Benefits
Stress and Emotional Calm
Lemon balm is traditionally used to ease nervous tension and promote a sense of calm. In a placebo-controlled trial, the Relissa™ phospholipid formulation was associated with significant improvements in stress and emotional-affect measures over three weeks.
Mild Anxiousness Support
Melissa officinalis may help soothe everyday feelings of anxiousness and support a relaxed mood. Its GABA-related and antioxidant actions provide a plausible basis, though human evidence remains limited in scale.
Sleep Quality Support
By promoting relaxation and easing tension, lemon balm may support sleep quality, particularly in people whose poor sleep is linked to stress. Relissa™ was studied in adults with both emotional distress and poor sleep conditions.
Improved Bioavailability Delivery
The phospholipid (phytosome-style) carrier is intended to improve absorption of lemon balm's active polyphenols, the rationale for the branded form over plain lemon balm preparations.
Mental Wellbeing and Quality of Life
Trial measures of mental wellbeing and quality of life improved with the Relissa™ formulation, consistent with lemon balm's traditional role as a gentle, mood-supportive botanical.
Mechanism of action
GABA System Modulation
Lemon balm constituents, including rosmarinic acid, are reported to inhibit GABA transaminase, increasing availability of the calming neurotransmitter GABA — a plausible basis for its anxiolytic and sleep-supportive effects.
Antioxidant Rosmarinic Acid Activity
Rosmarinic acid and related polyphenols provide antioxidant activity and may modulate stress-related neurochemistry, contributing to the herb's calming profile.
Phospholipid Delivery for Absorption
Complexing the extract with phospholipids increases lipophilicity and is intended to improve intestinal absorption and systemic exposure of lemon balm polyphenols relative to standard extracts.
Clinical trials
Prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of a standardized phospholipid carrier-based Melissa officinalis extract (Relissa™), 200 mg twice daily, over three weeks in healthy adults with emotional distress and poor sleep.
Healthy adults with emotional distress and poor sleep.
The phospholipid lemon balm formulation was associated with significant improvements in stress, anxiety, depressive affect, mental wellbeing, and quality-of-life measures versus placebo, and was well tolerated. Supports the stress, mood, and sleep-quality benefits.
Earlier open-label evaluation of a standardized Melissa officinalis extract in adults with mild-to-moderate anxiety and sleep complaints.
Adults with mild-to-moderate anxiety and sleep disturbance.
Lemon balm was associated with reductions in anxiety manifestations and insomnia symptoms. The absence of a control group limits conclusions, but it adds supportive context for the calming and sleep applications.