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Submitted by admin on Sun, 02/27/2022 - 14:02
Top Product Attributes

  • Common Name

    Lemon Balm

  • Botanical Name

    Melissa officinalis

  • Plant Part

    Herb

  • Clinical Summary

    Click here

  • Monograph

    Click here

  • Alcohol

    45%

  • Dose

    20 to 80mL weekly

The definition of balm is to heal and soothe, and this calming and delicious plant does just that. Lemon balm is used to induce a sense of calm and help with anxiety.

Main Product Attributes
A guide to Lemon Balm and its properties

  • Traditional Use

    Lemon balm has a documented medicinal history extending back to approximately 50 to 80 BC when it was traditionally thought of as a panacea herb. In the Middle Ages it was used internally as a sedative and, by the 17th century, English herbalist Culpeper claimed it could improve mood and stimulate clear thinking.

  • Actions

    Relaxing nervine, anxiolytic, antidepressant, sedative, nootropic, nervine tonic, antimicrobial, antiviral, relaxing diaphoretic, febrifuge, carminative, aromatic digestant, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, antispasmodic, antioxidant

  • Indications

    •    Anxiety, nervousness, stress, insomnia, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, tension headaches 
    •    Improves cognitive function, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease 
    •    Dyspepsia associated with anxiety or depressive states, diarrhoea, flatulence, bloating
    •    Menstrual cramping, muscle tension
    •    Colds and influenza, fever, viral infections (topically for cold sore and chicken pox treatment)
    •    Hyperthyroidism, Graves’ disease
    •    Radiation protection
    •    Heart disease, diabetes
    •    First aid for insect bites

  • Energetics

    Some see the aromatic qualities of balm as being warming and in Ayurveda the sour taste is generally seen as warming. However, in Western herbalism, balm is often considered cooling and drying.

  • Use in Pregnancy

    Safety has not been scientifically established and is unknown. The tea beverage is considered safe in moderate amounts after the first trimester.

  • Contraindications & Cautions

    Claims that lemon balm should be used cautiously in hypothyroidism are based on in vitro studies which cannot be extrapolated to human use. Human studies are needed to fully understand the implications of lemon balm in people with hypothyroidism. Monitor the use of lemon balm in these people. 

  • Drug Interactions

    Caution with alcohol, barbiturates and central nervous system depressants. Monitor with antidiabetic drugs and thyroid hormones.

  • Dietary Information

    Vegan friendly. Gluten and dairy free.

  • Substitutes

    St. John's Wort, Lavender, Oats Seed, Rhodiola, Rosemary, Vervain, Gotu Kola, Lime Flowers, Passion Flower, Scullcap, Magnolia, Bacopa