What is Melissa? Properties and contraindications

What is balm? Probably, many can answer this question, but not everyone knows the useful properties that this plant possesses. Melissa officinalis refers to medicinal herbaceous plants, and its distinctive property is a pleasant specific aroma, which becomes especially evident if it is rubbed in the hands of its leaves.

The height of the plant is from 20 to 80 cm, the stem is covered with soft hairs, the leaves have large-toothed edges. Medicinal plant enthusiastic gardeners grow in their own plots, although it grows rapidly, and it can be found in a completely different part of the garden. Melissa flowers are small, almost invisible, white-pink or white. They are collected in bundles-whorls, located in the axils of the apical leaves. Melissa aroma can calm honey bees, this is the quality used by beekeepers when working with frames. If the hands are wiped with several leaves of the plant, the bees will not cause harm or sting.

Useful properties and contra-indications of lemon balm will be presented to your attention in the article.

Distribution area of ​​

What is balm and what is its habitat? A fragrant plant came from the Mediterranean. It was grown in Ancient Greece and Rome, not only to prepare drinks, but also to add leaves to food - to give a unique smell to the dishes. Later, foreigners spread the plant around the world. It is an excellent medonos and a well-known spice, so it received the spoken name Mellissa, which in translation means "honey bee".

In Russia, too, assessed unpretentious grass, which was used for dizziness, fits of hysteria and heartfelt excitement. Our plant has the popular name "lemon mint", because of the fresh light aroma of lemon. Useful properties and contraindications of melissa herbs have been studied since ancient times. We will discuss them further.

Types of "lemon grass"

Varieties of herbs lemon balm( useful properties and contraindications should be carefully studied before application) in the wild and cultivated form there are hundreds, they differ in the growth force of the bush, coloring of flowers, aroma saturation and frost resistance. Decorative species are painted on window sills in pots, and medicinal plants grow on beds, they are used for medicinal purposes.

The plant likes sandy and clay soils, it does not tolerate wet places, therefore it will not grow near water bodies. The main thing in melissa is valuable essential oils, which are formed only under the influence of sunlight. Shrub growing in the shade does not have enough essential oils and is not considered suitable for harvesting. If you plant a bush of melissa on your site, you will always have a healing remedy near your hand, capable of quickly calming the loosened nerves, and a couple of leaves will turn any dish into a divine dish.

Raw material preparation

For medicinal purposes, raw materials are collected with unblown flowers, the entire upper overground part of lemon balm is useful, but lignified stems are unsuitable for harvesting. After collection, young twigs and leaves are laid out in a thin layer in a ventilated room, dried at low temperatures, not forgetting to periodically turn the stems. If during drying a hot object will be located next to it, melissa, the medicinal properties of which have been studied for a long time, will lose its properties.

After drying, it remains only to add valuable raw materials to a glass jar so that the aromatic substances do not disappear. Three months after harvesting, melissa loses its healing power, so it is advisable to use it faster. You can freeze fresh leaves in the freezer, so that the plant lasts longer the essential oils, thereby preserving the beneficial qualities.

Important! Useful properties of melissa grass will show only when it is collected in an environmentally clean place. Otherwise, the use of plants can even do harm. If the melissa, the medicinal properties of which have become the subject of our review, grows on the roadside or near major metropolises, then, like a vacuum cleaner, it collects radioactive elements and chemicals. For raw materials you need to go to the forest edges or grow on your own land, then the benefits of the final product will be unquestionable.

Chemical Characteristics

Melissa, photo of which you have the opportunity to see in the presented material, is a very common plant, but it is no less useful for the normalization of the vital activity of the organism. The therapeutic effect of the use of infusions and teas is explained by the chemical composition. Melissa plant is rich in essential oils, rosemary and coffee acids, tannins, bitterness, flavonoids, resins and mucus. The leaves contain a stock of vitamin C and carotene. Micro- and macro elements have a beneficial effect on the heart, activate chemical reactions, improve blood composition. Organic acids break down fats and help eliminate excess cholesterol from the body.

Some farms are engaged in selection, as a result of which the content of essential oils in melissa is adjusted to 0.8%.Due to the presence of oils, lemon balm has a specific taste and aroma recognizable among other plants. Essential oils are in a liquid state at room temperature, but when heated they begin to volatilize. Therefore, doctors recommend taking inhalations with melissa in diseases of the upper respiratory tract. In the form of inhalants, active substances easily penetrate into the lungs during inspiration, providing an anti-inflammatory effect. Also, the curative plant melissa has a set of substances that relieve spasms, cramps and pain.

Essential oils dissolve in alcohol, so they often prepare alcohol tinctures with melissa, helping to cope with a number of diseases. For the aromatization of water, you can try to insist on her leaves, but the essential oils do not go badly into water, although it will still gain a weak lemon flavor.

Melissa( photo - in the article) has a set of oxygen and nitrogen compounds that activate the increased secretion of saliva and gastric juice, contribute to the elimination of flatulence and the awakening of appetite. When vomiting, Melissa also helps.

Useful properties of lemon balm, proven by the centuries

Ancient healers and herbalists noted the beneficial effect of lemon balm, there was an opinion that small flowers of the plant have magic. Ancient Roman healers treated fragrant leaves with a bad mood and depression, inspiring a feeling of joy and inspiration. In the famous medieval gardens under the monasteries, too, were grown balm, harvested for the treatment of the suffering.

Avicenna in her treatises marked her healing effects on the digestive and cardiac systems, the ability to dispel melancholy and increase vitality, and also to eliminate the putrefactive odor from the mouth. Monks of the Order of Carmelites in the 17th century invented the famous Karma melissa water as a fine cosmetic, refreshing and rejuvenating facial skin. It was an alcoholic tincture on a lemon balm with the addition of angelica, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange water.

