Spring always inspires me to take a closer look at the herbs in the garden and make choices about what, where, and how much of each wonderfully aromatic plant will be found in the garden throughout the summer.
Welcome Lemon Balm ! The newest addition.
Lemon Balm is a minty-citrus mind and body SOOTHER. In South America, in times of stress, people will often have a Lemon Balm infused tea.
Not only will it make a tasty addition to my mint teas, but it also boasts a soothing lemon scent that will also make a welcome medicinal addition to skin creams and salves.
It is an anti-depressant and a nerve-tonic... it is especially useful for anyone who has had long periods of stress that have affected your daily life. Long standing stress and anxiety can of course cause us to be sluggish, depressed, anxious, confused, and exhausted. Since it is especially useful for this type of long-term anxiety... I think it will make a wonderful nightly tea for many of us !
It has also been proven effective in a salve or oil form to combat herpes simplex.
The more one reads, the more uses one finds for this little miracle herb. To think that most people view Lemon Balm as a weed that needs to be eradicated ! I say... leave it around... when dusk falls and the mosquitoes come out to play, grab a few leaves and rub them on your skin and VOILA... instant bug-repellent. (yes, there is even citronella in the chemistry of this herb, and mosquitoes have an aversion to all that is lemony and citrus-like)
as a febrifuge it brings fevers down..
as a diaphoretic it promotes perspiration which allows a cooling tea to people with influenza,
as a carminative it helps prevent the formation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract (wooohoooo goodbye flatulence !)...
maybe I will need more seeds.
CONTRAINDICATIONS: People that take thyroid medication or have a low functioning thyroid should talk to their doc. about taking this one. There have been some reports that Lemon Balm could perhaps interfere with the absorption of thyroid medication. Of course you should always talk to your doctor about any herbs that you are planning to use medicinally.
