The Healthy Brain

Todays post is a little out of whack. I wanted to bring you a great article on the lemon balm and how amazing it can be. Then share with you some amazing recipes and ways you can use lemon balm in your everyday life.

But rather than making you wait, I decided I would bring you this recipe today.

Lemon Balm, so easy to grow and left unchecked in the garden it will grow crazy. I grow mine organically of course with sustainable practices. When I first bought it into the garden it was without much knowledge of what this little powerhouse of goodness could do. Since then I have slowly been learning about its uses and benefits.

In this post I will list its uses and try and go through some way you can use lemon balm.

Lemon Balm I love them smell, like lemon mixed with mint love these two smells.

History of Lemon Balm:
This herb gets its name from the Greek word for “honey bee;” lemon balm attracts bees. “Meslissa” officinalis
The word “balm” is derived from the Greek word “balsamon” which means “balsam,” an oily, sweet
smelling resin
Lemon balm is also known as Apiatrum, Balm, Bee Balm, Bee’s Leaf, Honey Plant,
Cultural Significance:
Lemon Balm holds a significant place in Greek culture. The ancient Greeks believed that lemon
balm and bees have a strong relationship; for example, they believed that bees would never abandon a hive if the herb grew nearby. Bees use the herbs as a marker to find their way back to their hive after traveling beyond the hive. Because of these views, Greeks would even rub hives with lemon balm to make bees feel welcome. The Greeks also believed very strongly in melissa as a promoter of long life.
The last prince of Wales, Prince Llewellyn, who lived in the 13th and 14th centuries, was said to have drunk melissa tea every day of his 108 year life.
Lemon balm was used in medieval times as a strewing herb.
Various cultures held the belief that Lemon Balm retained mystical soothing powers. The Ancient Arab physician from the 11th Century named Avicenna also agreed that melissa “causeth the
mind and heart to become merry.” His influence most likely introduced this herb to medicine as a cure. The ancients were on to something and their is modern day scientific proof to back it up. I do find it so strange that there are so many amazing herbs and natural remedies that can do wonderous things yet they are not recognized by most medical professionals. My belief is that we need to be more aware of what is out there and how we can harness the powers of these to help us to stay healthy and well.

So here are some ways that you can benefit from using Lemon Balm.

1. Lemon Balm, Relieves anxiety and Insomnia: This is one of my favorite benefits, I use it for this very reason, even better it has no side effects. The way it works is it increases gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels in the brain. GABA is a mood regulator which works by stopping neurons from becoming overexcited, and low levels of GABA can lead to restlessness and anxiety. It has been studied, the link is above in the paragraph heading. This is particularly helpful relating back to dementia as anxiety is a big symptom of dementia. So is restless sleep. The fact it can calm the mind is helpful for dementia sufferers, as one of the many symptoms my family member suffers from is racing and jumbled thoughts. DEMENTIA sufferers smoothies skew reality with dreams and then put into the wrong context. It can help to improve your mood and intellectual performance. Try taking a dose at the beginning of a day that you know will be particularly trying or full on. It will keep you calm and help you to think clearer. There are many medicines on the market for anxiety and insomnia but if mother natures garden can provide us with a herb that is practically free and so easy to grow, why wouldn’t you use it. The fact that it can help calm the mind could also has been shown to help manage ADHD and mild depression. Lemon balm helps with SLEEP DISORDERS, yes its mother natures sleeping tablet. In the case of sleep disorders these can be a symptom of menopause so there you go another thing lemon balm can help with. Clear thinking and calms the mind.
2. Anti-viral Effect, herpes cold sores and shingles: It can help with relieving the symptoms of cold sores, it will help the cold sore heal faster. It can help to shorten the life of the cold sore and it will also lengthen the time between out breaks. If you are getting cold sores coming up more often that may be a sign that you are lacking in some vitamins or minerals and you may need to look at other ways to support your immune system. But in the meantime use lemon balm tincture or oil straight on to the sore, apply several times a day until it disappears. As for shingles you would take lemon balm internally and apply to the rash topically. I dry my herb as well as infuse into MCT oil. If you are interested, you can buy it here or try your hand at making your own
3. PMS Symptoms: Lemon balm Is a muscle Relaxant, it has mild muscle-relaxant properties, which might be beneficial for easing menstrual cramps and muscle tension associated with PMS. Take it as a tea daily and you should see benefits by the first month, alternatively take it in an infused oil or as a tincture
4. Protects the heart and the liver: Lemon balm oil 1-2 droppers full or as taken as a tincture regularly and over a period of time can improve cholesterol synthesis, it can lower blood pressure, lower triglycerides and protect the heart. It controls the electricals pulses that cause heart palpitations and arrythmias. In terms of the liver Lemon balm helps with the detoxication process as well producing antioxidants.
5. Antibacterial and Antifungal: Lemon balm is a natural antibacterial agent in can be used topically to ease infections. Lemon balm showed adequate activity against Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus auerus. I also use it as mosquito repellant and to ease mosquito bites. It is an active agent in fighting yeast infections such as candida. Take lemon balm oil, tea or tincture twice daily to see the effects desired.
6. Diabetes: Lemon balm can help to control blood sugar levels therefore it can help to reduce weight gain. As a 40 plus year old women that is music to my ears. Take it as a tea
7. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant: Lemon balm is a great anti-oxidant. It can help you with inflammation. So take some lemon balm for all those tired and sore joints and even if you don’t have tired and sore muscles and joints you should take is as a preventive. Inflammation of dementia so getting rid of inflammation is so important. By no means is lemon balm the only thing that can reduce inflammation, diet is also very important one of the biggest factors in reducing inflammation.
8. Fights Cancer: Lemon balm can help the body fight cancer cells, it can help fight colorectal cancer and has been studied for effects in breast cancer patients and shows promising results.
9. Regulates the Thyroid: Over active thyroid in hyperthyroidism sufferers can benefit from regular use of lemon balm oil or tincture it help to regulate the thyroid.
10. Aids in digestion: Lemon balm drunk in a tea can ease symptoms of nausea and to help you digest your food, it has long been used in traditional medicine for digestive comfort As for gastrointestinal (GI) function, the European Medicines Agency acknowledged M. officinalis folium as a traditional herbal medicinal product for the symptomatic treatment of mild GI complaints including bloating and flatulence, and the European Scientific Cooperative On Phytotherapy, for the symptomatic treatment of digestive disorders such as minor spasms
11. Alzheimer’s and dementia: This as you would know, judging by my blog is what I am most excited by, a few studies have been done and they have found that lemon balm can improve cognition even in patience with advanced dementia, it can help with agitation. Lemon balm oil can also be used aromatically to help ease agitation. It has been shown to improve memory in dementia patients

Use lemon balm in drinks and in smoothies in place of lemon in a tea, by steeping the fresh leaves in boiling water or you can dry your fresh leaves hanging upside down in a cool dark spot, to store for use later. Store them in a glass jar to keep their flavor.

Well in conclusion this wonder herb is wildly under used, it has so many benefits as I have listed above and can be used in a variety of ways. I grown mine at home and I cultivate it, dry it, steep in tea and also infuse it into oil. I blend it with my own CBD OIL to use in treatment of my mothers condition. I also take it daily myself in a tea. Please comment below on how you use Lemon Balm and what it has done for you. I hope you enjoyed the content!