Real lemon balm oil is one of the most expensive and valuable essential oils in the world. Even in ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt fragrances or parts of plants were mostly used in the form of incense for therapeutic and ritual purposes. In the last few decades, the pharmaceutical industry has found great interest in researching the various ingredients in lemon balm oil.
The essential lemon balm oil contains citral (40 to 70%, a mixture of geranial and neral), citronellal (1 to 20%), β-caryophyllene (5 to 15%) and germacrene D (about 5%) as an odor carrier. Other ingredients are linalool, geraniol, caryophyllene epoxide, methylcitronellal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, geranyl acetate, α-copaen and nerol. Lemon balm oil is yellow in color and is obtained by steam distillation of the leaves, which have the highest oil content right before the plant blooms.
Melissa essential oil is mainly used in pharmacy and medicine. It has anti-cancer, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antihistaminic, antispasmodic, and antioxidant effects. Melissa oil is antiviral and highly effective against herpes! Furthermore, it destroys ulcers is mood-lifting, soothing, sleep-promoting, modulates immunity (against HIV-1), is tonic, anticonvulsant, relieves cramps, and is used as a natural tranquilizer and antidepressant.
One of the most famous benefits of lemon balm essential oil is its ability to treat cold sores or herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 naturally. The researchers found that a higher concentration of essential oil could kill almost all herpes viruses. The effect is probably due to the binding of tannin agents to virus and cell membrane proteins, which prevents the viruses from being adsorbed onto the cell membrane. Therefore, treatment must take place in good time before the viruses penetrate the cell membrane. Thus the oil is one of the most powerful antiviral agents in aromatherapy. Apply this oil slightly diluted onto herpes.
Lemon balm oil is used in herbal medicine for the treatment of nervousness, restlessness, anxiety, stress, and insomnia. The smell of lemon balm oil alone has a psychological effect, it calms and increases serotonin production in the brain. The neurotransmitter serotonin influences the mind and ensures satisfaction and calmness.
Iranian doctors show that the calming effect of Melissa officinalis has a positive effect on the physical restlessness of Alzheimer's patients.
In a placebo-controlled study, the Tehran doctors examined the effects of Melissa officinalis in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease over a period of four months. 18 men and 24 women between 65 and 80 years of age participated in the study. The degree of the disease and the severity of the dementia were rated using specific scales. After four months, the patients treated with lemon balm performed significantly better in cognitive tests than the patients in the placebo group. The patients in the placebo group also showed increased motor restlessness, and no side effects were observed in the patients treated with lemon balm.
The study by Ballard et al. (2002) was the first double-blind, placebo-controlled study to investigate the effect of aromatherapy on the treatment of BPSD (behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia) in people with severe dementia. According to the authors of the study, aromatherapy with lemon balm oil was well tolerated and showed a significant improvement in the intervention group. According to the researchers, in addition to reducing anxiety, these improvements show a benefit for general well-being. According to the collected results, aromatherapy is a well-tolerated, but only partially effective complementary therapy for treating people with dementia. For maintenance purposes, the author of the present study recommends putting essential oils on a simple swab or in an aroma diffuser, for example. These can be placed next to the bed, in the room, or in the lounge of the patient with agitated dementia.
According to the results of the research, this wonderfully fragrant oil (from 500 micrograms/ml) completely prevented the growth of all types of yeast. The most important ingredient in lemon balm oil with this strong fungicidal and antiviral effect is citral (neral plus geranial) (58.3%).
There are several studies that show lemon balm can reduce anxiety symptoms. Increasing the effectiveness of a brain chemical called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) plays an important role in treating anxiety. A study in phytotherapy research from 2017 analyzed the effects of lemon balm on the GABA pathways. Lemon balm was found to increase the effectiveness of GABA, similar to how pharmaceuticals interact with the GABA system to help treat the condition.
An article published in 2016 also looked at the compounds that make up lemon balm and concluded that they contain GABA-stimulating receptors. A third study showed that the presence of rosmarinic acid in lemon balm is responsible for reducing anxiety symptoms. Overall, these research studies show that lemon balm can be used safely and effectively to treat anxiety.
Lemon balm oil has antihypertensive properties that can help lower high blood pressure. This is one of the biggest risk factors for coronary heart disease, which in turn is the biggest killer in developed countries.
The real and pure oil of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is extremely precious. Essences Bulgaria offers this highly effective essential oil in its highest purity and excellent quality - all of this comes at the best value.
Delve into the world of essential oils with certified aromatherapist Helen Nagle-Smith.
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