Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a medicinal herb taken as a supplement, studied mainly for anxiety and mood. A 2021 meta-analysis found it improved anxiety and depression scores compared with placebo, but the studies were few and varied a lot.
Also known as: Melissa officinalis.
The trials in the meta-analyses used different preparations and amounts, so we do not list one.
It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.
What studies show: a 2021 meta-analysis of randomized trials in people with anxiety or depression symptoms found lemon balm improved both compared with placebo, especially in short-term use, without serious side effects; the authors said results should be read with caution because there were few trials, they differed in methods, and results varied widely (Ghazizadeh 2021). A 2020 meta-analysis of 7 trials found lower total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure, but no change in blood sugar, triglycerides or LDL, and many trials had a high risk of bias (Heshmati 2020).
Safety: no serious side effects were reported in either meta-analysis. The sources here do not describe drug interactions.
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for lemon balm that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. Plant extracts are mixtures of many compounds, so no single figure would describe them.
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