Lemon balm, the International Herb Association’s 2007 Herb of the Year, is an ancient antidote to modern-day stress. This versatile herb can be used to calm nerves, promote restful sleep, and reduce digestive distress — plus it could be your new best friend in the great outdoors. Not only do its leaves have a rich, zippy, lemon smell, but they also contain compounds that can repel mosquitoes.
“Some northern European forms of lemon balm are high in citronellal, a compound which mimics the well-known herbal repellent citronella oil,” says Arthur Tucker, an ethnobotanist at Delaware State University. He notes that some forms of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) are nearly 38 percent citronellal. A variety called ‘Quedlinburger Niederliegende’ contains this higher content of essential oil.
For a quick mosquito repellent, simply crush a handful of lemon balm leaves in your hand and rub them on your exposed skin. Grow the plants near your backdoor or in your garden, where the leaves will be handy when you need them.
In addition to keeping biting bugs at bay, lemon balm has a long history of medicinal use. Cultivated in the Mediterranean region for the past 2,000 years, this perennial herb was prized for its catchall curative properties.
During the Middle Ages, King Charles V of France was said to drink lemon balm tea daily for his health. Paracelsus, a Swiss Renaissance physician, called lemon balm the “elixir of life.” And in the 17th century, the French Carmelite nuns made their famous Carmelite Water with lemon balm and other herbs to treat nervous headaches and neuralgia. Today, lemon balm is gaining acceptance as a useful herb for modern stress-related maladies.
“Weedy lemon balm, which any old brown thumb can grow, would be one of the herbs you should try before resorting to pharmaceuticals,” says James Duke, an internationally renowned herbal expert. “It’s cheap, easy, efficacious, pleasing and safe; and it makes a good tea. Lemon balm is about as safe and pleasant an herb as there is.”
Lemon balm could compete favorably with drugs such as Ambien for insomnia, Avirax for oral herpes, Zoloft for depression and Zantac for indigestion. The German Commission E, established by the country’s Minister of Health in the ’70s to review herbal remedies, has approved lemon balm for gastrointestinal problems, as well as nervous sleeping disorders. Lemon balm is frequently used in combination with other medicinal herbs.
Anxiety. Two studies conducted at the University of Northumbria in England found that a standardized lemon balm extract improved participants’ moods, with no decrease in mental alertness at certain dosage levels. “The results suggest that low doses of lemon balm may enhance calmness and high doses may have a mild sedative effect,” writes Christina Chase for the American Botanical Council.
Cold Sores. Topical applications of lemon balm have proven effective at treating cold sores (oral herpes). A study published in the journal Phytomedicine found that a cream made with lemon balm extract reduced the number of blisters in an outbreak, if used early. While lemon balm creams may be hard to find, you can make one formulated with 1 percent dried lemon balm.
Sleep. A Swiss study published in the journal Fitoterapia showed that a combination of lemon balm and valerian root improved sleep quality as compared to a placebo group. Another study published in Phytotherapy Research found that the lemon balm/valerian combination reduced anxiety among healthy participants who were subjected to laboratory-induced stress.
Indigestion. Lemon balm is recommended by herbalists for digestive disorders, especially anxiety-related dyspepsia, since its antispasmodic properties are thought to calm indigestion. A German study examined 120 patients with functional dyspepsia who were given a preparation containing lemon balm as the main ingredient. After eight weeks, 43 percent of participants on active treatment reported complete relief from their symptoms.
Other than the possibility of an allergic reaction, lemon balm has few side effects. If you are pregnant or nursing, avoid taking the herb in large quantities. Lemon balm may also interfere with thyroid hormones, so speak to your doctor before taking lemon balm if you take thyroid medication.
References:
- Robb-Nicholson, Celeste. editor in chief of Harvard Women’s Health Watch.
- Cech, Richo. Making Plant Medicine. Horizon Herbs, 2000.
- International Herb Association: www.theherbaltouch.com/iha/monarda.html.
- Tucker, Arthur. tnjn.com/2010/apr/07/lemon-balm.
- James Duke, MD. A Serious Look at Herbs. New Life Journal, June 2006.
- Chase, Christina. American Botanical Council.
- www.abc.herbalgram.org
