Lemon Balm Vicki Peterson

MELISSA OFFICINALIS (Lemon Balm) MONOGRAPH  

Vicki Peterson. Dip. Western Herbology

Melissa officinalis

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus : Melissa

Species: officinalis

Common Names: Lemon Balm, Balm

Parts Used: Whole herb, dried or fresh

Commonly called either Melissa or Lemon Balm, this lovely herb is a native to southern Europe or the Mediterranean area. It has been grown to attract bees, and the leaves give off a delicate, lemon fragrance when bruised.

History

Melissa officinalis is native to the Mediterranean region, and has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years. Its genus name, Melissa, is derived from the Greek word for bee; ancient Greek author Pliny the Elder and 16th-century herbalist John Gerard both observed that lemon balm is useful in attracting and keeping bees. Officinalis refers to its place in the official apothecary. The common name ‘‘balm’’ is shortened from ‘‘balsam.’’

Gerard and the ancient Greek physician, Pharmacologist and Botanist Dioscorides were both aware of its healing powers, using the leaves steeped in wine to treat snakebites and scorpion stings. Maud Grieve added to those ancient uses in her book A Modern Herbal. She wrote in 1931, “It is now recognized as a scientific fact that the balsamic oils of aromatic plants make excellent surgical dressings: they give off ozone and thus exercise anti-putrescent effects. Being chemical hydrocarbons, they contain so little oxygen that in wounds dressed with the fixed balsamic herbal oils, the atomic germs of disease are starved out, and the resinous parts of these balsamic oils, as they dry upon the sore or wound, seal it up and effectually exclude all noxious air.”

Melissa/lemon balm’s popularity continued throughout the centuries, being enjoyed as a tea to combat mental fugue and as an elixir thought to extend lifespan. So widespread was lemon balm’s reputation for promoting longevity and dispelling melancholy that by the 17th century, French Carmelite nuns were dispensing their Carmelite Water to a faithful following. The Carmelite Water was a lemon balm infusion thought to improve memory and vision and reduce rheumatic pain, fever, melancholy and congestion.

Lemon balms was introduced into Great Britain by the Romans, and then brought to North America by colonialists who had come to rely on it for teas and flavoring. American Shakers grew lemon balm as a relief from mild fevers. As one of the herbs grown in Thomas Jefferson’s gardens, lemon balm was well established as an important culinary herb, one especially suited to syrups and beverages.

Plant Properties

Uses of Melissa

Melissa is being spotlighted for its effectiveness in treating oral and genital herpes. Although it doesn’t eliminate flare-ups completely, it does appear to make them less intense and last for a shorter time. Regular use may help prevent future flare-ups.

Research completed during 1994 from an article by the American Botanical Council states that a clinical multicentric double-blind study of 116 patients and 3 dermatological clinics’ study of 115 patients with oral and genital herpes offer evidence of antiviral activity of a specially prepared dried extract of Melissa against herpes simplex infections. The extract was a concentrated (70:1) dry extract of Melissa which was included in a level of 1% cream base. Patients applied the cream 2 to 4 times daily for 5 to 10 days.

It was reported that in the group receiving the active Melissa cream, there was a significant improvement on day 2 compared to the placebo group; day 5 showing over 50% of the patients were symptom-free than in the placebo group. Scabbing was less in the Melissa group as well. Quoted from the authors of the study, “In the global assessment of efficacy, the Melissa was judged as conclusively superior to the placebo by physician and patient alike.”

The authors noted that 5 separate studies of Melissa use vs. conventional drug treatment of herpes concluded that there was “no benefits distinguishable from the placebo.” And concluded, “The effect of Melissa cream in the topical treatment of herpes simplex infections of the skin and transitional mucosa is statistically significant. To be effective, the treatment must be started in the very early stages of the infection. The achieved acceleration of healing, particularly in the first two days of the treatment, adds corroborative evidence to this phenomenon; a further merit of the Melissa extract in its topical use is displayed by its virtue of inducing no viral resistance.” [Wolbling, R.H., Leonhardt, K 1994. Local Therapy of Herpes Simplex with Dried Extract from Melissa officinalis. Phytomedicine 1, 25-31.]

One can therefore conclude that Melissa is indeed effective against the herpes simplex virus. Although not a cure, its administration will help alleviate flare-ups, scabbing and will help prevent future flare-ups.

use of Melissa indicates a very effective allay for anxiety, nervousness and insomnia. It has gentle sedative effects helping relax the nervous system and inducing sleep. Some of its uses have been for epilepsy, anxiety, vertigo, migraine headaches, and a gentle antidepressant. It is said to contain at least 5 sedative compounds. In a 4 month, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 42 people with Alzheimer’s disease, use of an oral Melissa extract significantly decreased their tendency to become agitated.

As a carminative, Melissa also assists the digestive system, helping calm a “nervous stomach”, flatulence, colic, eases the discomforts of over-eating and calms indigestion.

