Lemon Balm
Other names Melissa Officinalis, Balm Mint
Lemon balm is used by many people as a spice and natural calming agent. Recent research has investigated whether it might be an effective cognitive enhancer as well. Read on to find out what the science says.
Benefits
Read about the effects of Lemon Balm in relation to the amount of evidence we've found
We analyzed data from 3 placebo-controlled studies on the effects of Lemon Balm in healthy humans and summarized the results here:
| Effect | Effect size | Evidence amount |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Minute positive | Relatively large |
Risks
The legality and side effects of Lemon Balm
You should always consider the risks of a nootropic before you use it.
Side effects
No negative side effects were seen in any of the studies that we reviewed.
Interactions
Supplements and drugs can interact with Lemon Balm to increase or decrease the positive or negative effects you experience. If you are already using any supplements or drugs, speak with your trusted medical professional before you experiment with Lemon Balm. To learn more about the potential interactions between Lemon Balm and other substances, use interaction-checker.
Legality
Is your country not included? Learn how to find out if Lemon Balm is legal in your country.
Legality Disclaimer
The contents herein are not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel. information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. While we have done our best to be as accurate as possible in the information we convey to you about the legality of nootropics, there is a risk for inaccuracies and errors. If you’re uncertain about the legality of any of your actions, contact a legal counsel or your local authorities governing the legality of various substances you may want to use/import/travel with.
How To Use
Dose, frequency and duration
It is usually safer and more effective to use nootropics as they have been used in studies on humans. In the only study that we’ve reviewed, Lemon Balm was used in the following ways:
- 300 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 600 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 600 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 600 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 600 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 900 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 1000 Milligram doses for acute effects
- 1600 Milligram doses for acute effects
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Lemon Balm
What substances may stack well with lemon balm?
Rosemary, lemon balm, and sage combined had a strong positive effect after two weeks of use compared with placebo on delayed word recall for younger people, but not in the elderly (above 63 y/o) [4]. This combination of substances was also safe, with no negative side effects observed.
This memory improvement is promising, but more data is needed to confirm the efficacy of the nootropic "stack".
Before combining any drugs or supplements, talk with your trusted medical professional about the risks involved.
Which are the active ingredients in lemon balm?
"The known major components of lemon balm are reported to include hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, particularly rosmarinic acid, caffeic acids, chlorogenic acid, and metrilic acid, tannins, flavonoids, including luteolin, luteolin 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, apigenin 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside, and luteolin 3'-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside, monoterpene glycosides, sesquiterpenes, including ß-caryophyllene and germacrene, triterpenes, and volatile oils, including citronellal, citral a (geranial), citral b (neral), methyl citronellate, ocimene, citronellol, geraniol, nerol, ß-caryophyllene, ß-caryophyllene oxide, linalool, and ethric oil." [7]
It is not known which of these chemical constituents of lemon balm are the most relevant to the effects of lemon balm products on mood and cognition.
Rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, tannins, and flavonoids have been studied extensively for their effects on mood and cognition, and do seem to have some beneficial effects if used appropriately.
How should I select a lemon balm product for mood and cognition?
There are some things to consider that can increase your chances of finding a safe and effective lemon balm product:
- Find a product with a certificate of analysis verifying that the product contains safe levels of heavy metals and other potentially dangerous chemicals
- Find a product as similar as possible to those used in studies in humans
- Look for standardized amounts of active ingredients (see the question above this one) that are likely of relevance to lemon balm's effects on mood and cognition
A certificate of analysis is necessary for you to be certain that the product you are going to use will be safe. You should not stop searching for a product until you have found one which has a certificate of analysis. There is no way to be 100% certain that the company you are buying a product from has not faked a certificate of analysis, but them providing you with one significantly increases their commitment to the chemical purity and identity of the product, which should make you trust them more.
Lemon balm product selection is not easy because of the lack of transparency and chemical testing by most supplement companies.
When it comes to the active ingredients, that is not as crucial as a certificate of analysis. Sure, you may purchase an ineffective product if you buy one without the relevant active ingredients, but ultimately safety is more important than efficacy. The reason we say it's not crucial to find a product with standardized amounts of active ingredients as those used in studies in humans is that it is very hard to find such products as a consumer. You may or may not want to take a chance and buy a product that is not standardized to contain the same active ingredients as those used in the studies, and carefully self-experiment with it to see if it is safe and effective.
How did people figure out lemon balm was a calming agent?
”Many of the substances that we find are effective, the effects that we find line up very well with the traditional use of the substance. So when we look at Melissa or lemon balm, that was used as a calming agent in the 1600’s, way before there were any clinical trials and that can only be because people were eating it as a herb and realizing they were feeling a bit calmer."
Listen to Nootralize's interview with nootropics researcher Andrew Scholey for more.
Who should use Lemon Balm?
There’s a need for more high-quality scientific information about the safety and effectiveness of Lemon Balm. Specifically, there’s a great degree of individual variance in how people respond to nootropics in general and Lemon Balm in particular. This means that if you use Lemon Balm, you may not experience the same effects as those that were seen in scientific studies on it.
It is currently largely unknown what factors play a role in whether a nootropic will be effective for a person.
While we wait for science to explain who is likely to respond to which nootropics, patient self-experimentation with nootropics that have been found safe and effective in placebo-controlled studies in healthy humans is a proven strategy to feel and perform better with the help of nootropics.
Studies
Studies conducted on the effects of Lemon Balm in healthy humans
In the 3 studies that met our inclusion criteria, 58 participants received Lemon Balm. In total, we examined 3 studies on the effects Lemon Balm, which you can find summaries of below.
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
"The most notable cognitive and mood effects were improved memory performance and increased ‘calmness’ at all postdose time points for the highest (1600 mg) dose. However, while the profile of results was overwhelmingly favorable for the highest dose, decrements in the speed of timed memory task performance and on a rapid visual information-processing task increased with decreasing dose. These results suggest that doses of Melissa officinalis at or above the maximum employed here can improve cognitive performance and mood ..."
Study groups
Adults using 600 Milligram
Adults using 1000 Milligram
Adults using 1600 Milligram
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
Lemon Balm had a very big positive effect on mood in healthy adults
Study groups
Adults using 600 Milligram
Adults using 600 Milligram
This study is used in our recommendation engine calculations. Learn more about how we select studies
Summary
Lemon Balm had a very big dose-dependent positive/negative effect on cognitive performance in healthy adults
Study groups
Adults using 900 Milligram
Adults using 600 Milligram
Adults using 300 Milligram
Last updated Monday, June 19, 2023