Lemon balm, the natural remedy for melancholy
Thanks to its essential oils, this plant is a valuable ingredient in the treatment of many ailments. In this article, we tell you about the origins, properties and uses of this valuable wellness ally.
Table of contents:
- The plant
- History
- What are the properties and benefits of lemon balm?
- How to use lemon balm?
- Curiosities
To say lemon balm is to say anti-stress. An herbaceous perennial plant in the Labiateae family, lemon balm (melissa officinalis) is known for its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties. Considered a plant of relaxation, Melissa Officinalis grows wild in southern Europe and western Asia. Its leaves are used in traditional medicine (and beyond) for its digestive, carminative, antispasmodic, sedative, analgesic, and diuretic properties and are an excellent ally for combating gastrointestinal disorders. Let’s discover together the history, properties and uses of lemon balm.
The plant
Lemon balm is a plant with renowned calming and sedative properties. In phytotherapy it is used in the preparation of herbal teas, in the form of infusion or decoction. It is normally found as a wild plant in meadows and in the countryside, but it can also be grown without problems in pots or in the garden. Easily recognized by its quadrangular stem, branched at the base and rhizomatous, it has deep green, petiolate leaves. Lemon balm exudes a lemon-like aroma and can be recognized by its bitter taste, while the flowers are white and tiny.
History
From the Greek bee, lemon balm is the favorite plant of bees, from which they make excellent honey; its infusion is considered a true medicine for bees because it can keep them healthy and provide them with immunity.
As early as the 17th century, the Discalced Carmelite monks of Paris appreciated the beneficial properties of lemon balm and employed it to prepare Lemon Balm Water, a popular digestive remedy, while Paracelsus called it the “elixir of life.”
What are the properties and benefits of lemon balm?
Along with passionflower, chamomile and mallow, lemon balm is one of the quintessential relaxing plants. Excellent for anxiety and various and sundry worries, lemon balm is also notable for its sedative properties, which are useful for combating flu symptoms. Be careful not to overdo the doses: if taken in large amounts, lemon balm can have an arousing effect. Taken in the form of herbal tea, however, it helps to lower fever and eliminate excess toxins. However, this concentrate of good cheer also relieves menstrual syndrome, reducing nausea and cramps. A natural analgesic, its essential oil helps treat headaches and relaxes the nervous system and muscles.
How to use lemon balm?
Besides being useful, lemon balm is also good; in perfumery it is one of the ingredients in Eau de Cologne, but it also finds a place in the liquor industry, where it is widely used to make vermouth and other digestive and stomachic bitters. Fond of potpourri and scented pillows? Try drying some lemon balm along with lavender, chamomile, rosemary and thyme. If you want to try your hand at fresh lemon balm instead, try adding a few leaves to salads for a doubled digestive effect.
For herbal tea diehards, lemon balm officinalis is one of the ingredients in our Remedium No. 3 – Digestive, an infusion designed to promote proper digestion by relieving the digestive system. Try it to believe!
Curiosities
Introduced in medicine as a remedy “morally exhilarating and comforting to the nerves,” physicians Galen and Paracelsus recommended it for the treatment of mental disorders. Serapius prescribed it instead as a palliative for melancholy. The Arabs held it in high regard: the physician Avicenna as early as the 11th century attributed to the species “the wonderful property of cheering and comforting the heart.”
Lemon Balm or Lemon Balm Water invented by the French Discalced Carmelites in 1611, was the popular remedy par excellence. Indeed, all social classes of the time resorted to this Remedium in bad times.
Sitography
- www.cure-naturali.it/enciclopedia-naturale/rimedi-naturali/erboristeria/melissa.html
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5871149/
- https://www.greenme.it/vivere/salute-e-benessere/melissa-proprieta-benefici-tisana/
- https://www.inherba.it/piante-officinali-aromatiche/melissa/