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Lemon Balm

Tradition says: Melissa officinalis, a lemon-scented member of the mint family, has long been used to banish anxiety, boost memory, and aid sleep and digestion.

Research proves:  A cup of tea made of lemon balm may help you sleep soundly the night before and keep you calm and focused. Also, four weeks of lemon balm aromatherapy cut agitation in patients with severe dementia according to a 2002 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Lemon balm appears to calm an overactive thyroid (Graves’ disease), according to Eric Yarnell, ND, an assistant professor of botanical medicine at Bastyr University. It also fights viruses; recent studies indicate that lemon balm cream speeds healing of oral herpes lesions and reduces the frequency of outbreaks.

Get the benefit: For lemon balm’s calming effects, try a daily tea made with one-half to one full dropper of tincture or 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb steeped in 1 cup of hot water for 5 to 10 minutes, says herbalist Linda Different Cloud, a PhD candidate in ethnobotany at Montana State University. Ask your doctor first if you take thyroid medication, as the botanical may change the amount you need.

Kitchen Cures That Are Doctor-Approved  was originally published on elev8.com

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