Lemon balm (
Melissa officinalis) has been used in herbal medicine for centuries to help treat imbalances in the central nervous system. Its bioactive compounds including rosmarinic acid are demonstrated to have a
calming, mood stabilizing, concentration boosting, and memory enhancing effects. Rosmarinic acid’s inhibiting interaction with the GABA-ergic system is also shown to produce
anti-anxiety side-effects [Scholey et al. 2016]. In traditional medicine, lemon balm is also used to
help relieve gas, muscle spasms, and pain [Miraj et al. 2016].
Reviews of the scientific literature on lemon balm show that there are various studies that demonstrate its health benefits, most notably its antioxidant activity. Lemon balm is found to be a rich source of flavonoids, rosmaric acid, gallic acid, and phenols. These phytochemicals have antioxidant activities that
reduce oxidative stress and ultimately inflammation, the root cause of various degenerative diseases
[Miraj et al. 2016; Shakeri 2016].
