Understanding Herbs - Lemon Balm

Its very nearly May. Waking up this morning, despite the clouds, there was a soft warmth in the air, the birds were singing, and both herbs and vegetables are popping up in all of my garden beds. This is also a time that the air is fragrant with the scent of lemon balm as the plant's volatile oils begin to warm up with the morning sunshine.

Lemon balm holds a long history in herbal tradition. It is a beautiful springtime plant that stretches its blooms into summer. It has been extremely popular in both kitchen and medicinal gardens since the early middle ages (and earlier). Lemon balm holds great importance in European domestic medicine as a drinkable spirit or basic nervous system sedative.

The genus Melissa is widely diffused, having representatives in Europe, middle Asia, and North America. The name is from the Greek word signifying ‘Bee’, indicative of the attraction the flowers have for those insects, on account of the honey they produce. The word Balm is an abbreviation of Balsam, the chief of sweet-smelling oils. It is called this due to its honeyed sweetness. It was highly esteemed in ancient times by Paracelsus, who believed it would completely cure any ailment.

I hope you enjoy this bit of information about this very common but exceptionally powerful herbal ally. In the following you will find gathered information about its common uses, its actions, constituents, pharmacy, historical and traditional usage, contraindications and warnings, clinical studies, and its usage in both aromatherapy and as a hydrosol.
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As with any form of herbal medicine, the below information is not meant to replace medical advice or prescriptions from your Medical Doctor. All information below is based off of Materia Medica texts and comes from published and historical sources. References have been included at the end of the article.

​Family: Labiatae
Parts Used:  Leaves and Flowers/ All aerial parts
Other Common Names:  Balm, Balm Mint, Bee Balm, Blue Balm, Garden Balm, Sweet Balm, Cure-all, Dropsy Plant

Actions:
Anxiolytic (no formal studies done)         
Antihistamine                                                   
Carminative       
Cooling                                                                
Anti-viral (topical)                                           
Antimicrobial
Sedative                                                             
Anti-stress                                                        
Hepatic
Calming                                                                               
Anti-flatulent                                                    
Trophorestorative
Diaphoretic                                                        
Febrifuge                                                           
Mild vasodilator
Antispasmodic                                                 
Nerve relaxant
Anti-depressant                                               
Heart-sedating effect
Anti-bacterial (myco-bacterium phlei and streptococcus haemolytica)

Chemical Constituents:

• Flavonoids
  • Luteolin-7-glucoside
  • Rhamnazin
• Triterpenes
  • Ursolic acid
  • Pomolic acid
• Volatile oils
  The volatile oils appear to act on the interface between the digestive tract and the nervous system.
  • Citronella
  • Neral
  • Geranial
  • Caryophyllene oxide
• Polyphenols
  • Protocatechuic acid
  • Caffeic acid
  • Rosmarinic acid
  • Tannins

What are its uses?

Head, Ears, Eyes, Nose, and Throat:

• Nervous headache
• Dizziness/Vertigo
• Migraine (combined with Nutmeg)

Integumentary System (Skin):

• Burns
• Blisters
• Herpes (specific and directly on the sore – Herpes simplex)
• Stings

Nervous System/Mental Health:

• Nervousness
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Panic attacks
• Insomnia
• Debility and weakness of nervous origin
• Chronic stress (specifically in men)
• Shock
• Feeling of “low spirits”
• Restlessness and restless legs
• Protects the cerebrum of the brain and is effective in treatment of autonomic disorders – an action like modern tranquilizers (Usually combined with peppermint for this action).
• Historical Commentary: “Balm is sovereign to the brain. It strengthens the memory and powerfully chases away melancholy.”
• Neuralgic pain (combined with Nutmeg) – See Carmelite water commentary in historical pharmacy.
• Tenseness
• Irritability
• Nervous breakdown

​Respiratory System:

• Respiratory spasm
• Convulsive coughing
• Asthma

Digestive System:

• Dyspepsia
• General upset stomach
• Flatulence
• Nervous indigestion (best served as hot/warm tea after eating)
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach cramps

Endocrine System (Hormones):

• Hyperadrenalism
• Hyperthyroidism

 
Cardiovascular System:

• Heart Palpitations
• Palpitations associated with anxiety
• Atrial fibrillation
• High blood pressure
• Aneurysm
• Rapid or superficial pulse
  
  

Immune/Lymphatic System:

• Recent colds and fevers
• Fever (It induces a mild perspiration and makes a pleasant and cooling tea for feverish patients in cases of catarrh and influenza. To make the tea, pour 1 pint (470ml) of boiling water upon 1 oz (25g) of herb, infuse 15 minutes, allow to cool, then strain and drink freely.)

