Melissa officinalis L (lemon balm herb) is a traditional herbal medicine used widely as a mild sedative and antibacterial agent. Lemon balm herb has also been considered to have memory or cognition-enhancing properties. Extracts of lemon balm have nicotinic receptor binding activity. Some studies indicate lemon balm herb to have antioxidant and antitumor activity. Consider Good Night Rx with lemon balm for a deeper sleep at night (see below)

What's in Lemon Balm herb?
Lemon balm contains several flavonoids including  luteolin and apigenin. Other substances include triterpenes, quadranoside III, salvianic acid A, and rosmarinic acid.

Good Night Rx with Lemon Balm - 60 Capsules

Developed by Ray Sahelian, M.D.

Good Night Rx Supplement Facts:
Serving size: One Capsule
Servings per container: 60

Suggested Use: Take one capsule of Good Night Rx one to three hours before sleep, preferably on an empty stomach. Good Night Rx does not work as well when taken with a meal.

Lemon balm herb and valerian herb combination for relaxation and anxiety reduction
Anxiolytic effects of a combination of Melissa officinalis and Valeriana officinalis during laboratory induced stress.
Phytother Res. 2006 February. Kennedy DO, Little W, Haskell CF, Scholey AB. Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Division of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK.
Lemon balm herb and Valeriana officinalis (valerian) have been used  as mild sedatives, anxiety reduction and hypnotics. Recent research has suggested that both may attenuate laboratory induced stress. As the two herbs are most often sold in combination with each other the current study assessed the anxiety reducing properties of such a combination during laboratory-induced stress. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, balanced cross-over experiment, 24 healthy volunteers received three separate single doses (600 mg, 1200 mg, 1800 mg) of a standardized product containing lemon balm and Valerian extracts, plus a placebo, on separate days separated by a 7 day wash out period. The results showed that the 600 mg dose of the combination reduced ratings of anxiety. However, the highest dose (1800 mg) showed an increase in anxiety that was less marked but which reached significance during one testing session. These results suggest that a combination of lemon balm and valerian root reduce anxiety.

Lemon Balm availability
Lemon balm is available as a supplement, lemon balm tea, and is found in combination with other herbs in formulas for sedation. It is difficult to say how lemon balm tea compares to taking a lemon balm supplement.

Lemon Balm plant antioxidant research
Melissa officinalis L. essential oil - lemon balm oil : antitumoral and antioxidant activities.
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004 May;56(5):677-81.
Melissa officinalis L ( lemon balm herb ) is a traditional herbal medicine used widely as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. This paper focuses on the analysis of the chemical composition and the biological activities of M. officinalis essential oil obtained under controlled harvesting and drying conditions. An in-vitro cytotoxicity assay using MTT indicated that this oil was very effective against a series of human cancer cell lines (A549, MCF-7, Caco-2, HL-60, K562) and a mouse cell line (B16F10). This oil possessed antioxidant activity, as evidenced by reduction of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH). These results pointed to the potential use of lemon balm essential oil as an antitumoral agent.

Lemon balm herb for mood and cognitive enhancement
Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties.
Kennedy DO. Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Oct;28(10):1871-81.
Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) is a herbal medicine that has traditionally been attributed with memory-enhancing properties, but which is currently more widely used as a mild sedative and sleep aid. In a previous study it was demonstrated that a commercial Lemon balm extract led to dose-specific increases in calmness, and dose-dependent decrements in timed memory task performance. However, the extract utilized in that study did not exhibit in vitro cholinergic receptor-binding properties. The current study involved an initial screening of samples of Lemon balm for human acetylcholinesterase inhibition and cholinergic receptor-binding properties. The cognitive and mood effects of single doses of the most cholinergically active dried leaf were then assessed in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced crossover study. Following the in vitro analysis, 20 healthy, young participants received single doses of 600, 1000, and 1600 mg of encapsulated dried leaf, or a matching placebo, at 7-day intervals. Cognitive performance and mood were assessed predose and at 1, 3, and 6 h postdose using the Cognitive Drug Research computerized assessment battery and Bond-Lader visual analog scales, respectively. The most notable cognitive and mood effects were improved memory performance and increased 'calmness' at all postdose time points for the highest (1600 mg) dose. However, while the profile of results was overwhelmingly favorable for the highest dose, decrements in the speed of timed memory task performance and on a rapid visual information-processing task increased with decreasing dose. These results suggest that doses of Lemon balm at or above the maximum employed here can improve cognitive performance and mood and may therefore be a valuable adjunct in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The results also suggest that different preparations derived from the same plant species may exhibit different properties depending on the process used for the sample preparation.

