Lemon Balm (Melissa): Its Effects on Mood & Cognitive Performance

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Cognitive Performance

Lemon Balm Extract

MoodJanuary 30, 2003HC# 100122-225

Re: Lemon Balm Effects on Mood and Cognitive Performance

 

Kennedy DO, Scholey A, Tildesley NTH, Perry EK, Wesnes KA. Modulation of mood

and cognitive performance following acute administration of Melissa officinalis

(lemon balm). Pharmocology, Biochemistry & Behavior. 2002; 72. 953-964.

 

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb that has been cultivated

for over 2,000 years. In Europe during the Middle Ages, lemon balm was used for

complaints related to nervous system disorders and to enhance memory. Currently,

lemon balm is believed to have antibacterial, sedative, and spasmolytic effects.

It is used to alleviate anxiety, stress, sleep problems, and gastrointestinal

disorders. " In keeping with its long history of safe usage, no side effects have

so far been reported, " the authors note.

 

In general, lemon balm is sold in products that contain a combination of several

herbs. The authors report that no human studies have been done to evaluate the

effects of ingesting lemon balm alone. One study found that aromatherapy with

lemon balm essential oil reduced agitation and increased social interactions in

patients with severe dementia. The active ingredients in lemon balm that may be

responsible for such effects include several monoterpenoid aldehydes,

flavonoids, polyphenolic compounds, and monoterpene glycosides.

 

It has been suggested that lemon balm might have potential for treating

Alzheimer's disease, because of the herb's possible central nervous system

acetylcholine receptor activity and antioxidant activity. Thus, the authors

decided to evaluate the cognitive effects of lemon balm in human subjects.

 

The current randomized, double-blind, crossover study evaluated the acute

effects of lemon balm on mood and cognitive function in healthy adults. The

lemon balm used in this study was a standardized commercial extract of M.

officinalis manufactured by Pharmaton of Lugano, Switzerland. Young healthy

volunteers (15 women and 5 men aged 18–22 years) each took single doses of lemon

balm or placebo on five different study days. The study days were separated by

seven-day washout periods. On the first of the five study days, subjects

received no treatment but underwent a battery of cognitive tests in order to be

familiarized with the procedures. On the next four study days, each subject was

randomly allocated to receive either placebo or 300, 600, or 900 mg of M.

officinalis extract. Five identical testing sessions were completed by each

subject on each study day. The first testing session was before treatment (lemon

balm or placebo) was ingested, to evaluate baseline performance, and the other

four testing sessions were 1, 2.5, 4, and 6 hours after treatment.

 

The tests included immediate and delayed word recall, simple reaction time, a

digit vigilance task, choice reaction time, spatial working memory, numeric

working memory, delayed word recognition, delayed picture recognition, and

serial subtraction tasks. The scores were collapsed into four global outcome

factors, namely accuracy and speed of attention and accuracy and speed of

memory.

 

The results showed that only one of the global outcome factors, accuracy of

attention, improved after ingestion of lemon balm. This cognitive function was

enhanced at all time points after subjects took the 600 mg dose of M.

officinalis. " Accuracy of attention is derived by calculating the combined

percentage accuracy across the choice reaction time and digit vigilance tasks

with adjustment for false alarms, " the authors explain. However, several

measures of memory performance were reduced after all doses of lemon balm,

indicating that the herb interfered with memory processes. Compared with

placebo, alertness was reduced after the 900-mg dose of lemon balm at all time

points, and calmness was increased after the 300-mg dose at several time points.

 

" The pattern of results can be viewed as largely consistent with both the

contemporary use of Melissa as a calming agent and mild sedative…and

demonstrations of similar effects in both rodents…and sufferers from severe

dementia, " the authors conclude. They note that the lowest dose of lemon balm,

300 mg, had the most beneficial effect on mood (by increasing calmness) and also

did not reduce memory performance. This suggests that therapeutic doses may fall

at or below the lowest dose used in the current study. In contrast, the highest

dose used in this study (900 mg) was detrimental overall to cognitive function

and provided no benefits. The middle dose (600 mg) improved the accuracy of

attention but impaired memory with no effects on mood.

 

The results suggest that low doses of lemon balm may enhance calmness and high

doses may have a mild sedative effect. However, no evidence was found to support

the historical use of lemon balm for enhancing memory by modulating the

cholinergic neurotransmitter system. Therefore, according to the authors, this

specific extract of M. officinalis did not show potential for alleviating the

cholinergic disturbances of Alzheimer's disease, but a different extract, oil,

or leaf of this herb might still produce these effects. The authors conclude

that this study was the first to show modulation of cognitive performance and

mood after ingestion of lemon balm, and further research is warranted.

 

—Christina Chase, MS, RD

 

 

http://www.herbalgram.org/herbclip/review.asp?i=43367

 

 

 

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