We Found Your New Favorite Calming Tea — And It Might Help With Bloating Too

Everyone's been raving about CBD oil as the new "it" ingredient to alleviate anxiety naturally and chill out without the psychotropic effects of marijuana. And while it does work wonders for some, we shouldn't let other powerfully calming herbs that have been doing their thing for thousands of years get lost in the hype. Case in point: lemon balm.

Today, lemon balm is used as an herb in cooking and it's available in medicinal teas, tinctures, salves, capsules, and essential oils.

Here are some more details on the most promising research-backed benefits of lemon balm:

Another study2 found that consuming foods and beverages laced with lemon balm was associated with improvements in mood and cognitive performance and reduced levels of anxiety. Research suggests3 that a compound in lemon balm called rosmarinic acid may be responsible for the calming effects since it's known to activate GABA receptors in the brain. (Learn how GABA works in your brain and why it's so important.)

In the same study1 that showed lemon balm's beneficial effects on reducing anxiety in the face of stressors, the herb was found to boost brain power. Participants taking 300 milligrams of lemon balm experienced improved speed when solving math problems, without compromising their accuracy. Other research found that taking lemon balm daily for four months improved cognitive function and reduced agitation among patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Thanks to its calming properties, lemon balm is also a useful natural sleep aid. In a clinical trial4 of patients with anxiety disorder and insomnia, use of the lemon balm extract Cyracos (300 milligrams twice daily) reduced manifestations of anxiety by 18 percent and improved insomnia symptoms by 42 percent. Other research suggests that combining lemon balm with the herb valerian may be even better—children who were given a supplement containing 160 milligrams of valerian root and 80 milligrams of lemon balm experienced a 70 to 80 percent improvement in symptoms. (Psst... Here are 15 things to try if you're having trouble falling or staying asleep.)

Lemon balm is considered a carminative herb (i.e., an herb that relieves flatulence), just like peppermint and ginger, which means it's your digestive system's BFF. One small study5 found that participants who consumed sorbet containing lemon balm after a meal lessened their indigestion symptoms significantly, while other research6 suggests that lemon balm may be beneficial in alleviating constipation.

If you're plagued by cold sores, you'd probably try anything to get rid of them faster! Some good news: In a clinical trial7 of patients with herpes simplex cold sores, 96 percent reported complete clearing of lesions after eight days of using a 1 percent balm extract cream five times a day. In another study7, lemon balm essential oil was placed on lesions within 72 hours of cold sore symptoms, and results showed that sores were subsequently significantly smaller and healed faster.

Killer period cramps are enough to make even the most die-hard natural health junkies reach for a pill bottle. The good news: Lemon balm (much like fenugreek) presents a promising solution for quelling the pain without drugs. One study8 found that high school girls who took 1,200 milligrams of lemon balm daily (from the first to the last day of their menstrual cycle) for three months experienced significantly fewer PMS symptoms, including less intense cramps, than girls receiving the placebo.

You know the feeling when you're glued to your computer screen with a mountain of work to get through, and then suddenly a literal pressure starts building in your head? Stress-induced tension headaches are no joke, but lemon balm may offer relief. While there are no actual studies to back it up, people have been using lemon balm to treat headaches throughout history. It's thought that the herb's subtle, sedative-like effects reduce the tension throughout the body that contributes to these headaches.

"I've found that ingesting lemon balm is most approachable for people in teas, often blended with other soothing herbs, or in capsule form," says Cording.

Dried lemon balm tea: Purchase dried lemon balm leaves from a reputable company like Mountain Rose Herbs. Put a heaping tablespoon into a tea ball, diffuser, or tea sachet and steep in 8 ounces of boiling water for a few minutes. You can also use slightly less lemon balm and add other soothing herbs to your blend such as passionflower, lavender, or skullcap.

All in all, lemon balm is a wonderful herb to experiment with to ease everything from painful cramps to stressful days. We'd recommend starting with a tea and working your way up from there.