What is Lemon Balm?
Lemon balm belongs to the mint family and is widely considered a calming herb. Its use goes back as far as the Middle Ages where it was used to reduce stress and anxiety, promote sleep, improve appetite, and ease digestive problems. It was also steeped in wine to lift the spirits, help heal wounds, and treat venomous insect bites and stings. These days lemon balm is often combined with other calming herbs to help promote relaxation. It is also a common ingredient in many herbal sleep aids. It is also used in creams to treat cold sores.
Lemon balm is grown all over the world. Not only is it grown in herb gardens but it is also grown in crops for medicine and cosmetics.It leaves are similar in shape to mint leaves and when rubbed give off a tart and sweet smell, just like lemons.
Benefits of Lemon Balm
- It helps reduce anxiety, nervousness, and stress
- It promotes a deep and restful sleep
- It boosts the mood and makes a person more relaxed and alert
- Topical ointments containing lemon balm improve the symptoms of cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Lemon balm cream applied to lip sores improves redness and swelling after only 2 days
- It prevents relapses of the HSV I virus
- It reduces the healing time of both genital and oral herpes
- It helps reduce herpes lesions
- It has shown activity against the HIV infection
- When combined with other herbs it treats indigestion
- Studies show that lemon balm oil has a high degree of antibacterial activity. In one study, lemon balm showed promising activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus auerus
- Some studies have found lemon balm to improve cognitive function in patients with serious mental health problems, such as Alzheimer’s
- It decreases agitation in people with Alzheimer’s and other mental diseases
By : Natural Health News
