Calm Teas

Herb record · Lamiaceae (mint family)

Lemon balm tea: what the evidence says

Reviewed

A lemony mint-family herb with traditional EU recognition for stress and sleep. The positive trials mostly used extracts or unspecified preparations; we found no controlled trial of lemon balm tea for anxiety or sleep.

Lemon balm plant with crinkled, toothed green leaves
Photo: Alex Abair, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Cropped to 3:2, resized and converted to WebP.

At a glance

Latin name
Melissa officinalis
Evidence
Extract trials only Human trials exist, but they used extracts, capsules or supplements, not tea.
EU tea amount
1.5–4.5 g in 150 ml boiling water, 1–3 times daily. For mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep (traditional use, over 12 years).
Cautions
Pregnancy safety not established
In our index
7 teas

What did the studies actually test?

Each row says what form was given. Results from extracts or capsules don't automatically apply to a cup of tea, which usually contains a smaller and less standardized amount.

QuestionForm testedWhat was found
Anxiety & mood unspecified A 2021 meta-analysis found lemon balm improved anxiety and depression scores versus placebo, with no serious side effects, but the trials were few and very different from each other. The abstract doesn't say which preparations were used. (Ghazizadeh et al., 2021)
Acute stress extract In 18 healthy volunteers, a single 600 mg dose of a standardized extract increased self-rated calmness during a lab stress test. (Kennedy et al., 2004)
Tea form tea Our PubMed search (21 Oct 2026) found no controlled trial of lemon balm tea for anxiety or sleep.

How much lemon balm goes in a cup?

The European Medicines Agency's herbal committee lists 1.5–4.5 g of dried lemon balm in 150 ml boiling water, 1–3 times daily, for mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep (traditional use, over 12 years). (EU herbal monograph)

These figures come from long-standing use, not from trials proving a dose works. Most tea boxes in our index don't say how much lemon balm is in each bag, so you usually can't compare a bag with this amount.

Who should be careful with lemon balm?

  • Pregnancy safety not established. The EU monograph does not recommend use in pregnancy or breastfeeding because safety hasn't been established. (EU herbal monograph)

This list repeats what the cited sources say; it isn't a complete interaction check. A pharmacist can check your specific medicines.

Which calming teas contain lemon balm?

Sources

  1. Ghazizadeh et al. (2021). The effects of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) on depression and anxiety in clinical trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res.
    Systematic review + meta-analysis · form: unspecified
    Randomized trials of lemon balm in people with anxiety or depressive symptoms. Lemon balm improved anxiety and depression scores versus placebo, without serious side effects.
    Limits: High heterogeneity and few trials. The abstract does not say which preparations (tea, extract, capsule) were used.
    checked against the abstract, 2026-10-21 · PMID 34449930
  2. Kennedy et al. (2004). Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm). Psychosom Med.
    Human trial (randomized, double-blind crossover) · form: extract
    18 healthy volunteers took single doses of a standardized lemon balm extract (300 mg, 600 mg) or placebo before a lab stress test. The 600 mg dose increased self-rated calmness.
    Limits: Very small; single doses of an extract, not tea; healthy volunteers in a lab setting.
    checked against the abstract, 2026-10-21 · PMID 15272110
  3. European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Community herbal monograph on Melissa officinalis L., folium (EMA/HMPC/196745/2012).
    Regulatory monograph
    Traditional use for mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep, and mild digestive complaints. Tea: 1.5–4.5 g in 150 ml boiling water, 1–3 times daily; over 12 years. Pregnancy and lactation use not recommended for lack of data.
    checked against the official document, 2026-10-21