Reproductive System:

• Promotion of conception in women (traditional)
• Deficient and painful menstruation
• Leucorrhea
• Hot flashes from Menopause (best combined with peach leaves)
• Excessive sexual excitement (traditional)
• Impotence (traditional)

​Specific Diseases/States/Infections/Viruses/Bacteria:

• Suited to conditions of sympathetic excess
• Fevers with nervousness
• Fevers of young children
• Nervous depression following exhaustive fevers
• Convalescence when the digestion has long been irritated
• Mumps
• Shingles
• Reaction to vaccine/Inoculation (mild reactionary state)
• Historical Commentary: The London Dispensary of 1696 writes: “An essence of Balm, given in Canary wine, every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness.”
• Historical Commentary: “Balm steeped in wine comforts the heart and driveth away melancholy and sadness”
• Historical Commentary: “The juice of Balm glueth together greene wounds” – likely meaning fresh or recent cuts or general wounds.
• Historical Commentary: “Balm, being applied, doth close up wounds without any perill of inflammation”
• Traditional: The leaves steeped in wine, and the wine drunk, and the leaves applied externally were considered to be a certain cure for the bites of venomous beasts and the stings of scorpions. It is now recognized as a scientific fact that the balsamic oils of aromatic plants make excellent surgical dressings.

​Combinations:

• Combined with peach leaves for menopausal hot flashes
• Sometimes combined with Lycopus in hyperthyroidism or is specific by itself
• Traditional combination: Combined with peppermint (equal parts – generally 1 to 2 tsp of each) as a tea, infuse 15 minutes, drink one cup at bedtime for restful sleep or to improve digestion.
• Combined with a pinch of Nutmeg it has a reputation for nervous headache, migraine, and neuralgia. Popular in all European pharmacopoeias.
• Combined with salt for easing the pain of gout (historical/traditional)
• Combined with Hops, Valerian, and Motherwort for sleep disturbances
• In combination with chamomile, vervain, licorice, and fennel for infantile cholic

Pharmacy

Max Daily Dose: 1:2 @45%  Liquid Extract - 3 to 6ml
Max Weekly Dose: 1:2 @45%  Liquid Extract – 20 to 40ml
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Applications:
Infusion:        

• 1 to 2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water, infuse 5 minutes, drink 1 cup freely as needed.
• Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 2 to 3 teaspoons of dried herb or 4 to 6g of fresh herb and infuse in a covered container for 10 to 15 minutes. A cup of this tea should be taken morning and evening or when needed

Tincture:
Best as a fresh tincture made in the spring when the plant is still tender and before it blooms.

• 1:5 @ 45% 2 to 6ml tid     
• 1:5 @ 40%  2 to 6ml tid

Liquid/Fluid Extract:

• 1:1 @ 45% 2 to 4ml tid

Powder:

• X2 210mg capsules three times daily

Bath:

• 8oz (230g) herb to 10 pints (7 litres) boiling water. Infuse for 15 minutes. Strain and add to bath water for sleeplessness or nervous heart.

Aromatherapy:

• 10 to 20 drops in ¼ cup powdered milk, added to bath water for sleeplessness or nervous heart, or to create a sensation of calm and light heartedness.

Hydrosol:

• Melissa is calming to the body more than the mind but without being overly sedating. Use it for stress, anxiety, and childhood hysterics. Combine with rosemary while studying and with neroli to drink during exams. Has shown some positive results for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). For children with ADHA, use 30ml of hydrosol in one liter of water, consume throughout the day. For adults, double the quantity of hydrosol: 60ml to one liter of water.
• During pregnancy lemon balm hydrosol can be used to treat morning sickness, digestive upsets, and water retention and as a system tonic for general well-being. You can also add a small percentage of cinnamon bark and peppermint hydrosols for morning sickness to great effect.
• Melissa hydrosol is gentle enough for use on babies; try adding a teaspoon to a nighttime bath or blend with German chamomile or yarrow for cradle cap and diaper rash.
• Taken internally, Melissa hydrosol makes a good preventative during flu and allergy season and as both immune-stimulating and some infection fighting properties.
• Melissa hydrosol is a gentle cholagogue and has been used in digestive drinks for centuries; the hydrosol aids digestion and reduces the intestinal spasms and cramps associated with colitis and Crohn’s disease. In some people it has shown a laxative effect, so test in small doses first.
• Melissa hydrosol is a good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory and can be used on its own or in blends as a skin clarifier and to calm rashes, irritations, and eczema.
• Melissa hydrosol can be added to lotions and creams for antiaging and after-sun body care.
• Do not use Melissa hydrosol internally if you have low blood pressure or are on blood pressure lowering medications (theoretical).
  
