Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

ii: Herb of the Month

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Marianne Hughes, with illustration by Hazel Brady

In the late 10 th century, Ibn Sina, the Persian scholar more commonly known as Avicenna, wrote: balm causeth the heart and mind to become merry Perhaps this is where the botanist John Gerard (1545-1612) sourced his own comment on Lemon Balm, that it: comforteth the hart and driveth away all melancholie and sadnesse Lemon Balm has been used ever since for treating the symptoms of stress, to aid sleep and for promoting memory. In the 14 th century, Carmelite nuns mixed extract of Lemon Balm with Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) and Angelica (Angelica archangelica), to produce Carmelite water— ‘Eau des Carmes’ —which was known for its sweet scent and healing properties. Kress (2013) suggests adding Eau des Carmes to fruit brandy to make ‘Carmelite brandy’— and perhaps, secretly, the nuns did so.

Ody (2017) lists the active constituents of Lemon Balm as volatile oil (which includes citronellal), polyphenols, tannins, a bitter principle, flavonoids and rosmarinic acid. It is the essential oil that binds to those brain receptors linked to reducing anxiety. In 2014, the rosmarinic acid content of Lemon Balm was also found to have anxiolytic effects (i.e., to reduce anxiety) when taken in a water-soluble form in a drink with natural fruit juices (Scholey et al). In addition to the anxiolytic effects, the study found that the Lemon Balm solution improved working memory, mathematical processing and psychomotor performance. These are important findings, as pharmaceutical anxiolytics can often impair cognitive performance and working memory capabilities. Additionally, Martin and Preedy (2020) focus on the neuroprotective properties of rosmarinic acid; their research suggests a potential therapeutic application for people with dementia, or those who have had strokes.

However, the authors point out that rosmarinic acid has poor water solubility, low bioavailability and limited permeability through biological barriers, which suggests that nasal administration would be the preferred mechanism for delivering rosmarinic acid to the central nervous system (CNS). So, smelling Lemon Balm delivers more than a beautiful scent— there is a direct and positive impact on our central nervous system.

When the European AGFORWARD project grew Lemon Balm through mulch mats in alleys between Cherry trees (Prunus padus), a high value timber crop in Spain, the Lemon Balm supressed weeds and forced the Cherry tree roots deeper, providing greater resilience for the trees against climate change. In return, the shade of the trees delayed the flowering of the Lemon Balm, which increased the level of rosmarinic acid in the leaves (Stobart 2020).

References Kress, H. (2013) Practical Herbs 2, Tammerprint Oy: Tampere, Finland Martin, C.R., and Preedy, V.R. (eds) (2020) Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants in Neurological Diseases, Academic Press: Amsterdam Ody, P. (2017) The Complete Medicinal Herbal: A Practical Guide to the Healing Properties of Herbs, Skyhorse: New York Scholey, A., et al. (2014) ‘Anti-Stress Effects of Lemon Balm-Containing Foods’, in Nutrients (6):4805-4821 Simmonds, M., et al. (2016) The Gardener’s Companion to Medicinal Plants: An A-Z of Healing Plants and Home Remedies, Frances Lincoln: Royal Botanical Gardens Kew Stobart, A. (2020) The Medicinal Forest Garden Handbook: Growing, Harvesting & Using Healing Trees & Shrubs in a Temperate Climate, Permanent Publications: East Meon, UK