Lemon balm's latin name is Melissa officinalis, and it is part of the mint family. Lemon balm is native to southern Europe, but it grows all over the world. The plant may be 2 feet in height or taller, with small, light yellow flowers. If you rub your fingers across the leaves--which are used to make medicine--they will take on a sweet-sour lemonlike scent. Lemon balm aids numerous stomach ailments, such as acid reflux and heartburn, difficulty digesting proteins and fats, colic, flatulence, cramping, bloating, gastritis and irritable bowel disease.
Nervine
Lemon balm is a classic nervine. Physicians and herbalists use the word "nervine" to describe a botanical that calms, soothes and strengthens your nerves. According to a review article by the University of Maryland Medical Center, lemon balm has been used since the Middle Ages to ease discomfort from indigestion, including gas, bloating and colic. Consider taking lemon balm for stomach discomfort that's associated with stress, nervousness or anxiety.
Anti-Spasmodic
Bastyr University's Materia Medica describes lemon balm's ability to relax smooth muscle, which explains why lemon balm can help with muscle spasms in your gastrointestinal tract. According to Simon Mills and Kerry Bone, authors of "Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy: Modern Herbal Medicine," you can take lemon balm for nervous dyspepsia, colic, flatulence, irritable bowel disease and gastritis.
Carminative
Lemon balm is a carminative, or a botanical that reduces or prevents gas. According to the University of Michigan Health System, the terpenes--the constituent of lemon balm that produces the plant's pleasant smell--are responsible for this herb's relaxing and gas-relieving effects.
Choloretic
A choloretic stimulates production of bile in your liver. Bile is stored in your gall bladder and then released to your small intestine to digest fats. Choloretics, such as lemon balm, can help you with liver and gall bladder problems, such as stones and congestion or "attacks," along with difficulty and discomfort digesting fatty meals.
Preparation
You can find lemon balm in several forms, including loose-leaf teas, capsules or tincture. You can prepare lemon balm tea by steeping 1 tsp. to 1 tbsp. of dried lemon balm leaves in hot water. Consider taking 300 to 500 mg of the capsules or 40 to 60 drops of tincture. You will find lemon balm tea, capsules or tinctures, either alone or in combination, at health food stores or at the offices of many herbalists and naturopathic doctors. To reduce indigestion, flatulence or bloating, the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends you take lemon balm, in any of the above forms, three to four times daily.
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