Melissa - Herb Melissa Officinalis / Application And Contraindications

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

Melissa

The use of lemon balm herb

Botanical characteristics of lemon balm

Melissa belongs to the perennial plants of the lamb family. It was mentioned in the ancient writings of scholars. This plant has become widespread in the countries of Europe and America, in total there are about five types of lemon balm, but in our country, as a rule, only lemon balm grows.

Lemon balm application

With allergic diathesis, you need to take an infusion of lemon balm leaves 3 times a day before meals, 1/2 cup. Also, lemon balm infusion helps well in the form of compresses for the treatment of myositis, arthritis and bruises. It is prepared in the following way: 4 tablespoons of dry crushed herbs, infused in two glasses of boiling water for half an hour, after which the infusion must be filtered. The same infusion helps well in the treatment of skin rashes, furunculosis and ulcers with compresses. For allergic dermatitis, lemon balm juice is used externally.

Melissa can be used as a diuretic, laxative, diaphoretic, and stimulant medicine. A decoction of lemon balm greens is used for diseases of the stomach, respiratory tract, with some forms of asthma, neurosis and heart disease. A decoction is prepared as follows: 10 g of finely chopped lemon balm should be boiled in 1 glass of water for 10 minutes. After the broth must be filtered and taken 3 times a day, 1 teaspoon.

In order to awaken the appetite and calm the nervous system, it is necessary to prepare lemon balm tea, this is done as follows: lemon balm leaves are brewed with boiling water, after which they must be boiled for 10 minutes.

Lemon balm compresses are good for bruises, rheumatism and ulcers. If there is increased excitability, nervousness, hysteria and depression, lemon balm infusion helps well: 20 g of dry, thoroughly crushed plant should be dissolved in 1 glass of boiling water and infused for 1 hour, after which the infusion should be filtered and consumed 3 times a day, 1/2 cup …

For the treatment of headaches and migraines, lemon balm infusion helps well: 4 teaspoons of crushed herb of the plant should be infused in 1 glass of boiling water for about 1 hour, after which the infusion must be filtered and consumed 3 times a day before meals, 1/2 cup. In the treatment of arrhythmias, hypertension, atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease, exactly the same dosage is used.

Tincture of lemon balm leaves is taken 3 times a day before meals for 1/2 cup to increase appetite, with colic in the intestines, poor digestion, flatulence and neurosis of the stomach. In the same way, lemon balm infusion is taken to treat inflammation of the upper respiratory tract and bronchial asthma. The same infusion helps well in the treatment of sore throat, if they gargle, as well as for inflammation of the gums and pain in the teeth, helps to get rid of bad breath.

In order to treat hepatic colic, lemon balm infusion is prepared a little differently: 2 tablespoons of dry crushed lemon balm should be infused for 1 hour in two glasses of boiling water, after which the infusion should be filtered and consumed 3 times a day before meals, 1/2 cup.

For the treatment of tinnitus, an alcoholic infusion of lemon balm is well suited: take 1 part of a finely chopped plant and 3 parts of vodka, insist this for 1 week, after which the infusion must be filtered and dripped into the ears, 3-4 drops in one ear.

Lemon balm infusion is indicated for increased sexual excitability. The infusion is prepared as follows: 10 g of dry crushed lemon balm herb should be infused in 1 glass of boiling water for 1 hour, then strain thoroughly and use 1/2 cup 3 times a day. This infusion is also well suited for the treatment of inflammation of the appendages, it is also useful for toxicosis in pregnant women, with painful menstruation and climacteric neuroses.

Useful properties of lemon balm

Melissa is quite successfully used for medicinal purposes. In many ways, the effect obtained from its use is provided by the essential oils contained in it. They are in the leaves of the plant, and their percentage is up to thirty-three hundredths. The healing properties of the plant are due to the oil contained in it, it also has a relaxing and calming effect. The smell of the oil is quite harsh and reminiscent of lemon. The composition of the oil, in turn, includes citronellal, citral, geraniol, vitamin C (up to one hundred and fifty milligrams), tannins (about five percent), oleic, caffeic and ursolic acid, resin, etc.

