Lemon Balm Elixir

Lemon balm tea is steeped for 30 minutes, left to cool, then finished with raw honey and a dropperful of lemon balm tincture. This is the calming herbal tea I make at the end of a hard day, using fresh lemon balm from my garden in summer and dried lemon balm from my cupboard in winter.

Key takeaways

• Lemon balm tea is steeped for 30 minutes, left to cool, and then finished with raw honey and a dropperful of lemon balm tincture.
• Use 1 tablespoon of dried lemon balm or 4 tablespoons of fresh lemon balm for every 1 to 2 cups of hot water.
• Add the raw honey and the tincture only after the tea has cooled.
• According to Medical Medium® Information, difficult emotions create adrenaline that can overstimulate a sensitive nervous system, and glucose helps the body clear it.
• Raw honey brings glucose in quickly, which is why it is paired with lemon balm in this recipe.
• Lemon balm tincture is much more concentrated than a steeped cup, so one dropperful adds more of the herb.
• This is an evening drink in my home, and it also suits any day that has taken more out of you than you expected.

Why I make this tea

There is lemon balm growing in my garden, and in the summer that is what goes into this lemon balm tea. In the winter, I use the dried herb from my cupboard. I love having both options because this is a tea I come back to throughout the year. I make it as a night cap, or on a day that has taken more out of me than I expected, and it brings calm and relaxation to me almost immediately.

I use lemon balm with my children too. When one of them comes home with their mood low, lemon balm and a honey stick are the first two things I reach for, and then I get them to sit down and eat something. Those dips in mood are so often connected to not getting enough glucose in. The honey gets the glucose in quickly while the lemon balm helps settle the nervous system, and this is one of those combinations I have used again and again in my own home.

I also add lemon balm tincture to the tea, but only once it has cooled. The tincture is much more concentrated than what you get from steeping the leaves, so adding a dropperful gives me a more soothing and medicinal drink. This is the way I make my tea when I have had a particularly stressful day and need something that will help me settle before bed.

What happens on a stressful day

Stress does not stay in your thoughts, and neither do difficult emotions. Your body responds to what you are experiencing, and the effects can continue long after the stressful situation itself has passed. Happy and positive emotions do not put a strain on the adrenals, but difficult emotions create toxic and corrosive adrenaline, and your body then has to deal with that adrenaline.

Adrenaline can rattle the vagus nerve and overstimulate nerves that are already inflamed or sensitive. You may notice this as shakiness after a fright, a racing heart after something upsetting has happened, or a nervous system that simply will not settle when you finally get into bed. The experience is physical, even though it may have started with something emotional.

This is one of the reasons glucose is so important when the nervous system has been under stress. Glucose attaches to adrenaline and allows it to be eliminated through urination, while glucose from carbohydrates also helps calm the nervous system. Raw honey is one of the quickest ways I know to get glucose in, which is why I reach for it when someone in my family is having a difficult moment and why I use it in this tea.

Lemon balm has a different role. It calms the nervous system while also working as an antiviral, and I have found this combination particularly helpful on a day when my nerves have been overstimulated for hours. I learned to use lemon balm and honey together from Medical Medium® Information, and it has become something I naturally reach for at the end of a hard day.

Healing ingredients

When I make this tea, I am bringing together three things I use for different reasons: the lemon balm itself, the raw honey, and the tincture.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm is one of the herbs I think of first when it comes to the nervous system. It has a particular affinity for the nerves, and its benefits go well beyond helping you feel more relaxed. Anxiety is one of the places I see lemon balm do its clearest work.

“Lemon Balm contains a compound called terpene which has the ability to help relieve anxiety, stress, hypertension, depression, high blood pressure, muscle spasms, heart palpitations, tension headaches, circulatory issues, and cognitive disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder and Alzheimer's Disease.”

Anthony William, medicalmedium.com/blog/lemon-balm

Lemon balm also supports the immune and endocrine systems, which matters because the nervous system and the glands involved in the stress response are closely connected.

“Lemon Balm has the ability to promote a healthy, balanced immune system and endocrine system, which is highly beneficial for autoimmune disorders such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Adrenal Fatigue, Multiple Sclerosis, and Vertigo.”

Anthony William, medicalmedium.com/blog/lemon-balm

The herb also contains polyphenol tannins that give it antiviral properties, making it useful for much more than stressful evenings. It is used for colds, flu, bronchitis and viral infections.

“The polyphenol tannins contained in Lemon Balm give it its anti-viral properties making it particularly helpful in healing colds, flu, bronchitis and any viral infections.”

Anthony William, medicalmedium.com/blog/lemon-balm

Sleep is another area where lemon balm can be particularly useful, and the digestive tract benefits alongside the nerves.

“It is also useful in treating insomnia, sleep disturbances, and jittery nerves, allowing for a more relaxed body and better quality sleep. Lemon Balm also benefits chronic gastrointestinal disorders including indigestion, IBS, colitis, and acid reflux.”

Anthony William, medicalmedium.com/blog/lemon-balm

Raw honey

Raw honey has an important role here beyond adding sweetness. When the nervous system is under stress, glucose is needed, and raw honey is an easy way to get glucose in quickly. That is why I use it when my children are having a dip in mood and why it is part of this drink when I have had a demanding day.

“Raw honey has the power to strengthen the immune system, promote digestive health, reduce throat irritation, stabilize blood pressure, calm nerves, relieve morning sickness, balance blood sugar, heal ulcers, purify the blood, fight off colds and flu, soothe sore throats and laryngitis, and flush the kidneys.”

Anthony William, medicalmedium.com/blog/raw-honey

I always use raw honey, and I wait until the tea has cooled before adding it.

Lemon balm tincture in tea

The tincture is a concentrated extract of lemon balm, so it gives you much more of the herb than you would get from a cup made by steeping the leaves. I like using a lemon balm tincture in tea because I am getting the benefit of the long-steeped herb as well as the more concentrated form.

The one I use is the Vimergy lemon balm tincture. Lemon balm is also one of the seven supplements in my Core 7, so it is an herb I keep on hand and use in different ways. Adding a dropperful to its own tea is one of the simplest ways I take it.

When I reach for it

This is an evening drink in my house more often than not. I make it when the day has been stressful and I can still feel it in my body, but it does not have to be a major event. Sometimes it is simply one thing after another from the time I wake up until the evening, and by the time I sit down I know that my nervous system needs some support.

I keep the herb on hand for whoever in the family is having a hard day, too. With my children, I will often reach for the lemon balm and honey first and then make sure they sit down and eat something. With myself, I tend to make a calming herbal tea in the evening and let it steep while I finish whatever I need to do before bed.

I have also leaned on lemon balm over the years with people I support who are dealing with nerve pain or broken sleep, and I have written more about that in my article on Natural Pain Relief. Making it as a tea is a simple and gentle way to bring the herb into your routine.