Lemon Balm Supplement

Scientific Name: Melissa officinalis

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Order: Lamiales

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Family: Lamiaceae

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Lemon balm is named because of its lemony odor. It is often used in teas.

Strong:

insufficient information

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Good:

• Anxiety/Stress, lemon balm alone, lemon balm / valerian, and lozenges containing lemon balm / lavender oil / hop extract / oat [1-5]

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Promising:

• Memory [6-8]

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Conflicting (Unclear):

insufficient information

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Limited Evidence:

• Agitation in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease [9-10]
• Agitation in Patients with Dementia, essential lemon balm oil [11]
• Alzheimer’s Disease [12]
• Colic in Babies, lemon balm with Matricaria recutita / Foeniculum vulgare [13]
• Depression, lemon balm with fertilized egg powder [14]
• Herpes Simplex, a cream containing lemon balm [15]
• Indigestion, lemon balm with bitter candytuft / Matricaria flower / peppermint leaves / caraway / licorice root [16]
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), lemon balm with Mentha spicata / Coriandrum sativum / loperamide; or psyllium [17]
• Nervous Agitation in Children, lemon balm with valerian [18]
• Radiation [19]
• Sleep Disorders/Insomnia, lemon balm with valerian [20]
• Somatoform Disorder, a complex mixture with butterbur [21]

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No Evidence:

insufficient information

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No Clinical Research:

All other conditions.

Side effects may include:

• Side effects have not been studied.

Precautions and Adverse Events:

• Use caution or contact a licensed healthcare practitioner, since there is not enough research on the use of supplements containing lemon balm.

• Nonetheless, lemon balm is generally recognized as safe.

[22]

There is not enough research on the use of supplements containing lemon balm during pregnancy and breast-feeding, so consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before use or avoid use.

Major:

insufficient information

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Moderate:

insufficient information

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Potential:

insufficient information

Lemon balm is not a "drug", the best doses have not been thoroughly established. Make sure to follow the specific product instructions and take as directed on the label, or consult a licensed healthcare practitioner before use.

[Afendi et al. 2012]

1. Dimpfel W, Pischel I, Lehnfeld R. Effects of lozenge containing lavender oil, extracts from hops, lemon balm and oat on electrical brain activity of volunteers. Eur J Med Res. 2004 Sep 29;9(9):423-31. 2. Kennedy DO, Little W, Haskell CF, Scholey AB. Anxiolytic effects of a combination of Melissa officinalis and Valeriana officinalis during laboratory induced stress. Phytother Res. 2006 Feb;20(2):96-102. 3. Kennedy DO, Little W, Scholey AB. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). Psychosom Med. 2004 Jul-Aug;66(4):607-13. 4. Kennedy DO, Scholey AB, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002 Jul;72(4):953-64. 5. Kennedy DO, Wake G, Savelev S, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Oct;28(10):1871-81. 6. Kennedy DO, Little W, Scholey AB. Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). Psychosom Med. 2004 Jul-Aug;66(4):607-13. 7. Kennedy DO, Scholey AB, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm). Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002 Jul;72(4):953-64. 8. Kennedy DO, Wake G, Savelev S, Tildesley NT, Perry EK, Wesnes KA, Scholey AB. Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Oct;28(10):1871-81. 9. Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M, Ohadinia S, Jamshidi AH, 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 Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003 Jul;74(7):863-6. 10. Burns A, Perry E, Holmes C, Francis P, Morris J, et al. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial of Melissa officinalis oil and donepezil for the treatment of agitation in Alzheimer's disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2011;31(2):158-64. 11. Ballard CG, O'Brien JT, Reichelt K, Perry EK. 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 Jul;63(7):553-8. 12. Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M, Ohadinia S, Jamshidi AH, 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 Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003 Jul;74(7):863-6. 13. Savino F, Cresi F, Castagno E, Silvestro L, Oggero R. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of a standardized extract of Matricariae recutita, Foeniculum vulgare and Melissa officinalis (ColiMil) in the treatment of breastfed colicky infants. Phytother Res. 2005 Apr;19(4):335-40. 14. Solberg E. The effects of powdered fertilized eggs on depression. J Med Food. 2011 Jul-Aug;14(7-8):870-5. 15. Koytchev R, Alken RG, Dundarov S. Balm mint extract (Lo-701) for topical treatment of recurring herpes labialis. Phytomedicine. 1999 Oct;6(4):225-30. 16. Madisch A, Holtmann G, Mayr G, Vinson B, Hotz J. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a herbal preparation A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Digestion. 2004;69(1):45-52. 17. Vejdani R, Shalmani HR, Mir-Fattahi M, Sajed-Nia F, Abdollahi M, et al. The efficacy of an herbal medicine, Carmint, on the relief of abdominal pain and bloating in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: a pilot study. Dig Dis Sci. 2006 Aug;51(8):1501-7. 18. Müller SF, Klement S. A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and dyssomnia in children. Phytomedicine. 2006 Jun;13(6):383-7. 19. Zeraatpishe A, Oryan S, Bagheri MH, Pilevarian AA, Malekirad AA, et al. Effects of Melissa officinalis L on oxidative status and DNA damage in subjects exposed to long-term low-dose ionizing radiation. Toxicol Ind Health. 2011 Apr;27(3):205-12. 20. Taavoni S, Nazem Ekbatani N, Haghani H. Valerian/lemon balm use for sleep disorders during menopause. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2013 Nov;19(4):193-6. 21. Melzer J, Schrader E, Brattström A, Schellenberg R, Saller R. Fixed herbal drug combination with and without butterbur (Ze 185) for the treatment of patients with somatoform disorders: randomized, placebo-controlled pharmaco-clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2009 Sep;23(9):1303-8. 22. Gruenwald J, Brendler T, Jaenicke C, editors. PDR for herbal medicines. 4th ed. Montvale, NJ, USA: Thomson Healthcare; 2007. 23. Afendi FM, Okada T, Yamazaki M, Hirai-Morita A, Nakamura Y, Nakamura K, Ikeda S, Takahashi H, Altaf-Ul-Amin M, Darusman LK, Saito K, Kanaya S. KNApSAcK family databases: integrated metabolite-plant species databases for multifaceted plant research. Plant Cell Physiol. 2012 Feb;53(2):e1.