Melissa officialis is the scientific name of lemon balm, one of the favorite herbal home remedies. Mostly grown in the United States, it is a wild herb that thrives in warm, sunny areas and gives off a refreshing lemony scent. It is both edible and medicinal, and according to AltNature.com, its leaves and young flowering shoots are "antibacterial, antispasmodic, antiviral, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, febrifuge, sedative, and tonic," treating everything from herpes infections to insomnia.
Insomnia and Anxiety
Studies by the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM) have shown that lemon balm, when combined with other well-known calming herbs such as valerian and chamomile, can be useful in promoting restful sleep and reducing anxiety. In a double-blind study, those who took an herbal combination including lemon balm slept much better than those who received a placebo. In another study, participants were given 300 to 600 mg of a standardized lemon balm extract or a placebo over a 7-day period. The participants who received the 600-mg dose showed marked signs of improved mood, calmness and alertness.
Lemon balm can be taken as a tea from the dried leaves to treat insomnia and anxiety. It also comes in homeopathic sublingual form.
Herpes
UMM studies have also shown that lemon balm is an effective topical treatment of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). When used in a topical formulation, it has been shown to relieve some of the symptoms associated with the virus and to help heal cold sores in a short period of time. A study revealed that participants who applied lemon balm cream to cold sores experienced a great deal of relief from redness and swelling after only two days. Several animal studies have also shown the same positive results for the use of lemon balm ointment in the treatment of patients with HSV.
Other Uses
Although insomnia, anxiety and herpes are the main conditions lemon balm is used to treat, it is also effective at relieving less serious symptoms such as headaches, muscle soreness, indigestion, menstrual cramps, hyperthyroidism, and colic in babies. Lemon balm contains citronella and can also be used as an insect repellent when crushed and rubbed directly on the skin. A tea made from lemon balm leaves can be soothing to colds and flus, and a few drops of oil mixed with massage oil makes a calming and cooling massage treatment.
Lemon balm can be found fresh and dried and in tincture, capsule, oil and pill formulas at most natural food stores.
Member Comments