Melissa Officinalis L. Supplementation for Emotional Health and Sleep Disturbance

Lemon balm (Botanical name: Melissa officinalis L.) is a herbal plant belongs to the Lamiaceae (mint) family, and currently of wide scientific interest as possible adjuvant for calming effect. Lemon balm is one of the most popular and widely used medicinal herbs in central and southern Europe, the Mediterranean region, and west Asia. The European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP) recommends the use of lemon balm to relieve of mild symptoms of anxiety, including mental stress, restlessness, and irritability. Historically, Lemon balm has been widely used in Asian traditional medicine as a sedative to treat many psychiatric disorders, such as stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Lemon balm has shown anti-depressant, anxiolytic, and anti-insomnia effects both in human clinical trials and in animal model studies.

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy individuals, aged 18 - 65 years
• Individuals suffering from moderate degree of depression, anxiety, and stress with DASS scores ≥14, ≥10, and ≥19, respectively, or individual with sleep problems with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score ≥5.
• Willing to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Current use of prescribed medication or supplements for neuropsychiatric and sleep disorders
• Known history of neuropsychiatric or sleep disorders
• Current use or history of illicit substances misuse
• History of any allergic reactions to ingredients of the Lemon Balm Extract
• Hypertension (systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90, or other cardiovascular disease
• Hyperthyroidism or Diabetes mellitus or cancer
• Use of blood thinners like Coumadin (warfarin) or Plavix (clopidogrel), Glaucoma medications like Travatan (travoprost), Chemotherapy drugs like tamoxifen and Camptosar (irinotecan)
• Severe medical problem, which in the opinion of the investigator would pose a safety risk to the subject