The soothing properties of a Lemon Balm tincture are well-known in the world of holistic healing. Used for thousands of years as a wound healer and sedative, this organic herb also has modern applications as a mood enhancing supplement.
If you have access to fresh lemon balm leaves, you can easily make your own home remedy in just a few easy steps. We’ll give you a simple recipe for a basic tincture of lemon balm, as well as explore the biochemical mechanisms which fuel its many benefits.
If you cannot find the actual leaves of the plant, supplements are able to provide similar and even heightened results. Read on for a summary of the common minty herb which may be a useful tool for balancing mind and emotion.



- Helps to support a positive mood
- Promotes healthy sleep patterns
- Alleviates stress and boosts relaxation
Mint as an Ancient Medicinal
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Lemon Balm herbal teas and remedies are derived from the Melissa Officinalis plant, a leafy green perennial mint bush.
The abundant plant was first used medicinally in ancient Greece, where it was popular as a flesh healer and was written into several famous mythology texts.
Dedicated to the Great Goddess or Goddess Diana, the herb was thought to heal wounds caused by swords in famous battles.
For everyday people, the remedy was used to treat small cuts and chronic skin conditions, such as eczema, gout, and cold sores. It was also used to treat poisonous snake and insect bites.
In the Middle Ages, a Lemon Balm tincture became of staple of every apothecary cabinet. The elixir was used to promote overall vitality and wellness, as well as treat specific conditions like fever and headache.
In the modern era, the herb has been employed as a holistic remedy for both physical and mental ailments like PMS, insomnia, high blood pressure, inflammation of tissues, as well as all of the traditional uses above. It is now being considered as an alternative therapy for mood imbalances like anxiety and depression.
How To Make Your Own Lemon Balm Tincture
Tinctures are created by extracting active ingredients from herbs with the use of alcohol. You can easily make your own Lemon Balm tincture at home with the following:
- 80 Proof vodka or other clear liquor
- Generous handful of fresh Lemon Balm leaves
- Strainer
- Cheesecloth
- Pint Jar
- Small bottle with dropper
The instructions for how to prepare your liquid tincture extract are as follows:
- Chop leaves and place in pint jar until ¾ full.
- Fill bottle to the brim with alcohol and seal.
- Store bottle for 6 weeks.
- Strain liquid through cheesecloth and discard pulp.
- Pour strained liquid into small dropper bottles.
This tincture is now ready to consume. Strength of the final tincture can vary, so sample no more than a few drops per sitting and note effects.
Benefits of Lemon Balm
Though many people associate tinctures with old fashioned apothecaries and folk medicine, there are many benefits of supplementing via tincture in modern life.
Essentially just a very potent form of its herbal source, a Lemon Balm tincture provides heightened benefits for stress relief, cognitive enhancement, and overall wellness. A single dropperful can quell panic attacks and ease the symptoms of anxiety.
If the alcoholic content of a tincture is inappropriate, powdered supplement forms of Lemon balm are also available. These supplements can help make daily work and school stress manageable.
Research shows that lemon balm improves memory and makes verbal and logical reasoning easier. It also has dramatic healing capabilities, for external wounds as well as internal infections.
All forms of Lemon Balm make a great sleep aid and can ease insomnia. Tinctures happen to be one of the easiest ways to take Lemon Balm, but the herb is often also included in pre-combined mood enhancement supplements like New Mood.
How Lemon Balm Tincture Works
The main efficacy of a Lemon Balm tincture comes from its Rosmarinic acid content. This compound helps increase levels of GABA (Gamma Aminobutyric Acid), the inhibitory chemical which controls excessive nerve firing.
In times of stress (physical, mental, or environmental), nerve signaling can become chaotic and jumbled. This leads to muscle tension, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, bad digestion, trouble sleeping, even loss of appetite.
Proper amounts of GABA can regulate these negative symptoms. Lemon Balm also contains Eugenol, an analgesic compound which numbs and soothes irritated muscles. The enhanced memory and cognition effects are due to Lemon Balm’s interaction with acetylcholine receptors in the brain.
These sites process the invaluable neurotransmitter responsible for neural tissue health and heightened brain communication. Overall, Lemon Balm is considered an adaptogen. This is the natural class of supplements which help the body and mind manage all kinds of stress.
Potent Lemon Balm Combinations
On its own, a Lemon Balm tincture will provide gentle and natural-feeling stress relief. For some people, stronger effects will be desired. While Lemon Balm itself carries few significant side effects, even at larger doses, it can be overly sedating when combined with prescription anti-anxiety pills or muscle relaxers. It would be safer and more effective to add other gentle natural supplements to your stack in order to amplify effects.
It is popular to stack Lemon Balm with 5-HTP, the noted serotonin booster derived from tryptophan. It also pairs very well with Valerian, the root associated with improving sleep. This combination is an excellent therapy for insomnia. All of these combos are non-toxic, and do not produce hangovers or withdrawals.
However, Lemon Balm tinctures have been successfully used on its own for thousands of years. Whether you take it as a tincture or a powdered supplement, or as part of a mood enhancing stack, stress relief is on the way.
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Article last updated on: April 28th, 2018 by Nootriment
2 Comments
Es muy bueno saber el poder de esta planta le doy grasias a Dios por benefisiarnos de esta planta tan poderosa en curar muchas enfermedades!
Hi, a nice herb fo sleep, but i have notice that there are varieties that have a strong anti-depressant and pro-volitive activity (Few of them), in a long use basis. The effect is better than any med, do you have experiences in that matter ? Thanks