Lemon Balm Recipes: food, drinks, remedies, + more! (2024)

FAQs

What remedies does lemon balm have? ›

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).

Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with LEMON BALM. Lemon balm might cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Some medications, called sedatives, can also cause sleepiness and slowed breathing. Taking lemon balm with sedative medications might cause breathing problems and/or too much sleepiness.

You may be able to minimize side effects, such as stomach upset, by ingesting lemon balm alongside food. You can also reduce your risk for side effects by consuming fewer than 2 grams of lemon balm per day. Lemon balm should only be used for a short period of time.

Add whole lemon balm leaves to green salads, or chiffonade the leaves and scatter them over a fruit salad for added zesty flavor. Lemon balm also pairs beautifully with poultry—try adding sliced leaves to chicken salad, fish dishes, and even vegetable dishes to serve on the side.

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.

To make a lemon balm tea, brew 1.5 to 4.5 grams of leaves in 150 milliliters of hot water. This can be taken several times a day. The leaves can also be eaten, up to 10 grams a day. Check supplement formulations with your doctor to make sure the dosages are suitable for you.

According to enzyme and pathology results it can be concluded that consumption of lemon balam extract dose dependently causes toxicity in liver tissue.

Oral application of lemon balm essential oil causes significant changes in mice behavior, and liver and kidney functions. Above 1 g kg⁻¹ (p.o.), different pathological changes in the stomach, duodenum, liver, and kidneys were detected.

While more studies are needed to determine how lemon balm tea may help individuals, it does appear that the tea is safe for most people to consume. A person should consult their doctor if they have an underlying condition, such as a thyroid issue, before regularly consuming lemon balm tea.

Is lemon balm better dried or fresh? ›

Lemon balm's active constituents are very volatile, and if the plant is not handled well, the fresh leaves bruise easily and turn brown. You can use lemon balm fresh and dried - however, traditionally, the preference for tinctures and teas was the fresh plant.

Does lemon balm work for weight loss? Because it has anti-inflammatory effects, can help you cope with stress, improves digestion and supports metabolic health, it may be useful for maintaining a healthy weight. It's a not a magic bullet, but help with weight loss might be a potential secondary effect.

Lemon balm leaves are used fresh or dried to season and flavour foods such as salads, soups, sauces, and stuffings and as a flavouring in candies, liqueurs, wine, and fruit drinks.

Test tube studies have found that lemon balm blocks attachment of antibodies to the thyroid cells that cause Grave's disease (hyperthyroidism). The brain's signal to the thyroid (thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH) is also blocked from further stimulating the excessively active thyroid gland in this disease.

Storage Tips: Fresh Lemon Balm leaves should be washed and dried, then stored in a clear plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Lemon Balm can also be stored in an infused oil. To prepare, wash and thoroughly dry the leaves then place them in a clean, sterilized glass jar.

Traditionally, people use lemon balm tea to help improve mood, slow cognitive decline, and decrease anxiety levels. It may also help with insomnia, relieve menstrual pain, and support gastrointestinal health. Lemon balm is a lemon-scented herb from the mint family.

How does it work? It is proposed that lemon balm may work by increasing gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels in the brain. GABA is a mood regulator which works by stopping neurons from becoming overexcited, and low levels of GABA can lead to restlessness and anxiety.

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is an herb in the mint family. It can be made into tea, taken as a supplement or extract, or rubbed on the skin in balms and lotions.

The extracts and Essential Oil (EO) of the lemon balm plant have some pharmacological effects, including antimicrobial, anticancer, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and antiviral properties.