Anti-stress effects of lemon balm-containing foods

Andrew Scholey*, Amy Gibbs, Christopher Neale, Naomi Perry, Anastasia Ossoukhova, Vanessa Bilog, Marni Kras, Claudia Scholz, Mathias Sass, Sybille Buchwald-Werner

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) has been used historically and contemporarily as a modulator of mood and cognitive function, with anxiolytic effects following administration of capsules, coated tablets and topical application. Following a pilot study with lemon balm extract administered as a water based drink, which confirmed absorption of rosmarinic acid effects on mood and cognitive function, we conducted two similar double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studies. These evaluated the mood and cognitive effects of a standardised M. officinalis preparation administered in palatable forms in a beverage and in yoghurt. In each study a cohort of healthy young adults’ self-rated aspects of mood were measured before and after a multi-tasking framework (MTF) administered one hour and three hours following one of four treatments. Both active lemon balm treatments were generally associated with improvements in mood and/or cognitive performance, though there were some behavioral “costs” at other doses and these effects depended to some degree on the delivery matrix.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4805-4821
Number of pages17
JournalNutrients
Volume6
Issue number11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Oct 2014

Keywords

  • Cognitive performance
  • Functional food
  • Lemon balm
  • Melissa officinalis
  • Stress

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