Using Lemon Balm for Anxiety – An Herbal Remedy

Many people have used Lemon Balm for anxiety informally without understanding the science behind its famous effects.

In fact, this plant has been consumed in many forms as a folk remedy since long before the time of modern medicine.

Known to heal wounds and sedate stressed minds, teas, tinctures, and oils of Lemon Balm are a staple of any classic apothecary. Now, we find lemon balm extracts used in popular mental health supplements.

Here is a look at the connection between Lemon Balm and anxiety relief, including physical effects, lifestyle benefits, and safety recommendations. The herb may make a viable daily treatment for very common mood and cognitive imbalances.

Lemon Balm

Herbal Supplement

Mood

Sleep

Stress

How It Works:

• Helps to support a positive mood
• Promotes healthy sleep patterns
• Alleviates stress and boosts relaxation

Dosage:

Between 1.5 - 4.5 g per day

Safety:

Rated Possibly Safe

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What Causes Anxiety?

Before we explore using Lemon Balm to treat stress and anxiousness, it’s important to understand where the condition comes from in the first place.

There are many root causes of anxiety, which we can roughly break down into environmental and neurochemical.

Environmental stressors include any factors of daily life which can generate the psychological sensation of anxiety. These include work and school pressure, relationship stress, knowledge of a medical ailment, heavy emotional trauma, the death of a family member, or drug addiction.

The neurochemical roots of anxiety include any factors relating to the balance of chemicals in the human brain. As we know, emotional state, mood, and mental focus are largely the product of high functioning brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine are often credited with generating a peaceful yet focused emotional state.

Other anxiolytic brain chemicals, such as GABA, reduce the triggering of nerve cells in response to environmental stimulus. It is here that a supplement such as Lemon Balm can have the most impact, by balancing some of these chemical reactions.

Using Lemon Balm for Anxiety

When we talk about the connections between neurochemicals and mood, the focus is often upon stimulating hormones like dopamine. While there are many supplements which successfully boost mood by supporting dopamine production, there are other more effective ways to manage stress.

The inhibitory chemical GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) is responsible for quieting and controlling overly agitated nerve cells.

When we experience great stress, nerves can be triggered to fire signals throughout the body. These signals can generate muscle contraction, elevated heart rate, and a confusing jumble of thoughts.

Many people use Lemon Balm to prevent anxious thoughts and panic attacks because it contains Rosmarinic acid, an important inhibitory chemical which prevents depletion of GABA. It does this by inhibiting GABA transaminase.

Lemon Balm also can address stress after nerves over-fire and generate negative physical effects. Eugenols and terpenes in the herb work to soothe and numb irritated muscles.

Meanwhile, Lemon Balm’s interaction with nicotinic and muscarinic receptors increases the activity of acetylcholine. This action creates a healthy neural environment wherein thoughts and memories can flow more easily.

Other Benefits of Taking Lemon Balm

n addition to the benefits of taking Lemon Balm for anxiety, the herb can also be used to enhance memory, learning and logic capabilities.

The acetylcholine effects described above make Lemon Balm a strong supplement for general cognitive enhancement.

The anti-viral, anti-bacterial properties of the herb are particularly prevalent in brain tissue. Of course, these same qualities continue to make Lemon Balm an excellent therapy for healing wounds, whether consumed orally or applied as a topical oil.

Lemon Balm and Good Sleep

Excellent rest and natural sleep patterns are essential to managing stress and anxiety. Often, anxious thoughts lead to difficulty sleeping, which can in turn exacerbate physical and mental stress. Lemon Balm has long been used to fight insomnia. Its sedative qualities can calm the mind, while its Eugenol content relaxes muscles.

Many people choose to combine Lemon Balm tea or pills with a Valerian supplement, taken before bedtime. This herbal stack works very well together and provides natural, productive sleep without hangover or side effects.

Dosage and Safety

Taking Lemon Balm for anxiety does constitute a gentler, natural approach to controlling symptoms. At standard dosages, which range from 300 mg to 500 mg per day, users will experience general stress relief, and have an easier time managing anxiety and panic attacks.

For more acute protection, or for cases of extreme clinical anxiety, some may be tempted to take a mega-dose of Lemon Balm, or perhaps combine it with prescription anti-anxiety meds. Neither approach is safe or recommended.

At extreme doses, and especially when combined with pharmaceutical depressants, Lemon Balm can be too sedating, and slow heart rate to dangerous levels. However, this is not a risk when average dosages are respected.

Other supplements which can be taken at the same time as Lemon Balm include Valerian (for maximum sleep benefits), and 5-htp, for serotonin support. All of these supplements are combined in the proprietary mood enhancer New Mood, or they can be taken separately. In any case, anxiety symptoms can absolutely be lessened with the use of natural remedies.

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