Archive for the 'Lemon Balm' Category
Lemon Balm – (Melissa officinalis)
Although lemon balm may not be as well known as other herbs, it is no less remarkable in its sleep-enhancing abilities. Its pungent lemony-scent is tension relieving by itself. Used since the seventeenth century when it was known simply as balm, this herb is great for helping to relieve stress and anxiety, which in turn helps people to sleep better. Research in Germany has shown that a key compound in lemon balm
, the volatile oils, calms the central nervous system.
How to Use:
Lemon Balm makes a great-tasting tea and is also effective when taken in pill or extract form. Take 1 or 2 teaspoons of extract and two or three capsules. For the tea, use two teaspoons dried herb to one cup of just-boiled water and let steep for 15 minutes.
People with fibromyalgia usually have a difficult time obtaining a deep and restful night’s sleep. They toss and turn and sometimes experience joint pain, along with muscle spasms and pain. Sleeping pills may help, however, there are side effects from prescription pills. For example, when I was going through my messy divorce, I could not get to sleep at night, so my doctor prescribed some sleeping pills for me. Well, the sleeping medication that she gave me was Ambien which worked well to put me into an immediate sleep. The problem was that eveytime I took the Ambien, I would wade up at four in the morning, suffering from bizarre and frightening dreams and nightmares.
I swithched to drinking herbal teas a couple of hours before bedtime, and I slept deeply, without the nightmares and without waking up in the wee hours of the morning. There are other herbs for sleeping beside lemon balm, but just the scent of this plant puts my senses at ease.
It is so nice to have lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) around your garden because it amells so good. Lemon balm is a member of the mint family; that is why it smells so good. It resembles the mint plant too. This herb is also a remedy for Herpes simplex. In Germany, there is a lemon balm cream that happens to be the best selling core sore remedy in the country. The German medical researchers have studied lemon balm’s 
healing effects on cold sores and its’ effectiveness is well documented.
Some respected reports convey that when the lemon balm solution is applied regularly to cold sores, that eventually the sores do not reoccur. At the very least, lemon balm cream speeds up the healing process. Lemon balm tea, although not quite as aromatic as peppermint, is quite soothing to one’s nerves, especially combined with other dried herbs. The folloiwng information is taken from the book, Prescription Alternatives, written by Dr. Earl Mindell RPh, PhD and Virginia Hopkins, MA.
It is only October 17th here in Pennsylvania and already we are having snow in the Pocono mountians and in other parts of PA. I went out to my garden a few days ago and I picked all the vegetables (beets, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc…), not to mention my herbs (oregano, basil, mint, lemon balm and more). I wanted to harvest my fresh grown goods before the frost could get to them. I managed to rescue all of it, thank goodness!
With the regular flu and the H1N1 flu going around, I decided to make up an immunity tea to bolster my defenses and stay well. I give it to my high school age daughter too because she seems to get sick whenever the weather changes. The recipe calls for astragalus, which has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries to increase resistance to illness. Ginger helps to keep our systems warm, which amps up our body’s defenses. Lemon balm 
and lemon zest add a zingy flavor and have gentle antiviral properties.
Here is the recipe:
- 2 tablespoons dried astragalus
- 1 tablespoon dried ginger, cut and sifted, rather than powdered
- one-half teaspoon dried lemon peel (choose organic if using fresh)
- 1 tablespoon lemon balm
- some honey to taste
Steps to follow:
- Simmer the astragalus, ginger and lemon peel in a quart of water for 20 minutes. Strain and discard herbs.
- Turn off heat and add the lemon balm; cover and steep for another 20 minutes. Strain and discard herbs.
- Add a touch of honey or other preferred sweetener if desired. Tea will keep in the refrigerator for 24 hours; heat it up before re-drinking.
This recipe makes two quarts. Drink 2 cups of this tea daily throughout the winter flu season. Always check with your primary care provider before using this and any kind of herbs on a regular, ongoing basis.