The Health Benefits of Lemon Balm

Written by Frances Gatta
Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on January 16, 2025
6 min read

Lemon balm, known as a calming herb, helps everything from anxiety to indigestion. It’s a perennial member of the mint family, and its leaves have a light lemon fragrance.

Lemon balm is known by many other names, such as bee balm, cure-all, dropsy plant, honey plant, garden balm, heart's delight, sweet balm, and sweet Mary.

Native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Central Asia, the lemon balm plant can be found in many parts of the world. Its small white flowers attract bees and other pollinators, while its lemony scent repels mosquitoes.

Lemon balm has been used as medicine for over a thousand years. It's believed to help with various disorders.

Studies have shown that the herb is a potential treatment for many issues, from anxiety to menstrual symptoms. 

Lemon balm may provide the following health benefits:

Reducing anxiety

If you need to relieve stress, lemon balm can help lower anxiety and nervousness.

Some research has shown that lemon balm extract can improve one's mood and attention. A study found that chemicals called terpenes found in lemon balm can help calm agitation in people with severe dementia by reactivating brain circuits.

Treating insomnia

Research has shown that when combined with herbs like valerian, lemon balm helps improve sleep. Also, drinking lemon balm tea can help with insomnia.

Easing digestive problems

Compounds in lemon balm may relieve gastrointestinal problems such as bloating and indigestion. 

Healing cold sores 

Lemon balm ointments have been found to help heal cold sores caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). 

Easing menstrual pain

The compound rosmarinic acid in lemon balm may help minimize the severity of menstrual symptoms like cramps and fatigue. 

Improving memory

Lemon balm may help with brain functions like memory, learning, focus, and mood. However, many of the studies suggesting these benefits are older or involve animals. For example, a 2021 study on diabetic rats saw that lemon balm may improve memory and learning. Researchers think this could be because lemon balm may increase beneficial proteins in the brain and help manage problems in the hippocampus (the part of the brain involved in memory and learning) caused by diabetes. 

More studies are needed to show how lemon balm may improve your memory.

Boosting cardiovascular health

Research suggests that lemon balm may promote heart health. A 2021 review highlighted that lemon balm may help with ​​cardiovascular health by improving low or high blood pressure and high heart rate. But many of these studies have only been performed on animals. More research needs to be done to understand lemon balm's benefits for heart health in humans. 

A more recent 2024 study found that lemon balm may improve cholesterol levels. If left unchecked, high cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease and type 2 diabetes. 

Although there are many benefits of using lemon balm and it’s generally seen as safe, consuming it may have some health risks.

Thyroid medication and sedatives

If you’re taking thyroid medication or sedatives for insomnia, ask your doctor before consuming lemon balm — the herb can interact with these drugs.

HIV medication

Lemon balm may interact with HIV medications, but not enough research has been done.

 

Lemon balm may cause different side effects depending on how you take or use it. Follow the instructions on any lemon balm product, and speak with your doctor about whether it is safe for you before using it. 

Many people can take 5000 milligrams of lemon balm daily for 20 days without having any side effects. But in rare cases, mild side effects may happen when you take it by mouth. They include:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Bloating
  • Increased appetite
  • Decreased alertness 
  • Palpitations
  • Increased eye pressure, which could worsen eye conditions like glaucoma

Applying lemon balm oil on the skin may cause side effects like:

  • Skin pigmentation problems
  • Skin irritation
  • Skin rash

There is no official recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of lemon balm. The American Herbal Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook lists lemon balm as a “class 1” herbal product, which refers to herbs that can be safely consumed when used appropriately.

In clinical trials, doses of 300 to 1,600 milligrams of lemon balm extract have been studied. One study found that after a 900-milligram dose of lemon balm, reduced alertness was reported, possibly impairing your ability to drive or operate machinery. A lemon balm cream containing 1% of a 70:1 extract has also been studied.

You can find lemon balm in health stores in the form of tea, topical formulations, supplements, and tinctures.

Check supplement formulations with your doctor to make sure the dosages are suitable for you. 

Lemon balm is one of the easiest herbs to grow. It grows best in cool weather and should be grown in a sunny area with fertile soil that drains well. You can plant your seeds indoors for four to six weeks before the season's last frost.

If you don't properly place your seeds in the soil, they might take a while to germinate. Once they’ve grown to two to three inches tall, transplant them into a garden, spacing them 16 to 18 inches apart. 

The leaves can be plucked and used fresh or dried. The dried leaves can be stored for one year in a glass jar kept out of direct sunlight.

You can make lemon balm tea from lemon balm tea bags or dried loose leaves. To make a lemon balm tea, brew 1.5 to 4.5 grams of leaves in 150 milliliters of hot water. You can drink the tea several times a day. You can also eat up to 10 grams of the leaves a day.

You can make eight servings of iced lemon balm tea with these ingredients:

  • 8 cups of water
  • Ice
  • 15 orange pekoe tea bags
  • 3 5-inch long sprigs of lemon balm
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • Juice from 1 lemon

To make it with these ingredients: 

  • Boil water in a large saucepan and add tea bags and lemon balm. 
  • Cover the saucepan, leave for 5 minutes, and then remove the tea bags and lemon balm. 
  • Add sugar and stir.
  • Add lemon juice and chill for at least 1 hour. 
  • Pour the lemon tea into a glass of ice and serve.

You can make 10 servings of pineapple balm sorbet with lemon balm. You’ll need:

  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of boiling water
  • 5 cups of diced pineapples
  • 1/2 cup of lemon balm leaves 

To make pineapple balm sorbet:

  • Add the sugar to the boiling water and let it cool. 
  • Blend the pineapple with the lemon balm leaves in a food processor or a blender until smooth. 
  • Stir the sugar syrup into the puree and blend again.
  • Scoop the puree into serving glasses, put them in the freezer for 5 minutes, and then serve. 

Lemon balm is a powerhouse herb that may promote brain, heart, digestion, mood, menstrual, immune, and sleep health. But more studies are needed to confirm these benefits. This herb is safe for most people and unlikely to cause side effects. But first, talk to your doctor about using it safely if you have health conditions like thyroid problems, HIV, or glaucoma or take any medicines or other herbs. 

How can I use lemon balm in my diet?

Lemon balm is a versatile herb that you can add as flavoring, from appetizers to main course meals to desserts. You can have it in sorbets, pies, ice cream, cookies, salads, sandwiches, soups, jams, jellies, sauces, and dressings. 

Can lemon balm be used to reduce stress?

Yes, lemon balm may help relieve stress and improve mood.

Can I take lemon balm for weight loss​?

Animal studies suggest that lemon balm may help reduce weight gain and blood sugar levels in rats with obesity and diabetes. More research involving humans is needed to confirm these benefits.

Where can I buy lemon balm?

You can buy lemon balm from health stores, grocery stores, farmers markets, and online herb retailers.