Melissa is very helpful to women suffering from PMS or menopausal anxieties, calming emotional turmoil and stress. Menstrual cramps and delayed menstruation is eases as Melissa is an emmenagogue. Also very helpful in calming hot flashes ingested as a cooled infusion.

Also being a tonic to the circulatory system, Melissa assists in easing heart palpitations, increases circulation, can cause mild vaso-dilation of peripheral blood vessels helping lower blood pressure. And as a carminative, diaphoretic and febrifuge, will help induce mild perspiration, yet make a pleasantly cooling tea for fever and in cases of catarrh and influenza.

When taken orally for its sedative effect a standard dose would be 1.5g to 4.5g of the dried herb daily; extracts and tinctures according to the label instructions.

has been found useful in reducing agitation in patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Applied to the skin in the form of a cream reduced agitation in 71 people with Alzheimer’s disease, most likely through absorption through the skin rather than fragrance as one of the first senses to disappear with Alzheimer’s is the sense of smell. However, Melissa has shown sedative and anti-anxiety effects in studies on healthy people.

Cautions:

Although oral and topical lemon balm is on the FDA’s Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list, allergic reactions are possible. Avoid using lemon balm if engaged in an activity that requires alertness such as operating a motor vehicle, heavy machinery, or using mechanized or sharp tools. When used with other herbal or chemical sedatives, excessive sedation may occur.

Cultivation

Melissa, being of the mint family, has no problem taking root and getting hold of its little piece of property; in fact, Melissa can become invasive if left to its own accord. It loves the sun and is very hardy, so if it is planted in the garden be sure to keep it in-bounds by harvesting regularly, remove the flowers before they go to seed and take a shovel to the edges as the rhizomes will spread under things quite easily. Using decorative pots and containers would be a good way of keeping this lovely plant within bounds yet handy for culinary and medicinal uses.

Lemon balm grows approximately 2 feet high and bears small, unremarkable flowers in late summer. Melissa’s square and branching stems support ovate, heart-shaped, scalloped leaves. The whole plant smells lemony or citrusy and the scent peaks when the tiny flower begin to open.

There are very few known varieties, some being golden balm (Melissa officinalis “Aurea”), lime balm (Melissa officinalis “Lime”), citronella (Melissa officinalis “Citronella”) and Lemonella (M.o. “Lemonella”) being a more aromatic version of the Citronella. Being an abnormally long winter, our average seasons were approximately one month behind. Whereas on a “normal” year I would have harvested late June, this year’s harvest was done a month later.

References

1)         Long Live Lemon Balm, Herb of the Year 2007, Pat Crocker

2)         Raintree Nutrition, Tropical Plant Database file for Lemon Balm: http://www.rain-tree.com/lemonbalm.htm

3)         Misc Authors of Topical, Oral and Essential Oils information as cited below:

            A. Wolbling RH, Leonhardt K. Local therapy of herpes simplex with dried extract from Melissa officinalis. Phytomedicine. 1994; 1:25 -31.

            B. Dimitrova Z, Dimov B, Manolova N, et al. Antiherpes effect of Melissa officinalis L. extracts. Acta Microbiol Bulg. 1993;29:65-72.

            C. May G, Willuhn G. Antiviral effect of aqueous plant extracts in tissue culture [in German; English abstract]. Arzneimittelforschung. 1978;28:1-7.

            D. Wolbling RH, Leonhardt K. Local therapy of herpes simplex with dried extract from Melissa officinalis. Phytomedicine. 1994; 1:25 -31.

            E. Koytchev R, Alken RG, Dundarov S. Balm mint extract (Lo-701) for topical treatment of recurring Herpes labialis. Phytomedicine. 1999;6:225-230.

            F. Cerny A, Schmid K. Tolerability and efficacy of valerian/lemon balm in healthy volunteers (a double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study). Fitoterapia. 1999;70:221-228.

            G. Dressing H, Riemann D, Low H, et al. Insomnia: are valerian/balm combinations of equal value to benzodiazepine [translated from German]? Therapiewoche. 1992;42:726-736.

            H. Wolbling RH, Leonhardt K. Local therapy of herpes simplex with dried extract from Melissa officinalis. Phytomedicine. 1994; 1:25 -31.

            I. Soulimani R, Fleurentin J, Mortier F, et al. Neurotropic action of the hydroalcoholic extract of Melissa officinalis in the mouse. Planta Med. 1991;57:105-109.

            J. Kennedy DO, Scholey AB , Tildesley NT , et al. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002;72:953-964.

            K. Ballard CG, O’Brien JT, Reichelt K, et al. Aromatherapy as a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia: the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63:553-558.

            L. Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M, et al. Melissa officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. J Neurol NeurosurgPsychiatry. 2003;74:863-6.

            M. Snow LA, Hovanec L, Brandt J. A Controlled trial of aromatherapy for agitation in nursing home patients with dementia. J Altern Complement Med. 2004;10:431-437.

            N. Kennedy DO, Little W, Scholey AB. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Psychosom Med. 2004;66:607-613.