Condition
Treatment Support
digestive tonic, appetizer
Application
tea, tincture
Lemon Balm
(Melissa officinalis)
Also know as Balm
Botanical Information
A fragrant annual herb from the mint family with lush green foliage and white flowers.
Working with Lemon Balm
Part(s) Used
Leaf
Herb Forms
Tincture, essential oil, bulk herb.
Lemon balm is refreshing and relaxing, settling both the stomach and the nerves. Herbalists recommend it for calming a nervous heart and counteracting tension and insomnia, as well as for relaxing spasms of the stomach and intestines. As a tea sipped after meals, it can also ease heartburn and relieve digestive upsets, such as a feeling of pressure or distension in the abdomen. The essential oil of lemon balm is used for melancholy and depression.
Lemon balm has antiviral properties, and in the case of such viral conditions as herpes outbreaks, you can drink the tea throughout the day and before bedtime. The phenolic fraction (a group of chemicals that have strong antioxidant properties), which can be extracted from the plant by gently simmering the whole herb for 40-60 minute, is effective at relieving the pain and duration of herpes sores. Commercial creams made of a watery extract of the plant are also used to treat herpes lesions.
The cooled tea infusion of the herb, which has an appealing flavor, can be given to infants and young children by the spoonful to relieve colic and restlessness.
Lemon Balm has a taste of SPICY and a temperature of COOL.
Cautions
None noted.
Conditions treated with Lemon Balm
Condition
Treatment Support
Application
Condition
Treatment Support
antiviral
Application
ointment externally, tea or tincture internally
Condition
Treatment Support
anti-viral
Application
tincture
Condition
Treatment Support
anti-viral
Application
tincture, tea, tablet
Condition
Treatment Support
antiviral
Application
tincture internally and externally
Condition
Treatment Support
antiviral
Application
tincture, tablet, capsule
The information given here is designed to help you make informed choices about your health. The information is drawn from numerous sources—both traditional medicine practice, from the clinical experience of many herbalists currently practicing, and supported by decades of scientific research from the author. The research most consulted includes human clinical trials that help to determine the most effective and safe herbs for various needs, the best doses, and types of preparations.
The information offered in this database is not intended as a substitute for any that may have been prescribed by your health practitioner or physician.