Medicines containing lemon balm, as a rule, relieve spasms, soothe and are carminative. In addition, the plant has a weak hypnotic effect, which is also caused by the essential oil contained. Removal of spasm and sedation occurs in cases of taking lemon balm in small quantities, further intake in larger quantities will not improve this result.

The result is known from taking lemon balm tincture in the form of a choleretic, protective in cases of experimental gastric ulcer, increasing the function of the stomach as a whole, as well as hemostatic effect.

taking the herb stimulates menstruation, lowers blood pressure, relieves night tremors, serves as a diuretic, makes breathing slower, is an astringent hypoglycemic agent, normalizes many irregularities in the heart rhythm and reduces the heart rate.

In addition, the effect of lemon balm is known as a bacteriostatic, relieving inflammation and used to fight viruses. The oil contained in the plant helps with flu, Semilki forest disease, herpes, Newcastle disease, measles and many others. Moreover, lemon balm increases cardiac function, as well as liver and brain functions, helps restore digestion and controls metabolism, relieves spasms, eliminates fever, promotes the excretion of bile from the body, relieves inflammation, is an expectorant and carminative.

Avicenna in the "Canon of Medicine" wrote about lemon balm as a plant that has medicinal properties. It was also said that lemon balm is able to strengthen and invigorate the body, helps well with brain blockages and is able to eliminate bad breath. Modern, traditional medicine says that lemon balm herb is useful in the treatment of cardiovascular, hypertensive, neuralgic diseases, as well as asthma, insomnia, anemia and gout.

The chemical composition of lemon balm

Melissa herb contains 0.1–0.3% essential oil, and the main component of this plant is, of course, tannins, rosmarinic acids, bitterness, various caffeic acids, as well as flavonoids, mucus and resins. There are breeding farms that can increase the amount of essential oils in the plant to 0.8%. Lemon balm leaves also contain carotene and vitamin C.

Since the plant contains a large amount of essential oils, this herb has a pleasant, specific aroma and taste. At room temperature, the essential oils contained in lemon balm have a liquid consistency. Thus, if these oils are slightly heated, they can easily evaporate. For this reason, lemon balm leaves should never be dried at high temperature conditions. Melissa, due to the rapid evaporation of essential oils, is perfect for inhalation for various diseases. Penetrating into the lungs when inhaled, lemon balm essential oils have an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant effect on them. Lemon balm also contains essential oils that can relieve pain, cramps and cramps. For this reason, lemon balm is often used in medicine as an analgesic and antispasmodic agent for severe colic.

Essential oils of lemon balm are easily dissolved in alcohol, in this regard, alcohol solutions are often prepared from lemon balm for the treatment of various diseases. Although lemon balm essential oils dissolve in water with difficulty, it is quite enough to prepare "scented water".

The composition of lemon balm, in addition to bitterness, also includes nitrogen and oxygen compounds, which, as you know, are capable of causing increased salivation, secretion of gastric juice, awaken appetite and can help cope with flatulence. Lemon balm is often used as a good antiemetic.

The infusion made from lemon balm soothes the nervous system well, and also successfully helps to cope with colds and flu. Lemon balm is successfully used for general weakness of the body, gastrointestinal diseases, chronic cataracts, neurosis, asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, and lemon balm infusions are used externally for rheumatic pains. In folk medicine, lemon balm is used to treat gynecological diseases, and if you mix lemon balm infusion with marjoram infusion, this composition can be used to improve and strengthen memory.

Contraindications to the use of lemon balm

Despite the low content of toxins, lemon balm intake is not advisable in case of hypotension. Also, using lemon balm for treatment, one should abandon those serious activities that require a good mental reaction, maximum attention and concentration, as well as physical activity, such as driving any vehicle, etc. Among the side effects of using the plant - vomiting and nausea, muscle weakness, fatigue, dizziness, drowsiness, diarrhea, convulsions, heartburn, lethargy and loss of concentration, itching, constipation, etc.

The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist