Lemon Balm

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Melissa officinalis

Other Names: Balm, Bálsamo de Limón, Cure-All, Dropsy Plant, Honey Plant, Melisa, Melissa, Melissa officinalis, Melissae Folium, Mélisse, Mélisse Citronnelle, Mélisse Officinale, Melissa officinalis, Melissenblatt, Monarde, Sweet Balm, Sweet Mary, Toronjil
Lemon balm is a relatively common part of the mint family, one with a lemony scent and flavor. This plant is sometimes called 'bee balm', and its nectar-filled blossoms give plenty of reason for the appellation, but should not be confused with the plant in the Monarda family more commonly called by that name.

Special Precautions of Lemon Balm

  • When taken by mouth, lemon balm can cause some side effects including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and wheezing.
  • When applied to the skin, there is one report of irritation and one report of increased cold sore symptoms.
  • Tisserand and Young precaution that Melissa Essential Oil can pose a drug interaction hazard and that there is a risk of teratogenicity. They precaution against topical use in children and infants under age 2 and for those with hypersensitive/diseased/damaged skin. They recommend a dermal maximum of 0.9%.
  • Surgery: Lemon balm might cause too much drowsiness if combined with medications used during and after surgery. Stop using lemon balm at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
  • Lemon balm may inhibit the action of thyroid medications.
  • Sedative medications (CNS depressants) interacts with LEMON BALM
  • Melissa Oil is often adulterated. Purchase only from reputable sources that test their oils.

The benefits of Lemon Balm are

Chemical compounds in lemon balm include eugenol, antioxidants, rosmarinic acid, and citronellal. These have strong natural antiviral, antifungal, sedative, and antispasmodic properties that lend themselves to a number of natural remedy purposes.

  • Moods : For many people, taking Melissa herbal supplements helps them improve levels of relaxation and better their mood. It's a bit similar to lavender, which also has soothing as well as antiseptic qualities. Whether used as an aromatherapy oil, swallowed as a herbal supplement or used as a topical ointment, it can help get you in a better mood.Scientific studies have proved that Melissa works. In one of the most recent one, volunteers were given either a placebo or extract of lemon balm in a recent study to see if their moods improved and anxiety levels decreased. The outcome was a positive one, largely because the herb is instrumental in helping the nervous system to relax.
  • Insomnia : Melissa has been used for centuries to treat people for insomnia. However, in recent placebo-controlled trials conducted in humans it was mixed with other herbal supplements known to promote sleep, such as valerian. It is still unclear whether Melissa can work as a natural sleep aid on its own, but it is thought to work by relaxing the nervous system, which in turn decreases anxiety levels and helps with a peaceful sleep.
  • antiviral activity against a variety of viruses, including herpes simplex virus (HSV) and HIV-1
  • Cold Sores : Melissa has also been know to help people with Cold Sores, and ointments containing lemon balm are often applied to children with cold sores around the world. In recent trials, adults with cold sores who applied an ointment containing lemon balm to their lips saw redness and swelling subside, although pain and scabbiness did not decrease. More tests are underway, but is so effective that a herpes remedy containing lemon balm is already popular in Germany.
  • Digestive Disorders : Ayurveda promotes its use for digestive disorders due to nerves, and it has been widely used to soothe the stomach in other traditions. Melissa is also recommended for treatment of both nausea and indigestion, especially when they are caused by nervous tension. Some authorities say that it slows the heart beat, relieving palpitations and helps lower blood pressure. Blended with Geranium, it may help ease painful periods.
  • Alzheimer and Dementia : Used to calm those with severe dementia.
  • Many sources recommend using Melissa to treat both acne, and allergic skin problems, but due to the irritating nature of the essential oil, I recommend the Hydrosol for skin care purposes.
  • Agitation/Dementia: A recent study quoted in the Journal of Complimentary Medicine showed that Melissa Essential Oil is a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia. The study indicates that true pure melissa oil significantly reduced agitation and has important quality of life benefits. Use of a melissa herbal extract in a study of patients with mild to moderate Attention Deficit Disorder experienced significant benefits in cognition after 16 weeks of treatment. Whether the same benefits would occur with use of the essential oil is unknown.
  • Aromatherapy for Pitta Imbalance.
  • Emotionally, Melissa is a delight. It is a mild sedative in small doses, and believed to calm anxiety. Both calming and uplifting, Melissa Essential Oil is said to be extremely useful in cases of emotional shock, grief, fear, and anger. It is said to bring acceptance and understanding. Some say it helps in dealing with past lives(?).
  • Allergies : Melissa essential oil has antihistamine action and helps with allergies. It is useful to treat eczema and headaches.
  • anti-diabetic : in vitro studies suggest that even small amounts of lemon balm essential oil can help to curb type 2 diabetes.
  • Cold Sores : Lemon balm, though, appears to be directly effective against the herpes simplex virus. As part of a soothing lip balm, you can address both the need to sooth painful sores and attack the virus at its root.
  • bug repellant : It’s not universal for all essential oils, but many have shared components that are effective against mosquitos, ticks, and other pests. With Lyme disease on the rise, this is more important than ever. For lemon balm, the shared component is citronellol and citral, shared with the popular bug repelling oil citronella.
  • Cancer :
    • Melissa officinalis may possess a high potency to inhibit proliferation of different tumor cells in a dose independent manner, suggesting that an optimal biological dose is more important than a maximally tolerated one", the researchers summarised. Moreover, the antiproliferative effect of Melissa officinalis seems to be tumor type specific, as hormone dependant cancers were more sensitive to antitumoral effects of Melissa officinalis extract.
    • Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) extract inhibits the proliferation of colon carcinoma cells and induces apoptosis through formation of ROS. Taken together, LBE or subfractions thereof could be used for the prevention of colon cancer.

References

Medical Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be substituted for medical advice. Always consult a medical professional regarding any medical problems and before undertaking any treatment or dietary changes.

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