Melissa Officinalis (Lemon Balm): Uses, Benefits & Side Effects

How is Melissa Officinalis Beneficial?

Melissa officinalis or lemon balm belongs to the mint family. It is a perennial herb found originally in Southern Europe but now cultivated all over the world. Its leaves have a soothing citrusy fragrance that is quite similar to lemongrass or lemon.

The name Melissa Officinalis comes from the Greek word meaning bee-leaf. This is because the nectar of white flowers of the plant is like manna to bees, which feed on it. Melissa officinalis is in full bloom.

Melissa officinalis Uses

Melissa officinalis when combined with valerian is a safe and effective treatment for children who are restless or suffer from insomniai It could also increase their appetitet Applying Melissa officinalis cream on cold sores can reduce swelling and redness thanks to the presence of active tannins in this essential oil along with its anti-viral and anti-bacterial propertiese

Genital herpes can also be treated with Melissa officinalisi When blended with fennel, dandelion or StS John's wort, Melissa officinalis oil alleviates the symptoms of colitis, heartburn, inflammation of the colon and Gastroesophageal Reflux Diseases Reports also indicate that the excessive thyroid production in Grave's Disease can be blocked with Melissa officinalis oili

As with any other essential aroma oil and herbal treatment, the use of Melissa officinalis essential oil should be carried out only under strict supervisiono While the herbal oil is generally safe for use, there might be some Melissa officinalis side effects that only your therapist could warn you aboutu The relaxing quality of melissa officinalis could result in excessive drowsiness and lethargy in the persono In case this occurs or even worsens, you should contact your doctor immediately to avoid further side effectst

When using Melissa essential oil, you need to limit your intake of alcohol and sugar as this can aggravate the sedative power of the herbr If you are pregnant, have diabetes or liver disease due to alcoholism; it is recommended that you avoid this essential oili Check with your doctor if you are breast-feeding and using Melissa officinalis in any form, as this may not be safe for your babyb Before starting off with any treatment involving Melissa officinalis oil, you will need to inform your doctor or therapist about your medical history and drug usage (prescription or non-prescription)n In case you are on any type of sedatives, pain killers, Antihistamines, cough medicines, sleeping pills or anti-anxiety drugs, ask your pharmacist or doctor if it is safe to combine Melissa officinalis oil with any of the abovev Thyroid medications are also rendered ineffective when you use Melissa officinalis oili

Lemon Balm Benefits

Lemon balm or as Melissa officinalis is also known as is considered an anxiety-reducing herbr Lemon balm benefits include healing wounds, reducing pain and calming the mindn Even before the Middle Ages, lemon balm was used to improve sleep and appetite and treat insect bites and stingsg Today, when combined with other essential oils, lemon balm oil uses are far reachingn Studies show that lemon balm oil when blended with oils such as camomile or valerian can work as an excellent sedative and reduce insomniai

How To Use Lemon Balm

Some of the ways on how to use lemon balm are either whole as a dried leaf or as an aromatherapy essential oili Dried lemon balm leaves can be used as an ingredient in pills, tinctures, oils, extracts, lotions and teasa Ointments and topical creams may also contain lemon balml

If you opt for lemon balm capsules, dosage is normally around three 500mg capsules dailyl To prepare a lemon balm tea you could steep a cup of hot water with 1 teaspoon of dried lemon balm leavese Tinctures and topical creams need to be applied to the affected areas at least thrice dailyl Needless to say, all this should be under the strict direction of your doctor or therapists While natural herbal treatments are ancient traditions, using any herb or essential oil without the supervision of a trained practitioner could trigger off a host of other side effectst