12+ Things to Do With Lemon Balm:
- Make a sleepy time herbal syrup:
- Make a lemon balm bug spray:
- Chop fresh leaves and sprinkle on salads or in baked goods:
- Make a lip balm for cold sores:
- Make a glycerite:
- Make a relaxing, tummy soothing tea:
- Make lemon balm soap:
- Make a simple remedy for bug bites & acne:
What can I use lemon balm for?
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), a member of the mint family, is considered a calming herb. It was used as far back as the Middle Ages to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease pain and discomfort from indigestion (including gas and bloating, as well as colic).
Can I eat lemon balm raw?
The whole plant is edible, though its the tender leaves you are after. Lemon balm has a long history of a wide array herbal medicine uses, in particular for soothing, calming and raising the spirit – just one smell of the crushed leaves does all of these for me.
What can you make with fresh lemon balm?
A handful of fresh lemon balm and mint makes an excellent hot or iced tea, especially with honey. You can also use the herb to bake a batch of lemon balm cookies or lemon balm bread, whisk up a quick lemon balm vinaigrette, or top your pasta with lemon balm pesto.
How do you harvest and use lemon balm?
You can harvest small amounts of lemon balm for use throughout its growing season by snapping off a few leaves at a time. For a bigger harvest, use shears to snip leaves from the center stem, in between side shoots, to continue encouraging bushy, full growth.
Can I drink lemon balm tea everyday?
When taken by mouth: Lemon balm is likely safe when consumed in amounts found in foods. Lemon balm supplements are possibly safe when used at a dose of up to 500 mg daily for up to 6 months. Side effects are generally mild and might include increased appetite, nausea, dizziness, and wheezing.
Does lemon balm make you sleepy?
Traditionally, lemon balm herbal preparations have been used to treat anxiety and insomnia. Its mild sedative effect is a well-known feature.
Does lemon balm lower blood pressure?
In this study in people with essential hypertension, supplementation with lemon balm extract led to a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This Study Summary was published on January 4, 2022.
What does lemon balm taste like?
As part of the mint plant family, lemon balm leaves have a lemony scent and taste pleasantly mild, with subtle citrus notes.
How do you use lemon balm for anxiety?
How to use: Take 300 to 600 mg of lemon balm three times per day. You can take a higher dose in acute episodes of anxiety.
Is Lemon balm tea good for you?
Research has shown that when combined with herbs like valerian, lemon balm helps improve sleep. Also, drinking lemon balm tea can help with insomnia. Compounds in lemon balm may relieve gastrointestinal problems, such as bloating and indigestion.
How do you harvest lemon balm without killing the plant?
To harvest lemon balm for tea and other uses, simply pinch off sprigs from the plant. You can remove sprigs as soon as the plant starts growing, though it’s usually best to wait until it’s grown at least a few stems. Tie the sprigs together and dry them in a warm area.
How do you dry lemon balm leaves for tea?
Air Drying
Simply gather several stems of lemon balm together, and tie them up around the stem with a piece of string. Then hang your bunches of lemon balm up in a cool dry spot in your house. Once dried, in approximately 2-3 weeks, follow steps 7 and 8 to store your lemon balm tea.
Does lemon balm come back every year?
Container Growing Lemon Balm
Winter growing: Cut back lemon balm in fall leaving just 2 inches of stem. The plant may freeze back to the ground in winter but will re-grow from underground roots and renew itself in spring.
Can I air dry lemon balm?
Tender herbs like basil, mint, or lemon balm have high water content and will mold easily if the drying process takes too long. For these herbs, gather into bundles and place in a paper bag with holes. The holes allow proper air circulation. Close the top of Page 2 the bag with string or a rubber band and hang to dry.
Should I dry lemon balm?
Drying lemon balm can preserve the quality and flavor of the plant for storage. An easy way to have it on hand all year long is to dry it at home. The process is simple and safe, and you will soon have lemon balm when you want to relax for a good night’s sleep!
What does lemon balm do to the brain?
Lemon balm significantly reduces excitatory transmission in the brain by inhibiting an enzyme called GABA-T that breaks down GABA, thus increasing the amount of GABA available in the brain.
Is lemon balm anti inflammatory?
The use of herbs to relieve pain has a long history in the world of medicine. The fact that the essential oil of lemon balm has anti-inflammatory properties supports the traditional use of this herb in the treatment of numerous diseases associated with inflammation or pain (Bounihi et al., 2013).
Does lemon balm have caffeine?
Examples of popular herbal teas that are 100% caffeine free include: Chamomile. Mint (including peppermint and spearmint) Lemon balm.
Is lemon balm good for your heart?
In traditional Iranian medicine, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, Lamiaceae) leaf extract is used as a heart tonic and to help ease tension, restlessness, and irritability.
Can lemon balm cause depression?
Based on meta-analysis results, lemon balm significantly improved mean anxiety and depression scores compared with the placebo (SMD: -0.98; 95% CI: -1.63 to -0.33; p = 0.003), (SMD: -0.47; 95% CI: -0.73 to -0.21; p = 0.0005) respectively, without serious side effects.