Lemon Balm – INFINITE HERBS (2024)

FAQs

What does lemon balm do for the body? ›

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, is considered a calming herb. It was used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion (including gas and bloating, as well as colic).

Thyroid disease: Lemon balm may change thyroid function, reduce thyroid hormone levels, and interfere with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Avoid lemon balm if you have thyroid disease.

Some research has shown that lemon balm extract can improve one's mood and attention. A study found that chemicals called terpenes found in lemon balm can help calm agitation in people with severe dementia by reactivating brain circuits.

Lemon balm is compatible with almost all perennial herbs, such as thyme and mint. Good companion plants should have the same site requirements. It is not recommended to grow alongside wormwood and annual herbs, especially basil.

🌌 Healing and Magical Properties

Lemon Balm's reputation for healing is not just folklore. Ancient herbalists like Ibn Sina recognized its power to uplift the spirit. It was also thought to ward off evil and promote clairvoyance, a testament to its deep-rooted place in cultural rituals.

Animal studies suggest that lemon balm essential oil has the ability to protect the heart and liver, in part by lowering high triglycerides and improving cholesterol synthesis in the liver.

Chamomile: Chamomile has properties that help reduce stress and blood pressure, promoting relaxation. Lemon balm: Lemon balm helps to relieve the nervous system, reduces stress and helps in the treatment of high blood pressure.

People use lemon balm in traditional medicine for a variety of purposes that range from digestive health and healing wounds to reducing heart rate.

We recently found that the lemon balm extract ALS-L1023 reduces adipose tissue mass in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese mice [25,26,27]. We thus hypothesized that hepatic ALS-L1023 actions would alleviate obesity, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose metabolism in part through PPARα-mediated hepatic lipid reductions.

You won't have to wait long to start feeling the soothing effects of lemon balm. Its anxiety-reducing influence may be noticeable within as little as 1 hour. The anti-anxiety effects of lemon balm could last about 4 to 8 hours.

What happens if you take too much lemon balm? ›

Lemon balm tea and supplements are unlikely to cause severe adverse effects with overdose. Lemon balm essential oil is highly toxic if undiluted and can cause drowsiness, muscle weakness, tremor, seizure, hallucinations, and respiratory difficulties. Overdose may be treated with symptomatic and supportive care.

As a general rule of thumb, treat lemon balm as you would any other fresh herb. It works especially well in place of mint, offering bright, fragrant notes. Add whole lemon balm leaves to green salads, or chiffonade the leaves and scatter them over a fruit salad for added zesty flavor.

As coffee grounds are high in nitrogen and other nutrients that allow for your plants to prosper, they are a surefire way to help keep up the health of your lemon tree.

Lemon balm, like mint spreads rapidly (becomes weedy) and can take over an herb bed. Growing plants in containers helps control this problem. If planted in the soil, harvest the leaves regularly, remove the flowers before they set seed, and dig around the plant edges to reduce root spreading.

Many herbs do well in the sun, but lemon balm needs shade. Especially in areas in which the summer sun is hot, this plant grows best with some shade in the afternoon or in a spot where there are tall trees to lessen the intensity of the sun.

Lemon Balm Tea. Lemon balm is a relaxing herb that helps regulate menstrual periods and relieve PMS symptoms like cramping, water retention, insomnia, anxiety and irritability. Lemon balm may also improve low sex drive, desire, arousal and sexual satisfaction.

There is some evidence that lemon balm may help fight inflammation. The authors of a 2013 study partially support the usage of lemon balm in treating pain and inflammation after an injury. While it did combat swelling and pain, the authors could not make conclusions about the plant's exact anti-inflammatory mechanism.