Benefits of Lemon Balm Super-Plant

in Super-plants

What is Lemon Balm?

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb in nature and belongs to the mint family. People in their garden can cultivate this plant to help attract bees because honey bees swarm to wherever the herb is planted.

Lemon balm can produce seed by itself. However, it can be cultivated by seed or stem cuttings in virtually any soil and spread easily as long as normal. The leaves of lemon balm are always tender to have a mild lemon aroma. The plant provides a wide range of benefits such as relief of pain and stress, improving digestive health, and increasing mental alertness.

Traditional uses of Lemon Balm

According to history, lemon balm is a herb capable of calming and soothing effects, reducing fever, fighting against bacteria, anti-gas, enhancing memory, antiviral, antifungal, and antioxidant. Furthermore, it can be used for the effective treatment of ulcers, asthma, headaches, indigestion, depression, insomnia, nausea, hysteria, epilepsy and lots more, to mention but a few.

Uses of Lemon Balm

1. Lemon balm is used to ease stress and anxiety, and also aids in digestion.

2. Extracts from lemon balm are used for making flavoring which is a great ingredient for preparing meals.

3. Lemon balm is often used in the production of teas, syrups and sauces.

4. The extract from lemon balm can also be utilized as part of the constituent ingredients for making lotions, which may help to shorten the healing time of cold sores (herpes labialis), and reduces symptoms if used at the early stage of the infection.

5. According to research, consuming lemon balm also helps to increase calmness and mental alertness, thereby easing mental stress.

Surprising facts about Lemon Balm

  • Lemon balm has a scientific name, Melissa officinalis. "Melissa" is a Greek word that means "honey" while "officinalis" means "a plant that is medicinal in nature."

  • Lemon balm is an aromatic herb belonging to the mint family, and this is likely one of the main reasons it is grown. The leaves produce a sweet lemon aroma, with a hint of mint when they are squeezed or pressed.

  • Lemon balm matures and produces small white flowers full of nectar in the summer season. This nectar produced by the plant attracts the bees; the bees harvest the nectar to make honey. The honey made by the bees produces a citrus flavor with undertones of mint, almost like the scent of the leaves of lemon balm.

  • Lemon balm extracts have a high level of antioxidants which provides a lot of calming properties. For this reason, it is used in aromatherapy and herbal tea remedies.

  • Lemon balm can be used while fresh. You can also crush, dry, and keep it at room temperature until used for rubs and dry seasoning.

The Health Benefits of Lemon Balm

Health is significant to all of us who enjoy life, and the Lemon balm super plant comes with many benefits that can soothe a man and provide sound health. Some of these health benefits are explained below.

1. Lemon balm can help to relieve stress

In 2004, a studyTrusted Source was carried out which confirmed that people who were psychologically stressed due to laboratory inducement found their moods more at ease when they took lemon balm. They also reported an increased level of calmness and a reduced level of alertness after consuming the lemon balm. 

When consumed, the Lemon balm can calm a stressed person, help relax the mind, and lighten up the mood positively.

2. Lemon balm can help to reduce anxiety

In a research study published in 2014, foods that contained lemon balm were examined for mood and cognitive effects on the consumers. 

The yogurt and beverages supplied to the participants were mixed with the supplement alongside natural or artificial sweeteners. The two groups reported positive effects on their moods and a feeling of reduced anxiety after consuming lemon balm.

When consumed, the Lemon balm also can help reduce the symptoms of anxiety concerning excitability and nervousness.

3. Lemon balm can help to improve cognitive function

Another study in 2014 was carried out to check the effects of lemon balm in improving cognitive function.

Cognitive tasks which involved Mathematics, memory, and concentration were assigned to the participants. After the task, the results obtained suggested that the people who consumed lemon balm performed better than those who did not consume it.

Although the report revealed that participants felt no increase in their alertness and performance levels, it was later concluded that the combination of lemon balm with food also determines the rate of absorption, which equally determines the lemon balm potency.

When lemon balm is consumed, it helps to improve cognitive function, thereby enhancing a better performance.

4. Lemon balm can help to ease sleeplessness and other sleep disorders

In 2006, a group of researchers carried out a study to determine the effects of lemon balm on people with sleeping disorders. The research discovered that children who consumed a combined dose experienced about 70 to 80 percent of improvement in symptoms. All in all, the researchers and the parents of those children concluded that lemon balm was a good treatment for such conditions.

Research has shown that lemon balm can help to relieve sleeplessness, restlessness and other conditions related to sleep disorders.

5. Lemon balm can help to treat cold sores

In 1999, a study was carried out where participants used either lemon or placebo cream on the affected areas of the cold sore four times a day for five days. The researchers discovered that the participants who used lemon balm cream experienced fewer symptoms and healed faster than those who didn't use it. The researchers also suggested that lemon balm cream may help prolong the periods between the outbreaks of a cold sore.

According to a study, lemon balm cream can help treat cold sores and reduce the symptoms if it is used as soon as the condition manifests.

6. Lemon balm can help to relieve indigestion

In a study carried out from 2012Trusted Source, there was an assessment of the effects of a cold dessert that contained lemon balm on functional dyspepsia. The participants consumed the dessert, which contained the lemon balm, and the ones that did not contain it. The study showed that both desserts reduced the symptoms and the intensity of indigestion, but the dessert that contained lemon balm had a more lasting effect on the participants.

With the use of lemon balm, frequent abdominal pain and discomfort can be relieved, thereby positively affecting the digestion rate.

7. Lemon balm can help to treat nausea

There was a review in 2005 assessing the outcome of some studies on the benefit of lemon balm discovery in treating gastrointestinal symptoms. Many studies stated the usefulness of lemon balm in reducing the symptoms when used in conjunction with other herbs. However, research is still going on to determine the effectiveness of the lemon balm when used alone.

Based on the potential impact of the lemon balm on the digestive system, it is therefore concluded that it also can help relieve the feeling of nausea.

8. Lemon balm can help to minimize menstrual cramps

A research study was conducted in 2015 by Trusted Source to check the effect of lemon balm in reducing the intensity of cramps in several 100 high school girls. Some girls took lemon balm essence while others took placebo three times consecutively during their menstrual cycles. Results were taken to analyze the intensity of premenstrual syndrome before taking the lemon balm and a placebo was in place for all three times after taking the herbs. There was a huge reduction in the symptoms for those girls that took lemon balm than others who had the placebo.

Research suggests that the use of lemon balm can help in the relief of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual cramps.

9. Lemon balm can help to ease headache pain

Lemon balm is extremely beneficial in treating headaches, especially those that occur as a result of stress. This is because Lemon balm has a soothing property that helps to release tension and relax the muscles. Therefore, consuming it opens up tight blood vessels and makes them relax, eventually easing one from headaches that should occur from such symptoms.

The consumption of lemon balm is an effective remedy to cure people who encounter headache pains.

10. Lemon balm can help to lessen toothache pain

Lemon balm has pain-relieving characteristics that make it a good choice for lessening toothache pain. It also has relaxing properties that make it an excellent remedy to target inflammation in the body.

Ingesting lemon balm also helps to lessen toothache pain giving relaxing properties to the body.

Conclusion

Lemon balm has a lot of beneficial properties that make it recommended for healthcare and well-being. However, ongoing research is still in place to determine the full properties of the super plant.

Footnotes.

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