Melissa (lemon balm)

Melissa officinalis

This page contains information on melissa and how it is used as a herb in alternative herbal treatments to treat ailments and problems, such as herpes simplex, fever blisters and shingles.

Herbal Index

Botanical Classification
Family
Lamiaceae

Genus and specie
Melissa officinalis


Other names
Sweet or bee balm, as well as lemon balm, cure-all and common balm.

Description of the herb melissa
Lemon Balm is a lemon scented perennial. Oval toothed leaves and minor yellow flowers are produced in auxiliary clusters in summer.

Parts used
The dried leaves, as well as the essential oil are used.

Properties
It is an aromatic herb with cooling and sedative properties, lowering fever, improving digestion, relaxing spasms and improving peripheral blood vessels. It helps with hyperthyroidism, while having anti-viral, anti-biotic and insect-repellent effects.

It contains rosmarinic acid, phenolic acids, triterpenes, monoterpene glycosides, flavonoids and the essential oil contains citronellal, citral, germacrene and caryophyllene.

Therapeutic uses
Internal use
Lemon Balm is used internally to treat nervous disorders, indigestion and/or excitability developing from nervous disorder, hyperthyroidism, and depression, anxiety, palpitations and tension headaches.
It is often used for sleeplessness and also for nervous stomach disorders in both children and adults.
Fresh lemon balm leaves are used to give a lemon flavor to soups, salads, sauces, herb vinegars, game and fish. It is also an ingredient of Benedictine and Chartreuse liquors.
The dried leaves can be added to potpourris, as well as herbal cushions or sachets to perfume drawers or cupboards.
External use
Applied externally, it is useful to treat herpes simplex (cold sores), sores and insect bites, and helps to give some relief from gout.
Aromatherapy and essential oil use
Melissa essential oil is useful to treat depression, easing nervous tension and restoring calmness.
With excellent antiviral properties, it is great to treat herpes simplex (fever blisters) and herpes zoster (shingles), while also helping to fight nausea and upset stomachs.
It has anti-depressant, anti-spasmodic, bactericidal, cordial, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, nervine, sedative, stomachic, sudorific and tonic properties.

coolnesss.
this is whats i learn at work
that i have a HERB named after me
okay not ME ME..
but okay fine
i share my name with a herb

IM SO TIRED
i bitched so much to sylvia today
that poor girl might've gone mad
=)

and i had much much gossip to share with tanya at lunch today
while we were munching on pastamania

and well, yesterday was basically..
bliss.
'nuff said.
=)

gdnight!


okBYE

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