Lemon balm doesn't exactly sound like the latest trend when it comes to improving sleep with natural botanicals. However, it's currently enjoying a boost, and rightly so!
Melissa officinalis can do more than just improve your sleep, it can also improve your body. This special lemon balm is a new power food for all biohackers.
In this article, you'll learn exactly how it works and where you can best buy lemon balm.
Table of contents
1. Lemon balm - What is it?
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is probably one of the most common power foods . The plant can be found in almost every garden , but not many people are aware of its special power.
The small green leaves exude a minty/lemon scent , especially in summer, which becomes even more intense when rubbed between the fingers. Lemon balm contains numerous mild essential oils that can help with restlessness, insomnia, and stomach upsets.
The use of lemon balm has a long tradition . As early as the Middle Ages, it grew in every monastery garden, and rural populations also knew about its healing powers for body and soul. At that time, it was consumed primarily for its positive effects on the stomach and traditionally brewed as lemon balm tea .
Many recipes have also been developed using lemon balm. Lemon balm has antispasmodic properties that can be helpful for gastrointestinal and menstrual problems.
That's why we're all familiar with lemon balm tea from our youth. Today, however, we know that the plant has many other important mechanisms of action, which is why it's used in numerous supplements .
The plant's leaves contain , among other things, rosemary and chlorogenic acid , essential oils , and bitter and tannin compounds . These substances have one primary effect: counteract tension and thus improve the cooling-down phase before sleep.
The calming effect of lemon balm is based on the increased production of the calming neurotransmitter GABA in the brain, but you'll learn more about that later.
BRAINEFFECT HACK: Lemon balm is no longer just a household remedy for stomach pain. Today, we're aware of its numerous other mechanisms of action. Above all, it's becoming part of a good evening routine. That's why lemon balm is an important ingredient in our NIGHT MODE performance shake.
2. Lemon balm as a natural sleep aid?
Now you know exactly what lemon balm is, and this is where things get really interesting, because this plant substance can improve several processes in your body!
The Mashhad University of Medical Sciences has taken a closer look at the individual effects and concluded the following: The anxiety-relieving and neuroprotective effects of lemon balm have now been scientifically confirmed. [1]
Low doses of lemon balm also improve cognitive performance and strengthen the heart. In a study conducted by the San Martino University Hospital in Italy, the herbal balm's most well-known effect was examined in more detail: its role as a natural sleep aid. [2]
The researchers found that lemon balm reduces the effects of chronic stress, such as anxiety, tension, and insomnia. Twenty stressed subjects with mild anxiety and sleep problems were given a standardized lemon balm extract for this study.
Anxiety decreased by 25% as a result of the treatment, sleep problems disappeared in 17 of the subjects and improved significantly in the remaining three.
According to the study, the effect appears to be based on an influence on the GABA mechanism . Strictly speaking, regular consumption of lemon balm is said to reduce stress by inhibiting GABA catabolism. Sounds complicated?
But it's not: Lemon balm contains rosmarinic acid, which acts as a GABA transaminase inhibitor. Thus, lemon balm prevents the breakdown of the neurotransmitter in the brain .
GABA is so important for your sleep because the neurotransmitter reduces the activity of nerve cells in the brain . Its inhibitory and calming effect on the synapses in the brain ensures that stress and anxiety signals only reach the processing centers in your brain in reduced doses.
Simply put, GABA helps you relax and fall asleep more easily. This complex process can be easily influenced by taking lemon balm.
BRAINEFFECT HACK : We've combined lemon balm with other botanicals in our NIGHT MODE performance shake. Your evening alternative to unhealthy snacks, with plenty of fiber and protein.
3. Lemon balm soothes and relaxes
In addition to its effect as a natural sleep aid, lemon balm has another important power, which a recent study by the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at the University of Northumbria has demonstrated. [3]
Lemon balm increases subjective relaxation and, depending on the dosage, can accelerate the speed of cognitive processes. The study found that a single dose of 300 mg of lemon balm extract accelerated the processing and solution of mathematical problems without reducing the accuracy of the answers.
600 mg improved negative moods and had a calming and relaxing effect. This was observed in 18 healthy volunteers. This improvement in mental performance and strengthening of memory is also based on the optimization of a neurotransmitter in the brain, namely acetylcholine.
Lemon balm is said to increase the activity of acetylcholine, the most important neurotransmitter in the brain. Why? Acetylcholine is required for almost all important thought processes in the brain, because its concentration determines how quickly communication takes place between your synapses.
If your brain is sufficiently supplied with acetylcholine, the transmission of stimuli and information also occurs quickly. Simply put: the better your supply of acetylcholine, the higher your mental performance.
Are you interested in optimizing and accelerating thought processes with acetylcholine? Then read all the important information in this article about citicoline and acetylcholine . Lemon balm has a precise effect on this process.
So, lemon balm can not only combat your insomnia, but also accelerate your cognitive processes and thus improve your mental performance. Sounds like quite an all-rounder, right?
Take-home message: Lemon balm has three important mechanisms of action:
1. Combats insomnia as a natural sleep aid
2. Relieves tension and reduces anxiety
3. Improves your mental power
4. How to take lemon balm correctly – capsule or tea?
There are numerous tips and tricks for taking lemon balm correctly. Because the plant has a long tradition as a home remedy, its use as a tea is particularly popular.
For this, it's best to use two handfuls of lemon balm, ideally fresh from your own garden. Dried lemon balm is also available in pharmacies and drugstores ; it also contains the essential oils and rosmarinic acid, but in this case, the flavor is almost nonexistent, making the tea extremely bland.
The lemon balm is then poured over with hot water, taking care not to use completely boiling water, but only very hot water.
The tea should now steep, covered, for 20 minutes. The question of how to properly take lemon balm also depends largely on the reason for using the plant. In addition to its effect as a sleep aid, the tea also has other positive side effects, such as its relaxing effect on the stomach and intestines.
However, if lemon balm is to be used consciously as a natural sleep aid, taking it as a tea is not optimal.
The reason is simply that while lemon balm has a calming effect, its true power is only revealed when combined with other substances. This combination of active ingredients is then best purchased in capsule form.
Take-home message: Lemon balm can be taken in a variety of forms. However, if you want to use it as a natural sleep aid, you should opt for capsules, as the effectiveness is simply greater.
5. Where can I buy lemon balm?
Have you been convinced by the positive effects of lemon balm and want to buy the plant substance? Then it's easy. You can either use it as a tea.
Or you can combine lemon balm with other substances for good sleep, such as passionflower, magnesium, or L-tryptophan. This way, you can build a great stack for your biohacking evening routine. The only thing that tops it all is melatonin , the natural sleep hormone.
This determines your natural day-night rhythm and ensures that you feel tired and fall asleep in the evening. Don't believe it? Then just try it out and see for yourself. After all, who doesn't want restful and deep sleep – every night!
BRAINEFFECT HACK : We offer lemon balm combined with other botanicals in the NIGHT MODE performance shake. Melatonin, on the other hand, is available in the practical SLEEP capsules and the handy SLEEP SPRAY for on the go.
6. Conclusion
Lemon balm can be found in virtually every garden and has been used as a natural home remedy for many centuries. Lemon balm is particularly popular for its calming effects.
7. Sources
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27167460
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230760/
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15272110
