Lemon Balm For Weight Loss: How To Make It?

Are you familiar with lemon balm? Even if you haven’t seen the plant, you must have come across bottled lemon balm in capsule form, as a solution, or as dried leaves. What can they be used for? Well, they are mostly used to deal with stress and anxiety and induce sleep naturally. People use the dried leaves to prepare lemon balm tea like peppermint tea that they drink regularly to help with sleep. But is that all?

Is lemon balm capable of dealing with weight gain? Does it have any properties that could aid weight loss? If you go on searching for an answer to this question, you will come across plenty of research and studies that seek the same answer. So, what did they discover? You will find out soon enough! 

Overview Of Lemon Balm

Lemon balm, scientifically known as Melissa officinalis, is a herb that belongs to the mint family. It was named after its aroma, which is similar to lemon. Lemon grass is a widely used ingredient in different condiments and drinks like tea, due to this particular property. But it’s not just that. The herb has amazing medicinal properties that make it a part of various medicinal concoctions used to treat mental health issues such as anxiety and stress in traditional medicine. 

Although lemon balm is commonly found in different parts of almost all continents, the plant is native to Central Asia and the Mediterranean region. The commercially sold lemon balm is made either by extracting an oil-like substance from the leaves of this plant or by crushing dried leaves to form a powder that can be added to drinks or food. 

The Weight Loss Benefits Of Lemon Balm

Studies suggest that the extract from lemon balm leaves might help with weight loss to an extent, although not drastically. 

• Metabolic rate: Lemon balm plays a significant role in improving the metabolic rate if consumed regularly. Since slowed-down metabolism is one of the major reasons for unexplained and sudden weight gain, restoring it to normal or even bringing the process to its maximum potential with the herb, will help resolve the weight gain issue naturally.
• Appetite regulation: The herb is also useful in regulating your appetite and reducing calorie intake. Overeating is another one of the practices that lead to weight gain and obesity. By regulating this issue and promoting healthy eating habits, you will be able to control weight gain more effectively.  
• Stress relief & sleep: A good night’s sleep and a peaceful mind are necessary to achieve your weight loss goals since stress and lack of sleep affect the metabolism and lead to weight gain. Lemon herb, as mentioned previously, has been a part of stress and anxiety medications in traditional medicine. It contains compounds with anti-anxiety properties, which will put your body in a relaxed state and help you sleep better.
• Digestive health: Besides controlling appetite and metabolism, the herb also supports better digestive health with regular consumption. It deals with indigestion and its associated issues such as discomfort, inflammation, and pain. A healthy, uninflamed digestive system is an inevitable part of maintaining a healthy weight and lemon grass contributes to achieving this goal easily.  

How To Make Lemon Balm For Weight Loss?

You can use lemon balm in two ways to deal with weight gain. You can either buy lemon balm extract or capsules readily available in the market and consume it as directed, or buy lemon balm leaves to prepare a weight loss drink at home. If you are opting for the first method, there won’t be much to do on your part but to follow the instructions. However, if you are preparing it on your own, you can follow the following steps.

• Take out a teaspoon or 2 to 5g of dried lemon balm leaves and put it in a container or teapot.
• Pour a cup of water into another container and bring it to a boil.
• Pour the boiled water over the dried leaves and let it steep for about ten minutes.
• Strain the tea and drink it.
• If you prefer, you can add honey or any natural sweeteners to the tea.
• For best results, drink the tea for 3 to 4 times a day.

Side Effects And Risks: Lemon Balm For Weight Loss

Lemon balm is a natural remedy for many different health issues including stress, lack of sleep, indigestion, diabetes, and weight gain. But being natural doesn’t make it completely safe. There are certain side effects associated with the herb that you need to be careful of.

• It could interact with sleep or anxiety medications, and sedatives in general.
• It could also interact with thyroid medications and disrupt the working of the thyroid gland.
• Excessive use of lemon can lead to liver toxicity.
• The diuretic properties of lemon balm might lead to dehydration.
• Consumption in high doses might bring blood pressure to dangerously low levels. 
• In certain cases, lemon balms might cause nausea, dizziness, and respiratory problems.

Conclusion

Lemon grass is a native Mediterranean herb belonging to the family of mint. Its lemony aroma makes it a popular addition to various food and drinks. It has also been a part of medications to treat issues including anxiety, stress, insomnia, indigestion, and so on. Lemon grass is being sold commercially as tinctures, capsules, balms for topical application, and dried leaves to add to drinks. 

Lemon balm tea is an excellent weight loss solution that you can prepare at home with dried lemon grass leaves and hot water. If consumed regularly, it will prevent weight gain through different mechanisms. Lemon tea is capable of influencing the metabolic rate and bringing it back to normal. It regulates appetite, reduces blood sugar levels, soothes inflammation, promotes sleep, and improves digestive health, all as part of aiding weight loss. 

Lemon balm is not free of side effects and one needs to be cautious of its potential interactions with certain medications associated with sleep and thyroid issues. You should also be mindful of overconsumption since that is no good either. On the other hand, these side effects are easy to avoid if you are careful of the herb’s use, your health conditions, and the treatments you are currently taking. 

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