  

Misc:

• Historical Pharmacy: Formerly a spirit of Balm combined with lemon-peel, nutmeg, and angelica root, enjoyed a great reputation under the name of Carmelite water, being deemed highly useful against nervous headache and neuralgic affections.
• Historical Recipe for Fever: “Put two sprigs of Balm and a little wood sorrel into a stone jug, having first washed and dried them; peel thin a small lemon, and clear from the white, slice it and put a bit of peel in, then pour in 3 pints of boiling water, sweeten, and cover it close.”
• Historical Recipe – Claret Cup: “One bottle of claret, one pint bottle of German seltzer water, a small bunch of balm, same with borage, one orange cut in slices, half a cucumber sliced thick, a liqueur glass of Cognac and one ounce of bruised sugar-candy. Place these ingredients in a covered jug, well immersed in rough ice, stir all together with a silver spoon, and when the cup has been iced for about an hour, strain or decanter it off free from the herbs”​

Clinical Studies

• A single administration of lemon balm extract to volunteers resulted in a quantitative EEG recording that was distinguishable from that obtain from placebo. However, results from the self-rating of alertness did not differ from placebo. The dose was equivalent to 6.2g of dried herb.  An acute sedative effect was not demonstrated, but analysis after ongoing administration may yet demonstrate a sedative effect.
• The effect of an herbal preparation containing valerian and lemon balm on objective sleep parameters was comparted with an orthodox sedative (triazolam) and placebo with 20 volunteers composed of both good and poor sleepers. The herbal preparation induced a significant increase in sleep efficiency in stages 3 and 4, and poor sleepers benefitted more from the treatment. No shortening of sleep latency and wake time were observed, and no rebound effects were observed. The herbal combination and triaxolam were tested on day 3 and day 6, respectively with baseline and placebo evaluated on days 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. The daily dose corresponded to 1.4g of dried valerian root and 0.9g of dried lemon balm herb. The trial was of double-bling placebo-controlled, crossover design.
• A post-marketing surveillance study in Germany involving 518 patients found an herbal combination of valerian, hops, and lemon balm to be a highly effective treatment for nervous insomnia and restlessness, with very few side effects. The dose administered ranged from one to nine tablets. One tablet contained 450mg of valerian dried root, 126.5mg of dried hop stabiles, and 225mg of lemon balm dried leaf.
• A double-bling study on babies approximately 3 weeks of age with infantile colic investigate the effect of an instant herbal tea preparation containing lemon balm, chamomile, vervain, licorice, and fennel. After 7 days, the colic improvement scores were significantly better in the herbal tea group, and more babies in this treatment group had their colic eliminated.
• Randomized, controlled clinical trials with lemon balm have yielded conclusive results for the topical treatment of recurrent herpes simplex virus type 1 infection. These trials used a cream containing 1% lemon balm extract (70:1). In one trial, the cream was used on the affected area two to four times daily for 5 to 10 days.

​Safety Concerns/Contraindications

• Due to its emmenagogue effect (empirical evidence) as well as its antithyrotropic and antigonadotropic activity (in vitro; animal studies), it is not to be used in pregnancy. Fine to use as a hydrosol – no contraindications in pregnancy.
• Not to be used in individuals with low thyroid activity (hypothyroidism). Due to its antithyrotropic effect (in vitro) and blocking conversion of thyroxin to T3 by liver cells (in vitro studies).
• Not to be used by individuals with glaucoma. Due to ability of its main volatile component to raise ocular pressure in exceptionally low doses of 2 to 5mcg (in monkeys).
• Not to be used by men with prostatic hyperplasia (speculative, no clinical evidence). Due to the increase in ventral prostrate epithelial and stromal growth from exposure to its major volatile component and its stimulating influence on estrogen receptors (topically in rats).
• Not to be taken in combination with the drug pentobarbital or hexobarbital  due to its increased hypnotic and sedative activity (in mice and rats). It may increase the sedating activities of these drugs.

References

• Medicinal Herbs Quick Reference Guide – Revision 7 by Julieta Criollo DNM, CHT – Self Published 2017
• Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions Third Edition by Francis Brinker ND – Eclectic Medical Publications Sandy Oregon 2001
• The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils – The Complete Guide to the Use of Aromatic Oils in Aromatherapy, Herbalism, Health & Well-Being By Julia Lawless – Conari Press 2013
• A Modern Herbal by MRS. M. Grieve – Dover Publication NY 1971
• The Earthwise Herbal A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants by Matthew Wood- North Atlantic Books Berkeley, California 2008
• The Psychopharmacology of Herbal Medicine, Plant Drugs That Alter Mind, Brain, and Behavior- By Marcello Spinella – Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2001
• The Male Herbal, Health Care for Men and Boys – By James Green – The Crossing Press Freedom California 1991
• Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine – By Thomas Bartram – Robinson Publishing Ltd. UK 1998
• A Clinical Guide to Blending Liquid Herbs – By Kerry Bone – Churchill Livingstone Publishing, An Imprint of Elsevier 2003
• Hydrosols the Next Aromatherapy – By Suzanne Catty – Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont 2001
• Medical Herbalism the Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine – By David Hoffmann- Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont 2003