The Effects of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) on Depression and Anxiety in Human Diabetics

by | Jun 14, 2023 | 2023, Botanicals, Brain Health, Depression, Diabetes

Written by Harold Oster, MD. Results show that lemon balm supplementation may have a beneficial effect on depression and anxiety in type 2 diabetics. 

teenage girl with phone in handDepression and anxiety are common in Type 2 diabetics, and these conditions have been shown to worsen diabetic control and increase its complications1,2. Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis, is an herbaceous plant with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties3. In an animal model, an extract of lemon balm was shown to ameliorate depressive-like behavior by affecting serotonin neurotransmission.

Mostafa Safari, et al, studied the potential beneficial effects of lemon balm extract on type 2 diabetics with depression and anxiety. Sixty participants from a single center in Iran were randomly assigned 350mg capsules of lemon balm extract or placebo twice daily for twelve weeks. At baseline and at the end of the study, the participants were evaluated for depression and anxiety by the Beck Depression Inventory 2 and the Beck Anxiety Inventory, validated tools for the assessment of the respective disorders4,5. The patients were also evaluated for dietary nutrient intake, sleep quality, physical activity, body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Blood samples were tested at the start and end of the study for fasting blood glucose and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a test for inflammation.

The authors noted the following:

  • Baseline characteristics of the control and intervention groups did not statistically differ.
  • Sixteen participants did not complete the study because they met prespecified exclusion criteria, including an unwillingness to continue, respiratory infection, pregnancy, significant change in diet, and the need for insulin therapy. There was no significant difference in attrition rate between the intervention and control groups.
  • At the end of the study, the group receiving lemon balm showed a significant reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms compared to baseline. The placebo group showed no improvement.
  • No significant differences between groups were noted in glucose control, inflammation, sleep quality, blood pressure, or body mass index.

Results of the study suggest that a lemon balm (Melissa officianalis) supplement may improve depression and anxiety in diabetic patients. A limitation of the study is the small sample size.

Source: Safari, Mostafa, Akbar Asadi, Naheed Aryaeian, Hasan Fallah Huseini, Shima Jazayeri, Mojtaba Malek, and Agha Fateme Hosseini. “The effects of melissa officinalis on depression and anxiety in type 2 diabetes patients with depression: a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial.” BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies 23, no. 1 (2023): 1-10.

© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line
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Posted June 14, 2023.

Harold Oster, MD graduated from medical school in Miami, Florida in 1992 and moved to Minnesota in 2004. After more than 25 years of practicing Internal Medicine, he recently retired. Dr. Oster is especially interested in nutrition, weight management, and disease prevention. Visit his website at haroldoster.com.

References:

  1. Bădescu SV, Tătaru C, Kobylinska L, et al. The association between Diabetes mellitus and Depression. J Med Life. Apr-Jun 2016;9(2):120-5.
  2. Smith KJ, Béland M, Clyde M, et al. Association of diabetes with anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychosom Res. Feb 2013;74(2):89-99. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychores.2012.11.013
  3. Miraj S, Rafieian K, Kiani S. Melissa officinalis L: A Review Study With an Antioxidant Prospective. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. Jul 2017;22(3):385-394. doi:10.1177/2156587216663433
  4. Wang YP, Gorenstein C. Assessment of depression in medical patients: a systematic review of the utility of the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Clinics (Sao Paulo). Sep 2013;68(9):1274-87. doi:10.6061/clinics/2013(09)15
  5. Beck AT, Epstein N, Brown G, Steer RA. An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology. Dec 1988;56(6):893-7.