AKA: Balm Mint, Bee Balm, Cure All, Garden Balm, Honey Plant, Melissa, Sweet Balm, Sweet Mary

Lemon Balm is a perennial herb belonging to the mint family that is native to south Europe and the Mediterranean, It grows up to 150 cm and its leaves have a gentle lemon scent and flavor that is due to the presence of  citronellal, citronellol, citral and geraniol. This herb blooms little white flowers at the end of the summer. These flowers are laden with nectar and attract bees.  Lemon Balm is used as a flavoring for ice cream and tea and it is often paired with fruit dishes.

Benefits and Uses

• Soothes Nerves
• Eases stress
• Sleep Aid
• Used to treat Graves Disease
• Antiviral Properties
• Antibacteria
• AntiFungal

Lemon Balm also has a long history of medicinal use in Europe, especially as a tea which is used as a calming agent for nervous disorders, as a sleep aid, to help stimulate the appetite and aid indigestion. As a tea, it is also valued for its antibacterial and antiviral properties, although admittedly it is not as good as a bacteria fighter as some other herbs. The leaves of lemon balm also can be used as a mosquito repellant when rubbed on the skin.

Side Effects:

Using lemon balm in conjunction with other drugs or herbs that cause drowsiness (catnip, hops, kava, St. John's Wort, Valerian, Ect…) might result in excessive sedation or mental impairment. It is also recommended that people taking drugs for hyperthyroidism should stay away from the herb because its own thyroid inhibiting properties might interfere with the treatment. People who have glaucoma might also want to avoid lemon balm since some animal studies indicate that the herb might increase pressure inside the eyes. The herb is also not recommended for small children, mothers who are breast feeding, or women who are pregnant since more research is needed to determine the effect of the herb on these groups.

Mental Clarity
Corresponding with its use as a treatment for anxiety, research has indicated that lemon balm may actually help people concentrate. In one study in England  students who took lemon balm performed markedly better on tests than those who were given the placebo. (September 2004 issue of Prevention Magazine). This ability to improve mental acuity might also make lemon balm a valuable treatment for Alzheimer’s

Graves Disease
Some research has indicated that lemon balm might help block some activity of the thyroid. This has lead to the herb being used to treat a condition called Grave’s Disease, which is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces an excessive amount of the thyroid hormone.  While studies in the lab and on animals point to lemon balm decreasing thyroid, more human studies need to be conducted.  The herbs ability to control thyroid production along with its antiviral properties might also make the herb useful for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Insomnia, Anxiety and Dementia
The volatile essential oils in lemon balm (citronellal, citral) have been shown to have sedative properties on both animals and people.  One European study found that the herb combined with valerian is just as effective as the drug Halcion at improving patients sleeping patterns. Another study found that lemon balm aromatherapy worked at calming overexcited patients suffering from dementia.

Herpes Simplex
The lemon balm plant contains polyphenols which are plant based chemicals that have strong antiviral properties. It also contains caffeic and rosmarinic acid which have strong antiviral properties.   Studies have shown that lemon balm can help reduce cold sores that are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Applying the balm also helped stopped the spread of the infection and helped reduce the redness and swelling.