Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm

(Melissa officinalis)

A plant that has the potential to shift your mood one cup of tea at a time, nourish your heart health, tone your brain, heart and nervous system, support the body through fever, ease stomach upset, ease nervous tension, anxiety, and mild depression and is gentle enough for elders and babies. Lemon Balm is a personal favourite of mine. It is a soothing, grounding, mildly invigorating and comforting plant that hugs you in the form of a cuppa tea or tincture. Lemon balm is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Lamiaceae (mint) family.

 

Folklore & History:

According to Greek mythology, Melissa, a princess of Crete, transformed into a bee upon mastering collection of honey. Her name later signified “honeybee” in Greek. Lemon Balm was given its botanical name Melissa due to the bee's fondness for the plant.
This plant has been historically utilized for uplifting spirits and promoting longevity. 

Actions

  • Cardiotonic
  • Relaxing nervine
  • Gentle carminative
  • Anti-viral properties
  • Gentle diaphoretic (When in the form of a hot cuppa tea it induces light sweating.)
  • Neuroprotective
  • Antispasmodic
  • Relaxant

Medicinal Uses:  

  • Nervousness, anxiety, depression, irritability - Lemon Balm may be used for any ailment that is present with nervousness, it can reduce feelings of anxiety, and mild depression and bring about feelings of relaxation to help with irritability and restlessness. 

  • Digestive aid -  Lemon Balm can be a great ally for someone who struggles to digest food properly, paired well with someone who has poor digestion due to nervous tension and anxiety. This is because Lemon Balm has mild carminative actions. 

  • Antiviral properties - Lemon Balm volatile (essential) oils are potent for helping the body to heal from certain viral attacks such as shingles, chicken pox, and the herpes simplex virus. It can also slow the return rate of cold sores.

  • Antispasmodic - Lemon balm can be a wonderful remedy for menstrual discomfort this is because Lemon Balm has antispasmodic actions that reduce spasms by relaxing smooth muscle.

  • Cardiotonic & Neuroprotective -   Rosmarinic acid which is present in lemon balm is responsible for this plant being cardioprotective and Neuroprotective. 

 

 Rosmarinic acid: 

Lemon balm contains a constituent in it called Rosmarinic acid. Rosmarinica acid is a polyphenol compound that was named after rosemary. It is present in many plants that are members of the Lamiaceae and Boraginaceae family. Including Sage (Salvia officinalis), Thyme (Thymus vulgaris), Borage (Borago officinalis), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Peppermint (Mentha piperita), as well as Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).
Rosemarinic acid is a powerful antioxidant and preservative with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-allergic properties. When used topically this powerful constituent exhibits antiviral activity against the herpes simplex virus. 
Rosemarinic acid is also cardioprotective and neuroprotective, which means it supports your heart, brain, and nervous system health.
 

Energetics:  

Lemon Balm is a mildly warming but also cooling plant, this is because when you take lemon balm in the form of a hot tea it can be cooling for the system, due to its association with the mint family this also means it can be slightly cooling and carminative. Lemon Balm is a gently drying but also moistening plant. 

 

References:

  • Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - Thomas Bartram 
  • Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - Andrew Chevallier 
  • herbal constituents foundations of phytochemistry - Lisa Ganora 
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