Among the herbs that should not be missing in every garden, there is definitely a place for example for lemon balm. It smells delicately of lemon and usually grows almost on its own. You can easily grow them outside the window or on the balcony. And what are the health benefits of drinking lemon balm tea?
Kapitoly
What is lemon balm
Lemon balm is an herb from the deaf-ear family. It has leaves of a similar shape, but you can reliably tell it from the typical delicate lemony fresh scent of the common lemon balm. It flowers during the July-August period, but the stems and leaves serve very well in spring.
It is just before flowering that its effects are strongest.
It is recommended to collect the upper leaves, which are full of beneficial substances. In our conditions it does not occur naturally in nature, but at the same time it is no problem to grow a sufficient supply of lemon balm for drying.
How to grow lemon balm
If you know you’re not very good at growing plants, try growing your own lemon balm. It’s totally undemanding and in many cases will spread almost uncontrollably in your garden.
It is a perennial, so it will overwinter in the garden without any problems and always reappears in spring. The leaves, as well as the whole stem, are intended for harvesting. This makes it easy to create sprigs for practical drying. The best time for plucking is around May.
Once you have gently plucked the lemon balm for the first time, the leaves will grow back in a few weeks and you can start harvesting again.
Tea can be made from both fresh and dried leaves. For drying, choose to dry in a warm place in the shade, or use a conventional dryer set at around 40 degrees. Once dried, lemon balm should be stored in a dark place at approximately room temperature.
Choose a container that seals well and does not allow the dried herbs to be contaminated by moisture. Use the dried lemon balm ideally within one year.
Drinking lemon balm tea
You can find lemon balm tea in the classic sachet form, but you can also find loose lemon balm tea, which is usually of higher quality. The infusion can also be easily prepared from freshly picked leaves. The subtle lemon aroma easily creates a very tasty tea, which usually does not need to be sweetened.
Drinking lemon balm tea is recommended when you have trouble falling asleep.
Helps calm nerves and combat nervousness.
It is suitable as a one-off aid, but at the same time, longer term sleeping is not a problem either, especially with the aim of improving sleep or digestion. Lemon balm tea should always be ideally fresh and rather lukewarm for drinking. The recommended serving size is one to two cups of lemon balm tea per day.
Recipes for making tea
To prepare lemon balm tea, simply pour the appropriate amount of fresh or dried herb over boiling water. Then let it infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. You can increase the positive effects on the nervous system by combining it with sage or mint.
Mixed herbal tea will also work great with the addition of yarrow or chamomile.
Lemon balm tea also tastes very good cold, when it can be a refreshing summer drink. You may also find lemon balm syrup useful for creating cold drinks, which you can make simply by simmering lemon balm with sugar and a little lemon juice.
Health Benefits
And why drink lemon balm tea in the first place? There are several good reasons besides its pleasantly fresh taste. First and foremost, lemon balm is great for calming the body, soothing the nerves and promoting sleep. Its consumption is thus advisable in the late afternoon or evening when you are getting ready for bed. A good quality lemon balm tea can help people who regularly suffer from insomnia.
However, it is important to follow all the other rules to positively affect falling asleep.
Have a cup of lemon balm tea even when you are stressed and anxious. It can help in such moments. While drinking lemon balm tea, take a moment to relax and unwind to deepen the effect.
Effect on asthma
In addition, lemon balm has a positive effect on asthma and is recommended as a prevention against acidification of the body. A strong infusion of lemon balm can help with cold sores and various swellings or bruises.
Lemon balm tea can also be useful when you need to soothe upset digestion.
It is also recommended in pregnancy, as it serves as a prevention against hardening of milk or against abdominal pain in children.
The effects of lemon balm on the human body have been known for many years and it still offers many positive effects on the human body, where it can serve as a more pleasant alternative to classic sleeping pills, for example. As long as you do not overdo it, drinking lemon balm tea does not have any unwanted side effects.
