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Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) Is An Anxiolytic, Hypnotic Antidepressant

sekio

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Botanicals are an alternative option to prescription drugs for the alleviation of symptoms due to anxiety disorders and insomnia. Melissa officinalis L. has been shown as an anti-stress and anxiolytic agent. We previously reported moderate stress improvement in mice in which Cyracos®, a standardized Melissa officinalis L. extract, was administrated. Cyracos® contains phytochemicals that inhibit gamma-aminobutyric acid catabolism. This was a prospective, open-label, 15-day study to evaluate the efficacy of Cyracos® on stressed volunteers, who have mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders and sleep disturbances. Using clinician rating criteria, primary outcomes showed improvement of symptoms. Cyracos® reduced anxiety manifestations by 18% (p < 0.01), ameliorated anxiety-associated symptoms by 15% (p < 0.01) and lowered insomnia by 42% (p < 0.01). As much as 95% of subjects (19/20) responded to treatment, of which 70% (14/20) achieved full remission for anxiety, 85% (17/20) for insomnia, and 70% (14/20) for both. Our study demonstrates, for the first time that chronic administration of Melissa officinalis L. relieves stress-related effects. It is critical that further studies incorporate a placebo and investigate physiological stress markers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230760/
 
I just love lemon balm tea. Absolutely delicious, especially sweetened with a spoonful or two of honey.

IIRC the anxiolytic component is a GABA transaminase inhibitor. Meant to be good for the memory too...IIRC possibly a modulator of nicotinic ACH receptors.

Might just brew some later. Got a couple of large bushes of the plant growing in my garden. Really easy to grow-like most members of the mint family it takes off like a rocket once planted, I got my plant as just a single stemmed small plant the other year, now it is a bush 2-3 foot wide and a knee-height at least. Just as well really as it gets subjected to frequent harvesting for tea.
 
I don't mean to rag on a "study from the government" but uh... this is one of those studies that you DEFINITELY can't put much stock into. I mean, I don't doubt that Lemon Balm may have some effects, but this seems incredibly optimistic- and Ba Da Bing! It's a study funded by the people who make the drug!

In one study Ibarra's contact info directs you to his Naturex email account. In many of Cases and Ibarra's studies, instead of listing a university or the like, it instead lists Naturex's address.


In reading all of this, I can only assume that they didn't feel the need to disclose a conflict of interest because it's so incredibly obvious?
 
I do find it quite calming, and it does help abate my myoclonus. I drink a big jug full of balm tea with honey after I have a seizure, and it seems to help.

And of course, it really is quite delicious. I feel like popping into the garden actually and brewing myself some.
 
There's pharmaceutical lemon balm? lulz...

I would rather just take the leaf steeped as a tea, or a standard alcohol extract. The drug companies don't need anymore money and their product is probably inferior anyway.
 
Its best prepared fresh IMO, freshly picked from the garden to make a nice refreshing brew.

I do have some tincture prepared too, not sure how it tastes though, never tried it.

Another nice preparation, is to distill it from vodka, to make lemon balm vodka. That is absolutely delicious.
 
agreed with Foreigner

who the hell would have a conflict of interest in relating lemon balms benefits? its not like there's one or even several vendors which would benefit that much

herbs such as these are usually grown by the user

this "drug" as you put it (its a plant, but I forgive you on that) is easily grown in a garden or even a window in winter

GABAergic action pretty much affirms anxiolytic status anyway

here's to the people who funded the study cashing in on some crazy lemon balm profits
 
I could care less about the branded drug listed, I am curious to what the active alkaloids naturally occurring in the lemon balm are. Those could be isolated and possibly used? It would take a better chemist than I.
 
I think the active components in lemon balm may be terpenoid or flavonoid in origin
 
It is nice stuff to crush up between your fingers and smell when walking past a plant in the garden, but 'standardised extracts' of natural products are a long way from the isolation and testing of specific active ingredients which have undergone rigorous analysis and testing.

t is critical that further studies incorporate a placebo
[rollseyes]
 
Composition of the fresh leaves and stems of Melissa officinalis and evaluation of skin irritation in a reconstituted human epidermis model
T. Mencherini; P. Picerno; P. Russo; M. Meloni; R. Aquino
J. Nat. Prod., 2009, 72(8 ), 1512-1515

Triterpene, antioxidant, and antimicrobial compounds from Melissa officinalis
T. Mencherini; P. Picerno; C. Scesa; R. Aquino*
J. Nat. Prod., 2007, 70(12), 1889-1894

A new flavonoid from the leaves of Melissa officinalis
J. Patora*, B. Klimek
Acta Pol. Pharm., 2002, 59(2), 139-143

Luteolin 3'-glucuronide, a new flavonoid from Melissa officinalis
A. Heitz, A. Carnat, D. Fraisse, A.-P. Carnat, J.-L. Lamaison
Fitoterapia, 2000, 71(2), 201-202
 
Meh alot of plants, are beatifull, smell nice, can reduce anxiety, improve cognition and cure all sort of things but in human trials they usually end up weaker then pharm meds, like a beatifull girl doesnt mean she's perfect, a beatifull plant often isnt either.
 
Standardised extracts should be illegal in a modern society, like in the UK they sell 'standardised extracts' of valerian root and St John's Wort, without prescription, it's not a good way to help people.
 
Why's that? Should people only have access to the plants themselves, with variable levels of active components in them?

If the 'standardised extract' is made in a reproducible way I see no harm.
 
It encourages people to self medicate on the basis of studies like the one above and hearsay etc
 
Better than people self-medicating using alcohol, cigarettes, or sedatives they "borrowed" from a friend, etc.
 
people will self-medicate anyways, but I know what you might say to that

its harm reduction to standardize extracts in my opinion

sounds like the whole "should drugs be illegal" debate
 
Is self-medication with aromatic plants dangerous?
It’s efficient to treat light insomnia or anecdotal anxiety. People should be able to manage “everyday life troubles” without seeing a physician!
 
This is getting sort of off-topic but oh well

To answer your question, I think it can be. I've experienced withdrawal from uber high doses of valerian and have from kava too. They have the potential to be as potent as pharmaceutical preparations.
 
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