Is lemon balm the same as lemon verbena or lemongrass?

No. Lemon balm is a mint-family herb, lemon verbena is a different shrub, and lemongrass is a tropical grass. They share a lemony scent and little else, and the research discussed here is on lemon balm.

Can I drink lemon balm tea every day?

Daily tea is a traditional habit. The trials mostly ran for a few weeks, so long-term data are limited, and it is worth checking first if you take regular medicines.

Will it make me sleepy?

It is a mild herb, and some people notice a settled, calm feeling within an hour. Side effects in the trials were rare, with occasional mild headache or digestive upset reported. Take care before driving until you know how it affects you.

Is fresh or dried leaf better?

Fresh leaf keeps the most volatile oil. Dried leaf is fine if it is still green and smells strongly of lemon. If it smells of nothing, it has lost most of its character.

Lemon Balm: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It

Sarah Burt

Oct 14

6 min read

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a lemon-scented leaf in the mint family, used for centuries as a nervine, a herb traditionally taken to support a calm, settled nervous system. A 2021 meta-analysis of clinical trials found lower anxiety and depression scores with lemon balm than with placebo, with no serious side effects. It is one of the herbs in the EarthWise Calm Nerve and Sleep Deep tonics.

Close-up of Lemon Balm leaves with sharp, textured edges against a soft blurred green background.

What it is

Lemon balm is a hardy perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae), native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean and western Asia, and now a familiar sight in UK gardens, where it spreads freely. The leaf is the part used, picked before the plant flowers.

The genus name, Melissa, is the Greek word for honeybee. Beekeepers have planted lemon balm beside hives for centuries because bees love it. In medieval Europe it was a monastic garden staple, and from the 17th century French Carmelite monks made a famous spirit called Carmelite water with lemon balm as its main herb, taken as a calming tonic.

Because it grows so readily here, fresh leaf is one of the easiest herbs to try as a tea. A handful of fresh leaves steeped in hot water is the traditional preparation, and the scent as it steeps is part of the appeal.

A buyer's note worth reading. The lemon scent is a quality test. Lemon balm's volatile oils vanish quickly when the leaf is dried badly or stored for too long, so old, grey, scentless leaf in a tea bag has little of what made the herb useful. Look for dried leaf that is still green and fragrant, or a tincture made from fresh herb.

The active compounds

Lemon balm contains rosmarinic acid (also found in rosemary and holy basil), flavonoids, triterpenes such as ursolic acid, and a volatile oil rich in citral and citronellal, which give the leaf its lemon scent.

The main proposed mechanism: GABA. GABA is the brain's main calming signal, and many sedative medicines act on its receptors. In laboratory studies, rosmarinic acid inhibits GABA transaminase, the enzyme that breaks GABA down, which could leave more GABA available. The volatile oils may also interact with GABA-A receptors. This is biologically plausible but comes mostly from cell and animal work, so for now it remains a proposed mechanism in people.

A second line of research: acetylcholine. Lemon balm has also been studied for effects on the acetylcholine system, which is involved in memory and attention. The picture is unsettled, and one trial found no sign of cholinesterase inhibition in people, so I regard this as unproven.

What the research shows

Lemon balm is gentle and widely studied, though the trials are small, short and varied. The authors of a 2024 review (Mathews and colleagues, Nutrients) concluded that more robust randomised trials are still needed. Here is how it grades.

Evidence: anxiety, stress and mood. A 2021 meta-analysis (Ghazizadeh and colleagues, Phytotherapy Research) found that lemon balm significantly improved mean anxiety and depression scores compared with placebo, with no serious side effects. Individual trials in the 2024 review point the same way: 400 mg a day for three weeks improved depression, anxiety, stress and sleep-quality scores in adults, and 1,000 mg a day for two weeks lowered anxiety and insomnia scores and the frequency of palpitations. In a lab stress test, 300 mg in iced tea lowered state anxiety during a demanding multitasking task.

