Lemon Balm

Also Known As : Bee balm, Sweet balm, Toronjil, Honey plant, Cure All, Sweet Mary, Melissa

Technical Name : Melissa officinalis

Descriptions
details

Vegetarian

Taste Profile

It has a sweet lemon zest taste with a hint of mint.

Usage Tips

Lemon balm can be used as a flavouring agent in soups, sauces, vinegars and seafood.
Lemon balm can be used to make teas, marinate chicken or fish, or flavor baked foods and jams.
The strong flavor of lemon balm can be paired with more mild tastes such as seafood, honey, summer squash and cucumber.
Keep cool and dry until lemon balm is ready to use.

Common names and forms

Lemon Balm Leaves
Organic Lemon Balm Leaf

Description

Lemon balm is a herb in a mint family. It is grown for its aromatic heart-shaped and toothed leaves. It is a green plant with nectar-rich small white flowers. The leaves are ovate in shape, and either crenate or crenate-serrate along their margins.The tips of leaves are blunt, while their bases are widely wedge-shaped to rounded. The upper leaf surface is medium in size, green in color and glabrous to finely short-hairy, while the lower leaf surface is pale green in color and glabrous to finely hairy along the veins. It grows best in mild temperate climates between the months of June and August. It is native of South Europe.

Health benefits

Lemon balm contains rosmarinic acid which helps to ease stress and anxiety.⁽¹⁾
It possesses antiviral qualities which fights against herpes simplex virus and helps to cure cold sores.⁽¹⁾
It improves sleep quality and treats insomnia, reduces sleep disruptions by increasing GABA in the brain, promotes calmness and relaxation.⁽¹⁾
It improves mental performance and memory.⁽¹⁾
It helps in weight loss and aids treatment of type -2 diabetes.⁽¹⁾
It has anticancer effects on body.⁽¹⁾

Selection Guide

Choose fresh leaves of lemon balm, green in colour with citrusy aroma.

Note

Lemon balm may cause headache, nausea, bloating, gas, vomiting, indigestion. ⁽²⁾It should not be used during pregnancy or lactation. ⁽³⁾

Resource & Links

(1) https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/amazing-health-benefits-of-lemon-balm-with-side-effects/

(2) https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-health-benefits-of-lemon-balm-89388

(3) https://www.indigo-herbs.co.uk/natural-health-guide/benefits/lemon-balm

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"Information here is provided for discussion and educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical advice or product or ingredient review/rating. The information may not apply to you and before you use or take any action, you should contact the manufacturer, seller, medical, dietary, fitness or other professional. If you utilize any information provided here, you do so at your own risk and you waive any right against Culinary Communications Private Limited, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees or representatives.”