Stringent deadlines, a tiring day at work or even an unwanted flu can beat the best out of you and get you feeling blue! Now only if you had a wonder drug to mend your mood, relieve your stress and lull you to a good night sleep after a long day of business. Whether you wish to have a quick escape from a runny nose or are just looking for something to calm your jittered nerves, resorting to the lemon balm can definitely leave you feeling better. Also known as ‘Sweet Melissa’ and ‘Sweet Balm’, this perennial herb from the mint family is a vigorous grower and will gladly grow anywhere you want it to. This refreshing plant has been used in traditional medicinal therapy and has been equally favored for to make dishes. Once dedicated to Goddess Diana, lemon balm has been used by medical practitioners to soothe tension, cure toothaches, dress wounds, cure crooked necks and more. To know more on the uses of lemon balm, read on.
Uses Of Lemon Balm
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Lemon balm, the extremely lemon-minty and soil friendly perennial herb, is not only high on flavor and fragrance, but is also rich in compounds like flavonoids, polyphenols and terepenes which makes it a herbal delight. Just toss in some dried lemon balm leafs into your herbal infusion or just add a dash of lemon balm extracts to your lemonade and raise a toast to your good health. Lemon balm tea is the ultimate elixir for gastrointestinal ailments, flatulence and indigestion and is known to work wonders on your strained nerves. Guzzling lemon balm tea daily would ensure that you enjoy your night snooze without break and would keep your hormones from wreaking havoc on your system.
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The extremely savory lemon balm can be generously added to your gastronomical delights for a dash of lemon-minty zest. You can add fresh or dried lemon balm leaves to jazz up your potato salads, herb butters, barbecue meat, grilled fish and liqueurs or just add some chopped leave to oils, vinegars, mayonnaise and dips for a toothsome bite. Apart from making an attractive garnish, lemon balm goes well with allspice, thyme, pepper, mint, rosemary and can be lavishly used in soups, sauces, marinades and yummy poultry stuffing.
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Lemon balm, as already said, is a potent herbal drug that can be used to treat a host of illness ranging from anxiety to sleep apnea and more. Apart from its calming effect, lemon balm is applauded for its antibacterial, antiviral and antispasmodic properties and can alleviate all symptoms of restlessness, depression, excitement, headache and more. What’s more, lemon balm can be effectively used to treat herpes simplex, lip sores, soothe spasms, alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
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Lemon balm has several antiseptic properties that can be used to treat allergies, skin rashes and acne. Just toss in some fresh lemon balm leaves in to your hot bath and soak yourself into its herbal goodness to relax your tensed nerves and open your skin pores. Lemon balm is considered to be a great skin cleansing agent and can be used in facial treatments to cleanse the skin.
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Scrubbing your floor, kitchen table and even toilet seat with lemon balm infusion will keep bugs and flies out of your home. Lemon balm is a great insect repellant and can be used in campfires or barbecue pits to shoo away insects. You can also use sachets of dried lemon balm herbs in your wardrobe to save your clothes from bug or add it to your potpourri for a nice minty aroma.