Lemon Balm for Stress Relief

Research suggests that lemon balm may contribute to stress relief as part of a broader category of herbal supplements that appear to influence stress-related physiological pathways, such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, though the available evidence in the linked studies consists only of a narrative review rather than controlled trials or meta-analyses. The 2005 review identified lemon balm among several ingredients showing preliminary promise for lowering stress reactivity and improving mood, while appropriately cautioning that more rigorous human studies are needed before strong conclusions can be drawn. One of the two linked studies pertains entirely to sore throat inflammation and has no relevance to lemon balm or stress, which further limits the overall strength of the evidence base presented here. Overall, the research direction is cautiously supportive but notably preliminary, and individuals interested in lemon balm for stress management should be aware that the current evidence does not yet meet the standard for definitive functional claims.