended therapeutic dose. Orally, lemon balm seems to be well tolerated in food amounts and larger, medicinal amounts. Topically, lemon balm seems to be well tolerated. Wheezing has been rarely reported.

 

History Folklore:

The name Melissa is Greek for honeybee and is an appropriate choice for the name of the genus, as bees are known to love this plant. They smear the inside of their beehives with its scent when lemon balm is available to them.

Lemon balm has been used for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it to treat insect bites. Ayurvedic medicine also used lemon balm to treat insect bites and stings.

Lemon balm has played a significant role in the religious and magical beliefs of early societies. The Ephesians and the Greeks both held the plant as sacred and dedicated it to the goddess Diana. They also viewed bees as sacred. The honeybee was understood to be a manifestation of the human soul, allowing lemon balm, which attracts bees, to be a tool for calling upon individual souls. In later days, this practice and belief transformed into the use of lemon balm as an herb for spells to attract romantic love.

In the Middle Ages, it was used to treat insomnia, heal wounds, promote digestion, improve mood, and even treat baldness. St. Hildegard of Bingen (born 1098 C.E.), a nun who became a well-known herbalist, said that lemon balm “contains the virtues of a dozen other plants.”

In the time of Charlemagne, who ordered the herb to be grown in monastery gardens, French Carmelite nuns added lemon balm to water to use as a disinfectant and to mask the smells of bodies that were rarely able to benefit from bathing. Carmelite water is still sold in German apothecary shops.

The herbalist Culpeper made lemon balm and honey into a sweet-tasting medicinal paste. He said it could “expel those melancholy vapours from the spirits and blood which are in the heart and arteries” (1653).

Lemon balm is used by shamans and mediums to evoke a stronger connection with the spirit world and call upon ghosts and other types of otherworldly entities and spirits.

A study in China tested the constituent eugenol, a powerful antioxidant found in lemon balm, and confirmed improvement of memory-related functions. Eugenol is also known to help protect brain cells. Used shortly after a stroke, it appears to protect other areas of the brain from further damage.

Lemon balm contains a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) antagonist, making it a possible treatment for Graves’ disease or hyperthyroidism. Lemon balm is also known to help clear and protect the liver from toxins.

Research conducted at Northumbria University suggests that lemon balm increases the activity of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger linked to memory function that is reduced in Alzheimer’s disease.

Double-blind German trial used a topical cream of lemon balm extract to treat Herpes simplex labialis (cold sores) and found the ointment shortened the healing process while also easing the itching and swelling symptoms associated with cold sores.

Lemon balm lifts the spirit and is said to enhance memory and boost alertness. It has been used in spells to help heal a broken heart and attract romantic love. A bag of dried lemon balm placed beneath the pillow is said to help promote sleep. It can be used externally or internally to calm the nerves.

Lemon balm helps balance blood sugar levels. Taken regularly it will help reduce insulin resistance.

Lemon balm is frequently used in cosmetics because of its soothing effects on the skin. It is said to reduce fine lines and was even used by the Queen of Hungary in the 1300s to help keep her looking young.

 

The word Balm is an abbreviation of Balsam, the chief of sweet-smelling oils. It is so called from its honeyed sweetness It was highly esteemed by Paracelsus, who believed it would completely revivify a man. It was formerly esteemed of great use in all complaints supposed to proceed from a disordered state of the nervous system. The London Dispensary (1696) says: 'An essence of Balm, given in Canary wine, every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness.' John Evelyn wrote: 'Balm is sovereign for the brain, strengthening the memory and powerfully chasing away melancholy.' Balm steeped in wine we are told again, 'comforts the heart and driveth away melancholy and sadness.' Formerly a spirit of Balm, combined with lemon-peel, nutmeg and angelica root, enjoyed a great reputation under the name of Carmelite water, being deemed highly useful against nervous headache and neuralgic affections.

Lemon balm is also highly effective when used as an agent in aromatherapy. Its scent alone can uplift, soothe, and calm anxious nerves.

Beware of lemon balm essential oil forgeries! Lemongrass is sometimes substituted for or blended with lemon balm oil, reducing the actual amount of lemon balm present in the oil.

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in adults with depression and/or anxiety shows that using lemon balm, usually orally, daily for 3-56 days moderately improves depression scores when compared with control. Lemon balm was used orally as 1200-3000 mg daily or as aromatherapy for 30 minutes daily.

Clinical research in patients with recurring cold sores shows that applying a cream containing 1% lemon balm dried leaf extract at the early stages seems to shorten healing time and reduce symptoms of recurring cold sores when compared with placebo.

The major lemon balm-producing countries are now Hungary, Egypt, Italy, and Ireland, which grow the herb largely for essential oil production.

There are different cultivars of lemon balm, and while they have similar properties, they are not all the same. These include M. officinalis Citronella, M. officinalis Lemonella, M. officinalis Lime, M. officinalis Variegata, M. officinalis Aurea, and M. officinalis Quedlinburger, bred for their high essential oil content.

Lemon balm loses much of its flavour when dried or cooked. If you are going to cook with it, add it near the end of the cooking process to preserve its scent and flavour.

 

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