Managing Stress with Lemon Balm

Lemon balm, a common herb found in gardens around the globe, has recently gotten some favorable accolades regarding stress relief in the latest issue of the January 2012 Life Extension magazine. I should also add that I've recently begun taking lemon balm on a regular basis to assist me in juggling the stressful rigors of a large family as a single parent and have found it to be quite effective in keeping me calm and composed.

I guess I'm relieved to find something that in addition to my B-vitamins, has the ability to slow down my neurological system, especially during my pre-menopausal years. It seems that even the B vitamins were marginal in keeping me calm during the pre-menstrual phase of my cycles, and once upon a time, B-vitamins were all I needed.

For those unfamiliar with Life Extension, you may be interested to know that they are well known for their high quality supplements and monthly magazine, both supported by numerous M.D.'s as Life Extension's own advisory board. Among those M.D.'s you'll find a wide array of specialists that are no slouches in their fields, from cardiology to oncology specialists, sleep disorder specialists, numerous medical directors, anti-aging specialists, as well as ophthalmologists, giving credence to their well written informative magazine.

As stated in the January 2012 article, recent data compiled by Life Extension has revealed a number of helpful nutrients within lemon balm that can be good for stress management creating a natural way to manage stress with lemon balm, an herb that is close in relation to mint.

Components of Lemon Balm

Rosemarinic acid a compound talked frequently about in this article and also found in lemon balm along with quercitrin, rutin, both bioflavonoids and other compounds like gallic acid all work together to protect brain cells. Rosemarinic acid works to induce a relaxation neurotransmitter called GABA, known for its ability to calm the neurological system. Acetylcholine is another neurotransmitter known for calming, that is regulated by lemon balm. Acetylcholine is reduced in many degenerative brain diseases including alzheimers. On the opposite note, rosemarinic acid also thwarts the activity of acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme that inhibits acetylcholines calming effect and availability to the brain by breaking it down.

Studies Conducted

Human trial studies conducted by the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit at the University of Northumbria in the United Kingdom has revealed convincing evidence regarding lemon balm for stress. In the studies researchers found that 600 milligrams of lemon balm created a constant improvement on tests performed for attention accuracy. Further testing found that 300 milligrams of lemon balm produced increases in self assessed calmness within a group of adults. Yet more testing found that 900 milligrams of lemon balm decreased self rated alertness. You're probably thinking that's not good, however that is the desired result for supplements that are known for their relaxing benefits. A study done subsequently used even higher doses of lemon balm, topping out at 1,600 milligrams in a single dose, producing improved memory as well as calmness.

Source: Life Extension Magazine Current January 2012 issue.