Lemon Balm aids memory

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Lemon balm can help memory

by GERAINT SMITH, Evening Standard

 

It is a common sight in British gardens and for centuries has been

linked to herbal medicine.

 

Now the first proper scientific investigation into the benefits of

lemon balm has found it enhances the memory and could even help

patients with Alzheimer's disease.

 

The shrubby perennial herb, a native of this country and much of the

rest of Europe, has been traditionally used to calm and refresh.

 

 

The healing power of tea

 

 

Now a series of experiments at Northumbria University suggests its

reputation is deserved and provides the first evidence of exactly

how it works.

 

Researcher Dr David Kennedy found that healthy young adults given

capsules containing doses of the plant's dried leaves were

significantly better at standardised computer memory tests than

those who took a placebo. They also scored higher in another

standard test that measured calmness. They found that the higher the

dose, the bigger the effect on both memory and mood.

 

Meanwhile, Elaine Perry of the Medical Research Council's unit at

Newcastle General Hospital found lemon balm had a positive effect on

pieces of brain tissue and chemical receptors in the brain affected

by Alzheimer's.

 

" As a sedative, the extract worked,î Dr Kennedy said. " The more you

took, the more it worked. But it was only the dried leaf, which is

probably closest to the traditional way of taking lemon balm, that

enhanced memory.

 

" We believe that it could be used as an helpful adjunct to

conventional treatment for Alzheimer's disease.î

 

Dr Kennedy added: " The nice thing about these studies is that we

found that you don't need exo t ic ing redients to

 

improve your memory. If you find lemon balm in the garden there's no

need to dig it up, just dry the leaves and try some.î

 

The team, whose results are published today at the British

Psychological Society's annual conference in Bournemouth, also

discovered that a drink largely consisting of glucose and caffeine -

with trace elements of gingko, guarana and ginseng - acted to

enhance memory. Author Dominic O'Brien, who has won the World Memory

Championships eight times, said he usually used such drinks before a

competition. He said: " I tend to use thinks like ginko biloba and

ginseng during competitions to boost my performance. There has been

lots of independent research which has backed up the claims that

they are helpful aids to memory.

 

" I can't say for certain that they have helped me, but since I

started using ginseng I have won the World Memory Championships

three times, so they don't seem to have done any damage.

 

" I also have a bottle of lemon oil which I sniff from time to time

to help me concentrate, and I take vitamins A, C and E. "

 

Lemon balm grows wild.

 

 

A relative of the mint family,its

leaves are usually hairless and bright green.