Melissa officinalis L (lemon balm) is a traditional herbal medicine used widely as a mild sedative and antibacterial agent. Lemon balm 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 to have antioxidant, antitumor activity.

Nature's Way Lemon Balm herb

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.

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What's in Lemon Balm?
Lemon balm contains several flavonoids including  luteolin and apigenin.

Lemon Balm herb antioxidant research
Melissa officinalis L. essential oil: antitumoral and antioxidant activities.
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004 May;56(5):677-81. de Sousa AC. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro 21941-900, Rio de Janeiro, R.J., Brazil.
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.

Anxiety reduction, relaxation
Although this herb has a mild relaxing effect, 5HTP serotonin precursor is more potent and effective as a treatment for anxiety.

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.

A combination of valerian and lemon balm is effective in the treatment of restlessness and dyssomnia in children.
Phytomedicine. 2006 June. Müller SF, Klement S. Dr. Willmar Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Efficacy and tolerability of a combined valerian lemon balm preparation were investigated in an open, multicentre study in children less than 12 years suffering from restlessness and nervous dyskoimesis. Patients were dosed individually by the investigators. A distinct and convincing reduction in severity was found for all symptoms in the investigators' and parents' ratings. The core symptoms dyssomnia and restlessness were reduced from "moderate/severe" to "mild" or "absent" in most of the patients. In total, 80% of the patients who suffered from dyssomnia experienced an improvement for this symptom and 70% of the patients with restlessness improved clearly. Euvegal forte was effective in the treatment of younger children with restlessness and dyssomnia and it was very well tolerated.

Lemon balm extract for cancer
Melissa officinalis L. essential oil: antitumoral and antioxidant activities.
de Sousa AC. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro 21941-900, Rio de Janeiro, R.J., Brazil.
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2004 May;56(5):677-81.
Lemon balm 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 for mood enhancement
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.
Kennedy DO. Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003 Oct;28(10):1871-81.
Lemon balm herb 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 herb 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 herb 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 lemon balm herb leaf, or a matching placebo, at 7-day intervals.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 herb at or above the maximum employed here can improve cognitive performance and mood. 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.

Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis (lemon balm).
Kennedy DO, Scholey AB. University of Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2002 Jul;72(4):953-64.
Lemon balm herb 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. 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 health benefit.

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