Q. Your website discussed lemon balm capsules as benefiting Alzheimer's disease. But I've read that lemon balm to benefit Alzheimer's patients is the aromatherapy, not the pills.
   A. According to the study, the benefit was obtained with pills, not aromatherapy.

Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis ( lemon balm herb ).
Kennedy DO, Scholey AB. University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002 Jul;72(4):953-64.
Melissa officinalis  (lemon balm ) is a traditional herbal medicine, which enjoys contemporary usage as a mild sedative, spasmolytic and antibacterial agent. It has been suggested, in light of in vitro cholinergic binding properties, that lemon balm extracts may effectively ameliorate the cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease. To date, no study has investigated the effects on cognition and mood of administration of lemon balm to healthy humans. The present randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced-crossover study investigated the acute effects on cognition and mood of a standardised extract of M. officinalis. Twenty healthy, young participants received single doses of 300, 600 and 900 mg of lemon balm or a matching placebo at 7-day intervals. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerised test battery and two serial subtraction tasks immediately prior to dosing and at 1, 2.5, 4 and 6 h thereafter. In vitro IC(50) concentrations for the displacement of [3H]-(N)-nicotine and [3H]-(N)-scopolamine from nicotinic and muscarinic receptors in human occipital cortex tissue were also calculated. Results, utilising the cognitive factors previously derived from the CDR battery, included a sustained improvement in Accuracy of Attention following 600 mg of lemon balm and time- and dose-specific reductions in both Secondary Memory and Working Memory factors. Self-rated "calmness," as assessed by Bond-Lader mood scales, was elevated at the earliest time points by the lowest dose, whilst "alertness" was significantly reduced at all time points following the highest dose. Both nicotinic and muscarinic binding were found to be low in comparison to the levels found in previous studies.

Lemon Balm herb questions
Q. Can lemon balm herb be used the same day as kava of 5-HTP? What about with chamomile tea?
   A. I don't see why not. Lemon balm herb is quite gentle. I prefer 5-HTP or kava to be used in the evening. Lemon balm herb can be used together with chamomile herb.

Q. I enjoy drinking lemon balm tea. Is it okay to drink lemon balm tea daily?
   A. Probably, but I prefer taking a few days off each month from the use of a particular herb. I don't suspect lemon balm tea use would cause any problems, I even think lemon balm tea is healthy to drink, I'm just overly cautious and prefer not to use the same herb all the time without taking a break. lemon balm use, lemon balm herb, lemon balm plant.

I have an 18 month old son who suffers terribly from recurring cold sores. I have read that lemon balm can ultimately reduce the outbreak frequency and am just wondering if this natural medicine is appropriate for a child of his age? (as an aside, I will be attempting to increase both his lysine and arginine intake) If you could advise me, I would be forever grateful!! By the way, I love your website.
    Sorry, but I don't have experience in treating children with cold sores of this age with lemon balm or other natural supplements, so I don't know. I searched Medline in Oct, 2008 and could not find any human studies regarding the use of lemon balm for cold sores in adults or children.

Melissa Leaves 490 mg ( Lemon Balm herb ), 100 Caps
Nature's Way
Melissa (Melissa officinalis) is a member of the mint family. It is commonly referred to as Lemon Balm because of its lemon-like flavor and fragrance.

Lemon Balm supplement facts
Amount Per 3 Capsules
Lemon Balm leaf - 1.47 g (1,470 mg)*

Recommendation: Take one, two, or three lemon balm capsules daily, preferably with food.
* Lemon Balm herb daily value not established