Herbal Lemon Balm Extract – Uses, Dosage, and Side Effects

Lemon Balm extract is the latest herbal supplement to break though as a mainstream remedy for stress and mood imbalance.

Once considered simply a folk medicine for relaxation, lemon balm products are now understood to spur complex biochemical reactions in the brain.

By working with natural brain systems and soothing over-taxed nerves, lemon balm extracts can significantly reduce the perception of stress and its physical repercussions.

Here is a complete rundown of the benefits that a lemon balm supplement can bring to daily life, as well as important warnings for its safe usage. We’ll also recommend the best methods for taking the herbal remedy, as well as other natural GABA-related stress busters.

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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Original Uses for Lemon Balm Extract

Therapeutic and ceremonial use of Lemon Balm extract is far older than the history of modern recorded medicine.

There is some evidence to indicate that is was prescribed as a healer of wounds in ancient Greece.

Its power to mend flesh was so legendary that the herb made it into mythology, and is strongly associated with the powers of Goddess Diana.

Arabian traders brought the herb to Europe in the Middle Ages. There, it was cultivated for use as a cure-all tonic, said to cure headache, heal any skin condition, and promote an overall state of vitality. The herb also was widely used in religious and occult ceremonies, including astrology.

Over the following 500 years, remedies made from Lemon Balm remained in vogue as treatments for a broad range of maladies, from insomnia to high blood pressure, fever to PMS.

How Lemon Balm Extract Works

Lemon Balm is an organic mint plant known as Melissa Officinalis. Many of the compounds contained within the plant contribute to an overall reduction in stress reactions in the mind and body. First, Eugenols can provide analgesic numbing relief to stressed muscles. Organic terpenes in the plant provide additional soothing.

But the most striking anti-stress effects occur due to Rosmarinic acid, a compound which supports healthy amounts of GABA. GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid) inhibits the over-firing of nerves which accompanies stress.

Next, Lemon Balm activates nicotinic and muscarinic choline receptors, enhancing the body’s response to acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter facilitates the healthy growth of neural structures like neurons and synapses. Lemon Balm extract also has important anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, contributing to overall brain tissue health and resistance to disease.

Benefits and Medicinal Uses

The benefits of the extract are equally divided between soothing mental stress-busting and relief from physical stresses in the body. First, the herb quells thoughts of anxiety and inhibits the tendency toward depression. It allows users to sleep more effectively, and can quiet and overactive mind, especially at bedtime.

In more intense concentrations, the extract can be used as therapy for more severe cognitive imbalances, such as Alzheimer’s Disease or ADHD. Lemon Balm extracts can also quiet and soothe physical reactions to stress which can lead to mental complications down the road.

High blood pressure, tissue inflammation, and headache are standard chronic conditions which can arise from repeated daily stress. Regular sleep is restored, providing the rest needed to regenerate and restore vital functions throughout the body. A regular regimen of Lemon Balm can reduce these physical symptoms before they snowball into overwhelming and serious mood disorders.

Lemon Balm Extract Dosage Info

The standard Lemon Balm extract dosage to receive significant benefits is approximately 300 – 500 mg per day. This amount can be divided into multiple servings taken throughout the day, with the last occurring 30 minutes before bedtime.

As this is considered a sedative supplement, many people tend to enjoy Lemon Balm products later in the day. However, in times of higher stress, a cup of Lemon Balm tea (approx. 100 mg) can reduce anxiety symptoms almost immediately.

Warning about Side Effects

The main side effect reported with use of Lemon Balm extract is excessive drowsiness. Even though Lemon Balm is very relaxing under most conditions, it is rare that effects are so strong as to impair one’s ability to perform normal daily tasks. Still, if you are very sensitive to herbal remedies, you may wish to restrict your intake to evening.

It is important to never mix Lemon Balm Extract with prescription sedatives, such as muscle relaxers, anti-anxiety meds, or anti-anxiety pills. The combined effect may be too sedating and lead to unwanted side effects.

One safe method for taking the supplement is as a part of a pre-packaged stack supplement such as New Mood by Onnit Labs. This product, and others like it, add Lemon Balm to a proprietary blend of other mood enhancement herbs and vitamins to create an emotionally balancing effect.

Other options for stress control include noted natural anxiolytics like L-Theanine. This glutamic acid provides significant mood lift by increasing amounts of dopamine and serotonin in the brain. Lemon Balm extract is a more gentle and mild approach to anxiety relief, and can be enjoyed as a part of a daily mental health regimen safely.

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