Did you know that the simple herb lemon balm (melissa officinalis) has many powerful benefits? This herb is mild enough to be used by children with little to no side effects, yet has powerful implications for improving your health.
Lemon balm is easy to grow on your windowsill and has a mild flavor, unlike other bitter herbs. Lemon balm is high in minerals such as boron, manganese, copper, selenium, chromium, molybdenum, iron, and silica, making it a high contributor to most functions in the body. This herb also monitors your stores of B12 and helps keep your body from using it up too quickly.
Let’s see why this herb is so fabulous and why I recommend it to so many clients – plus, my suggested ways to use it.
As always, before adding or adjusting a supplement into your daily regimen, consult with a trusted health practitioner first.
Helps Soothe Anxiety & Regulate Mood
Lemon balm is well-known for its soothing properties for the nervous system. It has a mild sedative or calming effect, which has proven helpful for those with sleep disorders or children with hyperactive tendencies and concentration difficulties. Taking lemon balm before bedtime can help settle the nervous system and prepare the body for good sleep. (This is why some elderberry syrups say “nighttime” – lemon balm has typically been added). However, one can take lemon balm at any point in the day and not feel “sleepy.”
This herb has also been shown to mitigate the effects of physiological stress on the body and the effects of stress on the mind, showing improvements in cognitive functioning and mood. In fact, lemon balm has shown to play a significant role in improving depression and anxiety scores. A recent 2022 study found that lemon balm also reduces post-COVID-19 neurological, respiratory, and cardiovascular complications, which can affect the functioning of the nervous system.
Aids in Digestion
Because lemon balm is so helpful for easing nerves, it can also assist with sensitive digestion. The nerves around the digestive tract may be inflamed for various reasons, and lemon balm can help soothe those nerves to ease digestion and reduce inflammation in the digestive tract. In fact, this study found that lemon balm helps the function of the intestines themselves during the digestion process. Lemon balm has also been found to be helpful for preventing and treating gastric ulcers.
A Powerfully Ally To Fight Cancer
Because lemon balm is so rich in antioxidants, it is no wonder that it has powerful effects against oxidative stress and inflammation. More impressive still, lemon balm is able to kill off the cancer cells from a long list of cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, leukemia, and colon cancers. It has even been shown to stop the spread of glioblastoma multiforme, a fast-acting and aggressive brain cancer. Going through chemo, or working within range of radiation? Lemon balm has also been shown to have protective effects on cells and DNA when exposed to radiation.
Note: A cancer journey requires a detailed and very personalized protocol. Please consult with a trusted health practitioner before adding or adjusting any part of a regimen. To see my recommendations for a cancer journey, please go to my online course The Cancer Warrior: Building Resiliency The Natural Way.
See also these articles:
- 5 Cancer-Causing Things In Your Home To Get Rid Of Now
- A Letter To The Parents of a Child Cancer Warrior
- How This Single Mushroom Fights Cancer & Gives You Better Sleep & Skin
- How To Use This Super Root To Conquer Cancer & Keep You Young
- Cha-Cha-Chaga! 3 Ways This Funky Fungus Powers Up Your Health
Protects Your Heart
Lemon balm helps prevent myocarditis and reduces heart failure associated with myocarditis. It is a wonderful tool to help lower blood pressure, improve the lipid profile of the blood, manage glycemic control, and reduce inflammation of the heart.
To learn more about natural ways to improve your heart health, see my in-depth recommendations in this article.
More Benefits of Lemon Balm
- Antiviral – even shown to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 and HIV
- Antimicrobial
- Has been shown to be beneficial in treatment for acute menopausal syndrome
- Improves learning and memory
- Essential oil reduces inflammation
- Anti-parasitic
- Detoxes the liver, spleen, and kidneys
- Helps regulate overactive thyroid
- Anti-diabetic effect – can help manage blood sugar and gluconeogenesis in the liver
- Strengthens the lymphocytes, which improves the immune system
- Helps stop herpes virus – time between breakouts gets longer, healing time is quickened, and symptoms are more mild when treated with lemon balm cream or essential oil
- Wound healing & skin repair: can help treat psoriasis and has significantly improved psoriasis
How To Use Lemon Balm & My Recommended brands
Topical Application Using Melissa Essential Oil
A topical application of lemon balm essential oil (also known as melissa officinalis) would be appropriate for many ailments, including headache, eczema, assistance for circulation, anxiety, indigestion, viral infections, reducing inflammation, cold sores, herpes sores, and many more. In some cases, such as with herpes sores, the essential oil can be applied directly. In most cases, it is more appropriate to use a carrier oil such as St. John’s Wort oil.* (St. John’s Wort also has a repairing and soothing effect on the nervous system, so it pairs nicely, for many reasons.) I use the Primavera brand of melissa essential oil* because I have trusted their quality and effectiveness for over a decade.
See this article for more thorough details on topical applications of essential oils.
*If you wish, you can use my code amberbodilyhealth at checkout for a discount.
Tincture
I often recommend clients to get on a lemon balm tincture because it is able to be received by the body in larger amounts, which are needed when the body needs to do some healing. Please consult with a trusted health practitioner before adding or adjusting supplements in your daily regimen. Here are some of my trusted brands:
- Secrets of the Tribe (Use code NATURE15 for a discount at checkout)
- Hawaii Pharm
- Herb Pharm
Tea & Fresh Herb
Remember when I said lemon balm is easy to grow on a windowsill? It really is! You can keep this plant in the window and snip some leaves off to steep in water, chop up and garnish a salad, or even to blend up in a smoothie. My kids and I love sipping on some lemon balm tea before bed to prepare my body for sleep. If you’re not able to find or grow a live lemon balm plant, no worries – here are some of my favorite tea brands:
- Traditional Medicinals
- Lemon Balm from CuraTe, a wonderful small business who uplifts every package!
A Powerful Healer
Why not give lemon balm a try? It is fabulous for kids and adults alike.
I have included lemon balm in my list of top 5 supplements that I end up recommending to almost all my clients. See what the others are here.
I hope this helps you understand how lemon balm can uplift your health!
Ignite the Healer within,
Amber Bodily
P.S. If you want to learn other natural at-home remedies, check out my online course The All-Natural Medicine Cabinet: Your Guide To Powerful Remedies For Common Ailments.
