Lemon balm - Herb

Whether you’re tossing and turning at night or finding it hard to shift that cold sore, lemon balm is the ideal tonic

What is it? A member of the mint family, you can grow lemon balm Melissa officinalis, in the garden. It’s said to be irresistible to bees. The lemon-scented leaves contain terpenes (found in the essential oils of plants) which contribute to its relaxing and antibiotic properties, plus the essential oils citral and eugenol, which calm muscle spasms as well as acting as an antiviral agent. This makes it useful for a number of health conditions.

How can it help me? Insomnia Lemon balm can improve sleep quality. In a study involving 68 women suffering from insomnia, those taking two capsules of 160mg valerian root extract and 80mg lemon-balm extract for 14 days reported a 60 per cent reduction in the severity of their problems. Anxiety A trial by Northumbria University found that a group of people taking a supplement containing lemon balm and valerian showed less anxiety when given a stressful test than a group not taking the supplement.

Digestive problems Traditionally, the herb has been used to relieve the unpleasant symptoms of indigestion, particularly excess wind. It’s thought to help by easing spasms in the digestive tract.

Cold sores Lemon balm can kill the cold-sore virus. German research reveals that a group of patients with recurrent cold sores who were given a lemon-balm cream to apply four times daily healed significantly faster than a similar group applying a placebo (dummy cream).

Bacterial and fungal conditions As well as its antiviral effect, lemon balm shows potential against bacteria and fungi. Lab studies have shown that the essential oil inhibits listeria, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, and several pathogenic fungi, which can cause skin conditions such as athlete’s foot and ringworm.