A leaf can be chewed to freshen the breath or crushed and placed on a bug bite to help ease the itch. Our favorite use is to turn it into a lip balm for cold sores! (See #3 below.) If you’ve ever planted lemon balm, you know how one tiny plant can quickly take over a large portion of your garden!
Can you eat lemon balm leaves Raw?
You can certainly enjoy lemon balm fresh on salads, or in your favorite recipes, too. Be brave! Experiment with its bright flavor.
Can you take lemon balm orally?
Capsules: Take 300 to 500 mg dried lemon balm, 3 times daily or as needed. Tea: 1.5 to 4.5 grams (1/4 to 1 tsp.) of dried lemon balm herb in hot water. Steep and drink up to 4 times daily.
How much lemon balm leaves a day?
To make a lemon balm tea, brew 1.5 to 4.5 grams of leaves in 150 milliliters of hot water. This can be taken several times a day. The leaves can also be eaten, up to 10 grams a day.
Can you eat the stem of lemon balm?
This aromatic member of the mint family has a bright, citrusy taste that brings together the acidity of lemon with subtle hints of mint. Both the stems and fresh leaves of lemon balm have a subtly sweet flavor and can be used in food preparation and medicine.
What can I do with fresh lemon balm leaves?
Add whole lemon balm leaves to green salads, or chiffonade the leaves and scatter them over a fruit salad for added zesty flavor. Lemon balm also pairs beautifully with poultry—try adding sliced leaves to chicken salad, fish dishes, and even vegetable dishes to serve on the side.
Can you drink lemon balm tea everyday?
While more studies are needed to determine how lemon balm tea may help individuals, it does appear that the tea is safe for most people to consume. A person should consult their doctor if they have an underlying condition, such as a thyroid issue, before regularly consuming lemon balm tea.
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).
Is lemon balm good for your liver?
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges in severity from hepatic steatosis to cirrhosis. Lemon balm and its major constituent, rosmarinic acid (RA), effectively improve the liver injury and obesity; however, their therapeutic effects on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are unknown.
How do you use lemon balm for anxiety?
TEA. The easiest ways to have your daily dose of lemon balm is to make it into a tea! The ratio is easy to remember:1 tablespoon of dried or chopped fresh lemon balm per eight fluid ounces. Allow the tea to steep for at least eight minutes for best results.
Is lemon balm antifungal?
Among these products, lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant and used for the treatment of headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, nervousness, and rheumatism. It is an antibacterial and antifungal agent.
Does lemon balm lower blood pressure?
Lemon balm may lower your blood pressure and therefore should be used with caution if you are taking medications with similar properties. It can also lower your blood sugar levels and people with diabetes should use lemon balm with care.
How do I eat lemon balm?
A simple lemon balm tea recipe can use fresh or dried leaves. Simply pour 8 ounces of boiling water over 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh leaves (or 1 Tablespoon of dried leaves). Steep for about 10 minutes (more or less to taste), strain and enjoy.
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.
Is lemon balm a diuretic?
The leaves of lemon balm, Melissa officinalis L (Lamiaceae), are used in Iranian folk medicine for their digestive, carminative, antispasmodic, sedative, analgesic, tonic, and diuretic properties, as well as for functional gastrointestinal disorders.
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 lemon balm hypothyroidism?
Thyroid disease: Don’t use lemon balm. There is a concern that lemon balm may change thyroid function, reduce thyroid hormone levels, and interfere with thyroid hormone-replacement therapy.
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.
Who should not drink lemon balm tea?
Stop using lemon balm at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery. Thyroid disease: Lemon balm may change thyroid function, reduce thyroid hormone levels, and interfere with thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Avoid lemon balm if you have thyroid disease.
Does lemon balm have caffeine in it?
Examples of popular herbal teas that are 100% caffeine free include: Chamomile. Mint (including peppermint and spearmint) Lemon balm.