Melissa: useful properties and contraindications

Benefits and harms of Melissa studied well enough, because this plant is cultivated by mankind for thousands of years. Medicinal properties of the drink from this plant have many beneficial effects and are widely used in folk medicine.

Looks like and where it grows Melissa

Melissa is grassy bush height of from 30 cm to 1.2 m, having a branching root system. Stalk of the plant has a specific tetrahedral form, it is covered with short hairs of the hair. The leaves are ovate or rhombic shape, they also with a gun. The flowers of the plant are assembled into rings approximately ten pieces are on 4 sheets of white or purple.

The birthplace of the plant is considered to be the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, but growth area is wide enough. It can be found all over Europe, in North America, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The chemical composition of lemon balm

Contained in the plant oil, it is the cause of the smell of lemon balm and explains most of its beneficial properties. In melissa contains on average 0.2% oil. This concentration depends on the composition of the soil, weather and climatic conditions. In very rare cases, it reaches 0.8%. If we consider the plant according to its individual parts, that have the maximum concentration in leaves (0.4%).

The composition of essential oil monoterpenes include the following:

• citral (approximately 2/3 of the composition);
• citronellal;
• citronellol;
• geraniol.

The first two and provide a characteristic lemon scent of Melissa.

Another group of chemical substances, phenylpropanoids, represented by the following acids:

• rosemary;
• coffee;
• chlorogenic.

By flavonoids, which is part of the oil include the following:

• apigenin;
• tsinarozid;
• ramnotsitrin.

The group of carboxylic acid belong to the following components:

• salicylic acid;

• vanillic;
• lilac;
• coumarins;
• tannins.

Vitamin composition of the plant meager (some members of the group B, provitamin A and vitamin C), but mineral is quite diverse and includes almost all trace of potassium to Selena.

Talk about the quantitative composition and concentration of those components is difficult. As oil composition, these characteristics depend on many external factors. In different conditions of plant growth may differ sometimes an order of magnitude.

Useful and therapeutic properties of lemon balm

The use of lemon balm to the human body in the first place is that it is a powerful sedative. This is one of simple and accessible psycholeptics, ie medicines that cause a decrease in emotional stress. Tea made from the leaves is useful for various kinds of neuroses, depression, excessive irritability and insomnia.

Substances in plant, allow the body to better withstand diseases of the cardiovascular system. First tachycardia and hypertension.

The anti-inflammatory effect of the plant is used in the treatment of diseases associated with inflammation of the respiratory system. External application is recommended for various skin diseases - they treat ulcers, eczema and dermatitis. Furthermore, melissa broth used in the prevention and therapy of gastrointestinal diseases.

Flavonoids, a part of the essential oil, is a potent antioxidant and allow the body to fight accumulation of free radicals, reducing cancer risks.

Benefits of home tea with mint and lemon balm is even more marked, as these plants, being approximately the same for exposure, slightly increase the properties of each other.

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