Natural Society May 18 2013
An easy to grow and wonderful smelling plant, lemon balm has many healing applications and medicinal uses. If you grow your own herbs and plants to use for cooking and healing, then lemon balm is one plant you must have in your growing herb garden. You can cook with it, perfume with it, and heal with it. So, what’s not to love?
Background and History
Native to southern Europe and the Mediterranean, but now found growing in the wild across the globe, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a member of the mint family (like oregano, thyme, and peppermint, of course). Though while the leaves are shaped similarly to others in the mint family, slightly thickened with deep veins, one thing that sets lemon balm apart is its scent. The herb has a sweet lemony smell, which likely made the plant all the more popular over the years.
In the 17th century, a concoction known as Carmelite Water, produced by the French Carmelite nuns, contained lemon balm and was used as a “miracle water” for improving memory, reducing pain, encouraging digestive health, and improving mood, among other things. It’s also been used over the centuries as a wound healer and relaxation-promoter. In gardens, it’s always been known as a great way to attract pollinators.
Healing Properties Medicinal Uses of Lemon Balm
As with most plants in the mint family, Melissa officinalis has a wealth of health benefits. Bruise the plant with your fingers and you can smell the oils credited with many of these healing properties. It’s antiviral and anxiolytic properties are of particular note.
As mentioned, lemon balm has always been recognized as a relaxation aid and used to ease insomnia and anxiety. Modern studies have affirmed this age-old use and found that particularly when used in conjunction with other relaxing herbs, like Valerian, it shows promise as an anxiety treatment.
Italian researchers found that lemon balm’s antiviral properties make it a great topical treatment for Herpes simplex virus type 2 (cold sores). Their study suggested the herb doesn’t stop the virus from entering the cells but fights it once it invades. This, they say, justifies the need for future clinical trials on the plant’s antiviral benefits.
There may even be a promising future for lemon balm in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, researchers found that using a lemon balm extract over a period of 4 months showed a significantly better outcome than a placebo in boosting cognitive performance. The extract both improved cognitive function and reduced agitation that is normal in Alzheimer’s patients.
Of course there are other potential medicinal uses of lemon balm that should not be ignored.