Evidence: focus and memory. Single doses have given mixed results. In one trial in young adults, 600 mg improved attention accuracy while word recognition and spatial memory were slightly worse at all the doses tested, and 1,600 mg improved memory at three and six hours. Calmness rose about an hour after 300 mg and 900 mg doses.

Early evidence: sleep. Most sleep trials use lemon balm in blends with valerian, lavender or hops, so its own contribution is hard to separate. In one 30-day trial of lemon balm (240 mg) with valerian (360 mg), sleep ratings changed moderately.

Sarah's clinical perspective

I use lemon balm as a gentle foundation in nervous system formulas, which is why it appears in both Calm Nerve and Sleep Deep. In Calm Nerve it sits with passionflower, skullcap and ashwagandha for the tense, busy mind. In Sleep Deep it works with valerian, passionflower, hops, lime flower and lavender for the evening wind-down.

It is a herb I am comfortable using with people who are sensitive to stronger nervines, because it is mild and works quickly. A cup of the tea is also an easy evening ritual, and the ritual itself is worth something.

Practical guidance

Dose. Trials have used single doses of about 300 to 1,600 mg of extract, and 400 to 1,000 mg a day over two to three weeks, with some longer trials going higher. These are the amounts researchers used, not a dosing instruction for any particular product.

Format. Tea made from fresh or still-fragrant dried leaf is the traditional preparation. A tincture or standardised extract gives a more consistent dose. The lemon scent is your quality guide.

Time to effect. Some trials measured greater calmness within an hour of a single dose. Studies of ongoing stress or sleep used two to three weeks or longer.

Timing. Any time of day suits the herb. Many people take it in the evening. Take care before driving until you know how it affects you.

What it does not replace. Lemon balm supports a calm evening routine. It does not replace good sleep habits, or help for anxiety that is persistent or affecting daily life.

For how to take the EarthWise tonics specifically, the dose and full safety information are on each product page.

Common questions

Is lemon balm the same as lemon verbena or lemongrass? No. Lemon balm is a mint-family herb, lemon verbena is a different shrub, and lemongrass is a tropical grass. They share a lemony scent and little else, and the research discussed here is on lemon balm.
Can I drink lemon balm tea every day? Daily tea is a traditional habit. The trials mostly ran for a few weeks, so long-term data are limited, and it is worth checking first if you take regular medicines.
Will it make me sleepy? It is a mild herb, and some people notice a settled, calm feeling within an hour. Side effects in the trials were rare, with occasional mild headache or digestive upset reported. Take care before driving until you know how it affects you.
Is fresh or dried leaf better? Fresh leaf keeps the most volatile oil. Dried leaf is fine if it is still green and smells strongly of lemon. If it smells of nothing, it has lost most of its character.

Where lemon balm appears in the EarthWise range

Lemon balm is one of the four herbs in Calm Nerve, Sarah's nervous-system formula, where it sits with Passionflower, Skullcap and Ashwagandha.

It also appears in Sleep Deep, alongside Passionflower, Valerian, Lime Flower, Hops and Lavender, herbs traditionally used to support relaxation and healthy sleep patterns.

If you are not sure which formula fits, the EarthWise health quiz is the best place to start. Full safety information is on each product page.

When to seek professional support

Lemon balm is well tolerated in most trials, with occasional mild headache or digestive upset reported. Check with a practitioner first in these situations:

Pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is not recommended, as safety data are limited.
Sedatives, sleeping tablets, anti-anxiety medicines or antidepressants. Lemon balm may add to their effect, so speak to your GP or practitioner first.
Thyroid conditions or thyroid medication. Laboratory studies suggest lemon balm may interact with thyroid hormone activity, so check first, especially with an overactive thyroid.
Planned surgery. Because it may add to the effect of anaesthetics and sedatives, tell your surgical team and stop at least two weeks beforehand unless advised otherwise.

Sarah Burt is a registered naturopath, medical herbalist and iridologist with 25+ years of clinical experience. All EarthWise tonics are formulated by Sarah based on her clinical protocols.

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This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any health condition. Always consult a qualified health practitioner before making changes to your health regimen.