Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is an herb from the mint family. The leaves, which have a mild lemon aroma, are used to make medicine and flavor foods.
What part of lemon balm is used?
leaves
Lemon balm supplements are made from the leaves of the plant. Essential oils made from lemon balm leaves contain plant chemicals called terpenes, which play at least some role in the herb’s relaxing and antiviral effects.
How do you use lemon balm medicinal?
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 the leaves of lemon balm?
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.
Are lemon balm stems edible?
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.
How do you extract oil from lemon balm?
While lemon balm essential oil is obtained through a long process of steam distillation that concentrates all of plant’s constituents, lemon balm oil is usually made by macerating or softly heating the crushed leaves and stems in a carrier oil in order to extract their properties.
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.
Is lemon balm psychoactive?
These psychoactive properties, along with lemon balm’s safety profile over a wide dose range, may provide a unique pharmacological alternative for specific psychiatric disorders.
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.
What do you do with dried lemon balm?
Use lemon balm in place of lemon peel in recipes and to flavor soups, sauces, vinegars and seafood. Or add it to your favorite sugar cookie dough for a delicious lemony tea cookie.
Can you smoke lemon balm leaf?
If you were just looking to know if lemon balm is smokable, the simple answer is yes, but if you were looking at a therapeutic herb then you should know by now that no study suggests that lemon balm can provide any benefit to your body or mind when smoked.
How does lemon balm affect the thyroid?
Test tube studies have found that lemon balm blocks attachment of antibodies to the thyroid cells that cause Grave’s disease (hyperthyroidism). The brain’s signal to the thyroid (thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH) is also blocked from further stimulating the excessively active thyroid gland in this disease.
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.
Can you use the flowers of lemon balm?
The flowers are also edible and can be candied or used to garnish fruit salads, beverages, or desserts. My favorite way to use lemon balm is in iced tea. I absolutely love it mixed with fresh raspberry leaf and nettle. It is also delicious blended with black or green tea.
When do you harvest lemon balm tincture?
The best time to harvest lemon balm is right before the plant blossoms—this is when the oil that creates its signature flavor is at its most potent. You can harvest small amounts of lemon balm for use throughout its growing season by snapping off a few leaves at a time.
How do you make lemon balm tincture?
Instructions
- Place the chopped leaves into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.
- Pour vodka over the lemon balm, making sure to submerge the leaves.
- Put the lid on the jar.
- Give the jar a gentle shake.
- Place jar in a dark cabinet and let infuse for 4 weeks – longer is okay.
- Strain the leaves from the vodka.
Can you make lemon balm essential oil?
While lemon balm-infused oil is easy to make at home, making essential oil requires a hundred times higher amount of herb to produce a few drops of essential oil. By simmering the herbs, you make steam that goes into a distillation tube and runs through cold water, condensing the steam into a liquid.
Can I dehydrate 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!
How do you make lemon balm cream?
How to Make Lemon Balm Cream
- 1 cup of fresh or dried lemon balm leaves.
- 1/8 cup of glycerin.
- 2/3 cup of water.
- 1/4 cup of beeswax or any other emulsifying wax.
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.
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.