The use of remedies with melissa will restore health

About melissa reviews are predominantly positive. Many people say that with proper application, the results will not be long in coming. Adherents of traditional medicine assure that bee mint will come to the rescue if it is necessary to restore balance and improve health. Use in the form of medicinal tea and tinctures helps with diseases of the cardiovascular system, after the course of treatment, shortness of breath and heart pain decrease, blood pressure returns to normal.

Infusion helps to cope with migraine pain, neuralgia and anemia. They drink teas with medicinal herbs in case of dysfunction of the digestive organs and in diseases of the genital organs. The plant has a diaphoretic and diuretic property, is used to achieve a carminative and laxative effect. Recommended for dysbacteriosis and fermentopathy, with complex therapy of dyskinesia.

External application is justified when rinsing the mouth, if it is necessary to heal wounds on the gums or to numb toothaches. Compresses with melissa facilitate the state of gout, inflammation of the joints, dermatological diseases - dermatitis, rash, furunculosis, eczema. Quickly disinfects and soothes it with ulceration of the skin. When biting the bees, it is sufficient to apply to the affected area a lotion soaked in a decoction of medicinal leaves to relieve pain and swelling. With herpes on the first vial you need to drip lemon balm oil or mix it with one from the base oils, after the procedure more bubbles do not appear.

Melissa oil is used for rheumatic pain and menstruation disorders. Practical properties of the plant can not be overestimated, except that it calms the nervous system, and acts as a natural antidepressant, is also known to accelerate metabolism and strengthen the immune system.

Melissa - the secret of the real lady

Back in ancient times, people knew what melissa is. Drinks from the grass of women were treated not only by diseases of the reproductive system, but also used them for cosmetic purposes. Melissa essential oil gives excellent results when used in the care of oily hair and oily skin, helps heal cracks on the lips. Infusions of fresh plant leaves normalize the menstrual cycle, relieve pain during critical days. In pregnancy, it is also useful - it stabilizes the mental state of the future mother, calms and relieves pain. When lactation increases the production of milk. Babies can be given weak tea from lemon balm instead of water, and a stronger one is added to bathing water to relieve unnecessary excitability.

How to prepare preparations from balm

From a vegetative raw material prepare the certain form which helps to improve health in a concrete case:

• Fresh leaves crush up to a state of gruel. Apply to bruises or ulcers to calm pain and swelling. Helps improve the condition of polyarthritis, if applied to the affected joints.
• Make napar - pour a glass of boiling water a tablespoon of herbs( do not close the container), insist for 10 minutes.
• Infusion to use inside. To prepare a thermos is useful.8 spoons of leaves pour 250 ml of boiling water, after half an hour strain.
• Infusion for poultices is prepared similarly, only a glass of boiling water you need 16 spoons of grass.
• For preparation of alcohol tincture, take lemon balm to alcohol or vodka in the ratio 1: 5.

Proven recipes with Melissa

For an individual case, prepare teas using a special recipe. You must observe the proportions to get a healing drink that can effectively eliminate unpleasant symptoms.

For calming the nervous system

The best option - to prepare a decoction or tea from lemon balm. Such teas can be consumed at will, though daily. The broth has a more pronounced effect, so its use should be dosed. If it is necessary to calm the nervous system, a natural remedy is suitable - a cup of green tea with the addition of lemon balm. Such a drink will help to recover in stressful situations, with depression, with neuroses and irritability, improve appetite and normalize the heart rhythm.

With a cold, they combine green tea with lemon balm, honey, to quickly run the body's defenses. To properly brew tea use a glass or porcelain container, water is first boiled, and then cool down to 80 degrees, is taken on a teaspoon of tea and lemon balm for a liter of water.

Classic recipe - lemon balm with black tea: a glass of boiling water pour a teaspoon of dried melissa raw material and 0.5 teaspoon of black tea. Enough to insist for 15 minutes, then strain and consume. If the tea turned out to be very concentrated, you can dilute it with water. At its own discretion, it is possible to shade the taste of tea with cranberry, cinnamon or a slice of lemon.

For slimming

Properties of melissa herbs have been studied and nutritionists. They summarized the quality of the plant and recommend it in the slimming collections. Unique plant properties that help in record rows to lose weight:

• components remove excess fluid;
• metabolism activation;
• due to the calming of nerves a person ceases to "seize" stressful situations;
• tea with melissa favorably affects the digestive processes, so with it arrange for unloading days.

To make tea, you need to mix ten grams of melissa and oregano, and add five grams of lemon peel. The whole collection is poured with 300 ml of boiling water, boil for three minutes, insist for a quarter of an hour, filter and drink in the morning.

Melissa: Contraindications

You can not use funds based on lemon balm with arterial hypotension, when a person has a lowered tone of capillaries and vessels. Melissa contraindications for people with low blood pressure, because it is able to lower it even more. After drinking tea, such a person will feel dizzy and weak, or even lose consciousness. You can not drive, because of the slowing of psychomotor activity. You can not use tea with aromatic leaves to those who suffer from liver failure or a stomach ulcer. The drink will worsen the condition if you need to concentrate in the daytime and have a busy working day, because the components of tea are relaxing.

It is better for allergic people to refuse melissa because of the presence of essential oils in it. With a tendency to drowsy, the situation will only worsen. Men are also advised to refrain from excessive entrainment with such a drink, it is able to reduce potency.

Now you know what Melissa is, its useful properties and contraindications are described in this article. Before starting the application of the plant, it is necessary to get a specialist consultation, since self-medication can be fraught with consequences. Be healthy!