Lemon Balm Essential Oil

Lemon Balm (LBEO)(melissa)  is another "nearly all purpose" Essential Oil.

• It's a member of the mint family, so if you're allergic to mint, go very carefully.

• it seems to have a sedative and calming effect, so can be used at night time to help with insomnia

• It may have anti-viral properties - some people apply it topically to treat cold sores (herpes simplex 1)

• Some research shows that taking lemon balm by mouth daily for 4 months seems to reduce agitation and improve symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease

• Research has shown no evidence of side effects, even with extended use (4 months) but is listed as "possibly" safe for children and pregnant women.  

• LBEO has significant antioxidant properties and eats up free radicals in the body

• LBEO has really good effects on blood glucose, liver metabolism and triglyceride levels.

SUGGESTED Dosage:

If using internally, use FOOD GRADE Essential oil: 6-12 drops of diffused oil (this is a gentle oil, so 1:1 is okay,) up to 3 times a day.
If using topically, same ratio.  Added benefit - LBEO contains a citronella compound, so mosquitoes don't like it.
If using gel-tabs, 600 mg, up to 3 times per day.

NOTE:  these are suggested dosages - I'm not a medical professional, so this is only for informational use.

The text in the article (below)... 


...is a bit confusing - I'll break it down to bullet points.


1 - Antioxidant activity.  (Antioxidants are compounds found in food that stop or delay damage to the cells.)

• Lemon Balm Essential Oil (LBEO) was tested on mice.

• LBEO "scavenged" 97% of DPPH Radicals (labs use DPPH to measure antioxidant activity

2 - Diabetes Application:  Mice who were given LBEO for 6 weeks had

• significantly lower blood glucose levels (65% of the control group)

• significantly lower TAG (triglyceride) concentrations 

• improved glucose tolerance (by oral glucose tolerance test)

• higher serum insulin levels

3 - Further...

• From what I understand, LBEO affects gene expression, so even if your T2 comes from a genetic expression, LBEO can regulate those effects.

• LBEO seems to help the liver metabolize extra glucose and 

• inhibits the creation of glucose in the liver.

(1)The antioxidant activity of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) essential oil (LBEO) on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and its hypoglycaemic effect in db/db mice were investigated. LBEO scavenged 97 % of DPPH radicals at a 270-fold dilution. Mice administered LBEO (0·015 mg/d) for 6 weeks showed significantly reduced blood glucose (65 %; P < 0·05) and TAG concentrations, improved glucose tolerance, as assessed by an oral glucose tolerance test, and significantly higher serum insulin levels, compared with the control group. The hypoglycaemic mechanism of LBEO was further explored via gene and protein expression analyses using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Among all glucose metabolism-related genes studied, hepatic glucokinase and GLUT4, as well as adipocyte GLUT4, PPAR-γ, PPAR-α and SREBP-1c expression, were significantly up-regulated, whereas glucose-6-phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase expression was down-regulated in the livers of the LBEO group. The results further suggest that LBEO administered at low concentrations is an efficient hypoglycaemic agent, probably due to enhanced glucose uptake and metabolism in the liver and adipose tissue and the inhibition of gluconeogenesis in the liver.