Lemon Balm & Alzheimer’s Disease

Lemon balm is a small shrub in the mint family that is known for being useful in a variety of culinary, cosmetic, and medicinal purposes. When made into a tea, lemon balm can be a great reliever for anxiety, stress, headaches, and it can also be wonderful in helping a person to better focus. Another great benefit to drinking lemon balm tea is that it can aid those that suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease by improving memory.

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is an illness that usually settles in with old age. It is one of the most common types of dementia and is responsible for causing memory loss and loss of proper functioning of the brain in general. Once Alzheimer ’s disease begins, it worsens with time, making it a very difficult illness to deal with especially when it begins to interfere with simple daily tasks.

What Causes It?

Alzheimer’s disease is usually paired with old age, however there are other factors that can trigger it as well. Alzheimer’s disease can also be genetic so if you have anyone in your family with Alzheimer’s you are more likely to get it than someone who has no history of it in their family. The risk of this illness is increased in females, people with high blood pressure, or people that have a history of having any trauma to the head. Symptoms of this disease include difficulty in areas of functioning such as language, perception, and cognitive skills. It usually begins to set in with a difficulty in remembering things. Other symptoms can include difficulty multitasking, forgetting recent events or conversations, difficulty solving problems, getting lost in familiar places, misplacing items, and losing interest easily in things typically enjoyed. As time progresses, the symptoms begin to worsen, leading to more serious issues such as waking in the middle of the night, depression, hallucinations, forgetting who you are, and withdrawing from social contact. In the worst instances of Alzheimer’s disease a person can no longer understand language, recognize family, and can no longer perform everyday tasks.

How Lemon Balm Tea Can Help

Recent studies have shown that extract of lemon balm may be a potentially good candidate as a way to prevent diseases related to dementia. Although there are still many tests that need to be completed to completely affirm this, herbal remedies like lemon balm tea have still shown effects that can help people that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. This is because people that drink lemon balm tea have shown signs of having an improved memory than those who do not. Drinking lemon balm tea can also highly reduce stress which is another factor that leads to memory loss, which is a big symptom for those that suffer from Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, lemon balm tea can improve mood as well, making it easier to retain recent memories. The best thing about using herbal remedies such as lemon balm tea is that it is very uncommon to experience any side effects from drinking it so for many it is safe and tolerable. However to be on the safe side, it is not recommended to drink lemon balm tea if you are pregnant or currently on any medications. Consult with your doctor prior to drinking lemon balm tea to be sure that it is the best choice for you.