Lovely Lemon Balm

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial plant that is native to Europe, western Asia, and also northern Africa. This herb can be used in several preparations including infusion, liquid extract, tincture, and tea. The therapeutic uses for lemon balm include improving digestion, reducing acid reflux, easing stomach pain and cramping, and relieving nausea. According to Dorene Peterson, author of NAT 211 Anatomy & Physiology, it can also be used to help improve our quality of sleep (Petersen, 2016). Due to lemon balms diaphoretic properties, it can also be used as a tea if you feel a cold coming on. Because it is a diaphoretic, it will force the body to sweat which can help void the cold symptoms. Another great use for lemon balm is to help ease exhaustion and stress. To prepare a tea, use one teaspoon of dried herb per cup of boiled water. Let it steep for around ten minutes before enjoying. I decided to try my hand at making a lemon balm tea before bed the other night after having a very long and stressful day. I have two hormonal children, one in which is dealing with some mastocytosis issues, so I have been under an extreme amount of exhaustion and stress lately. I brought my tea to bed with me and enjoyed it while watching Netflix shows. I found the taste extremely pleasant and thoroughly enjoyed it. I finished my tea around 10:15 PM and within about ten minutes or so I felt more relaxed and calm. According to my sleep tracking app, I fell asleep fairly quickly and I actually slept for 9.5 hours which is about an hour and a half more than I typically sleep. I awoke feeling like I was well rested and I did not wake up anxious how I normally do, dreading the stress of the day. I plan on planting some lemon balm in containers in my backyard so I can incorporate this into my stress reducing regime.

Reference

Petersen, D. (2016). NAT 211 Anatomy & Physiology. 5005 SW Macadam Avenue, Portland, OR, 97239: American College of Healthcare Sciences.

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