Lemon Balm
BotanicalMelissa officinalisAlso calledMelissa, Balm mint
A lemon-scented mint-family leaf that lightens the mood, settles a nervous stomach and makes a sunny, easy tea.
Lemon balm is a garden plant from southern Europe, and once it settles into a yard it tends to stay. The name Melissa comes from the Greek word for honeybee, because bees love its small white flowers. Monks grew it in cloister gardens, and it has been a household tea for a very long time.
Brush the leaves and they smell like lemon peel and fresh grass. The tea is light, a little sour and gently bitter. Modern Ayurvedic teachers read it as cooling and calming, a good match for the kind of stress that shows up as a knot in the stomach or a short temper.
Ayurvedic Properties
Not described in classical Ayurveda; modern Ayurvedic writers describe it as sour, bitter and pungent in taste and cooling, with a pungent post-digestive effect (Frawley and Lad, The Yoga of Herbs, and other modern Ayurvedic teachers).
- RasaTastes
- ViryaHeating or cooling
- Cooling
- VipakaPost-digestive effect
- Pungent
- AgniEffect on digestion
- Gently supports agni
Aromatic and lightly sour, it gently settles digestion.
- GunaQualities
- TridoshaEffect on Vata, Pitta and Kapha
- Vata: decreases, in moderation
- Pitta: decreases
- Kapha: decreases
- ↓decreases (calms that dosha)
- ↑increases (can aggravate it)
- =neutral or balancing
- ?not known
- V Vata · P Pitta · K Kapha
Lemon balm is lovely for pitta irritability and for kapha heaviness of mood. Vata types can enjoy it warm, especially when nerves upset digestion, though very large amounts may feel too light and cooling.
Traditional Uses
- Traditionally used to support a calm, cheerful mood in stressful times.
- Traditionally used to support restful sleep.
- Traditionally used to support easy digestion and relief from occasional bloating and gas.
- Traditionally used to support a cool head when tempers run hot.
How People Use It
- TeaSteep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaf in a cup of just-boiled water, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes. Fresh leaves work too; use a small handful.
- WaterAdd a few fresh sprigs to a pitcher of cool water with cucumber slices for a refreshing summer drink.
- HoneyA spoonful of honey stirred into warm (not hot) lemon balm tea rounds out its sour edge.
Calm Belly Lemon Balm Tea
A gentle cup for when stress lands in your stomach.
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried lemon balm
- 1/2 teaspoon dried chamomile flowers
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- Bring the water to a boil and let it rest for a moment.
- Pour it over the herbs. Cover and steep for 7 minutes.
- Strain and sip slowly, sitting down, with a few long breaths between sips.
- Enjoy it after a meal or in the early evening.
Pairs Well With
Cautions
- Safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been well studied. Please check with your midwife or doctor before using it.
- Lemon balm may make you drowsy. Be careful combining it with alcohol, sedatives, sleep aids or other relaxing herbs.
- Some references suggest it may affect thyroid function. If you have a thyroid condition or take thyroid medication, talk with your doctor first.
- Traditional-use monographs suggest it for adults and children over 12. Ask a doctor before giving it to younger children.
- Please consult a qualified practitioner or your doctor before using it regularly, especially if you take any medication.
In Our Shop
Organic Lemon Balm Leaf, from $5.75. Weighed and packed by hand at our Rockville Centre studio.
Shop Lemon Balm →From the Journal
Sources and Further Reading
This page shares how herbs are traditionally used in Ayurveda and other herbal traditions. It is for general education only and is not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and herbs are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Please talk with your doctor or a qualified practitioner before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition.