Balm
Quick Facts
- What it is: Balm, better known as lemon balm, is the lemon-scented leaf of Melissa officinalis, used as a calming tea and in cold sore creams.
- Main uses: Mild anxiety and stress, Trouble falling asleep, Cold sores, as a cream, Indigestion and gas
- Active ingredients: Rosmarinic acid, Citral, Citronellal, Geraniol, Caffeic and chlorogenic acid, Flavonoids such as luteolin
- Forms: Dried leaf tea, Capsules and tablets, Tincture or liquid extract, Topical cream or lip balm, Essential oil (not to be swallowed), Fresh culinary leaf
- Time to effect: Hours for a calming effect in studies; two to eight weeks for sleep or mood, if it helps at all.
- Side effects: Usually mild: drowsiness, headache, nausea; rare allergy in mint-sensitive people.
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What is Balm?
Balm is the leaf of Melissa officinalis, a lemon-scented plant in the mint family. Most people now call it lemon balm. It is taken as a calming tea or extract for stress, restlessness and poor sleep, and used in creams for cold sores.
Old books also call it sweet balm or common balm. Some call it bee balm, which can also mean Monarda, a different plant. Check the Latin name on the label.
American Eclectic doctors of the 1800s listed balm as a mild calming herb. Folk households kept it for nerves, upset stomach and feverish colds. The same uses carry on in home herbal practice today.
Human evidence is modest. Small trials point to mild help with anxiety, mood and sleep. But they are short, few, and often of low quality.
Long use in tradition is not proof that a remedy works. It is also not proof that it is safe for you.
How does Balm work?
No one has shown exactly how lemon balm works in people. The best-studied ideas come from lab and animal work.
In test-tube studies, rosmarinic acid slows an enzyme that breaks down GABA. GABA is a calming signal in the brain. More GABA might mean less anxiety, but this has not been confirmed in people.
In animal studies, leaf extracts reduced signs of fear and stress. Calm in animals does not always carry over to humans.
In laboratory tests, strong leaf extracts block herpes simplex virus from entering cells. That is a test-tube result. Whether it changes how a cold sore heals on skin is not well proven.
Lab work also shows antioxidant activity, and some effect on gut muscle in isolated tissue. Neither has been tied to a clear benefit in people.
Part of what people feel may come from the warmth, scent and routine of a cup of tea. In calming-herb trials, placebo effects are often large.
What forms does Balm come in?
Dried leaf tea is the most common home form, and fresh leaf is used as a kitchen herb.
Tea: dried or fresh leaf steeped in hot water, often at bedtime.
Capsules and tablets: dried leaf powder, or a concentrated dry extract.
Liquid extract or tincture: leaf soaked in alcohol or glycerine, taken in drops.
Topical cream and lip balm: made with a strong leaf extract, applied to cold sores.
Essential oil: very concentrated, used for scent and in massage blends. It is not for swallowing.
Fresh leaf: added to drinks, salads, sauces and desserts as a food.
Combination products: lemon balm is often mixed with valerian, hops or chamomile for sleep. When a product has several herbs, you cannot tell which one did anything.
Strength is not the same across brands. A cup of tea and a concentrated capsule are not swapped one for one.
Where it comes from:
Balm has a long written record in European and later American home medicine. Greek and Roman writers praised it, and medieval herbals linked it to good cheer and long life.
The name comes from balsam, a reference to its sweet smell. Beekeepers rubbed the leaf on hives, which is one source of the name bee balm.
American Eclectic physicians of the 1800s listed balm as a mild nervine (a calming herb) and a diaphoretic (a herb that promotes sweating). They gave warm tea during fevers and colds.
Folk households also kept it for colic, headache, nervous upset and restless children. It flavoured cordials, vinegars and summer drinks.
By the 20th century it had settled into the role it holds now: a gentle household tea rather than a serious medicine.
Who should avoid Balm?
- Never swallow lemon balm essential oil; it is far too concentrated.
- Do not use capsules, tinctures or strong extracts if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, unless your doctor agrees; safety has not been established.
- Do not use it if you have thyroid disease, or take levothyroxine or other thyroid medicine, unless your doctor agrees.
- Do not take it with sedatives, sleeping pills, opioid painkillers or alcohol.
- Do not drive or use machinery until you know whether it makes you drowsy.
- Avoid it for at least two weeks before planned surgery, and tell your anaesthetist that you have used it.
- Do not give it to babies or young children except on a doctor's advice.
- Do not use it if you have had an allergic reaction to mint-family plants such as peppermint or sage.
- Do not use it in place of prescribed treatment for an anxiety disorder, depression or a sleep disorder.
When should you see a doctor?
Get emergency help if you develop swelling of the face, lips or tongue, a spreading rash, or trouble breathing. These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction.
Stop and see a doctor if you feel heavily drowsy, confused or dizzy during the day.
See a doctor if anxiety or sleep problems last more than four weeks, or get worse. Also see one if low mood or thoughts of self-harm appear.
See a doctor if a cold sore has not healed in about ten days, spreads, or comes near your eye. Eye involvement needs same-day care.
Is Balm legal where you live?
In the United States, lemon balm is sold as a dietary supplement and is accepted as a food flavouring. Supplements are not approved by the FDA to treat any disease.
In the UK and the European Union, some products hold a traditional herbal registration for mild stress and sleep problems. That registration is based on long use, not on proof of effect.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
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