scored 92/100
Also known as melissa officinalis, melissa, balm mint
Lemon balm is a lemon-scented mint-family herb brewed as a calming tea, rich in rosmarinic acid with traditional use for nerves and sleep.
0.4 g net carbs after fiber.
Representative amounts for this food, not measured for this item. Real content varies widely by variety, ripeness and storage.
These are the scored components, not a sum: the published score also reflects normalisation across the catalog, so the parts above will not add to 92.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a lemon-scented perennial in the mint family, native to the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia and cultivated since antiquity as a calming, mood-lifting herb. The dried leaf is most often steeped into a gentle, lemony infusion taken to ease tension and promote restful sleep, a use supported by small clinical trials on standardized extracts. Its leading bioactive is rosmarinic acid, a polyphenol that inhibits the enzyme GABA transaminase, helping sustain calming GABA signaling; the leaf also contains the citrus-scented terpene citronellal and flavonoid antioxidants. Dried lemon balm concentrates modest minerals such as calcium, iron, and potassium, but because it is consumed as a few grams of tea or seasoning the practical nutritional contribution is small. Beyond tea, the crushed leaf brightens fruit salads, dressings, and fish dishes with a soft lemon note that carries no acidity. Its value lies in aroma and its well-tolerated, mildly sedative and digestive-soothing bioactives rather than in macronutrients.
Rosmarinic acid inhibits GABA transaminase, raising GABA availability and reducing excitatory tone, an effect shown for standardized lemon balm extracts
Its mild anxiolytic activity lowers pre-sleep arousal, easing sleep onset when taken as an evening infusion
Volatile oils relax gastrointestinal smooth muscle, reducing spasm and bloating, the basis of its traditional carminative use
Lemon balm is traditionally taken as a bedtime infusion to ease tension and aid sleep.
Fasting-compatible
Brewed as tea it adds negligible calories and is fasting-compatible.
Per 100 g of the default form. Bars show how much higher or lower lemon balm (dried) is than the average across 76 peer foods in this category. Green means a favorable direction; amber means the opposite.
Lemon Balm (Dried) is classified as a herbs & spices. Lemon balm is a lemon-scented mint-family herb brewed as a calming tea, rich in rosmarinic acid with traditional use for nerves and sleep.
Lemon Balm (Dried) scores 92/100 in Formulate, making it an exceptional choice. Its strongest contributions come from Iron, Calcium, Magnesium. The score blends nutrient density, fiber, healthy fats, protein quality, bioactive compounds, and glycemic impact.
Not particularly. A 2 g serving provides about 0.3 g of protein (~1% of the 50 g daily value).
Not really. A 2 g serving provides about 0.6 g of fiber (~2% of the 28 g daily value).
Yes — it fits comfortably in most keto plans. A 2 g serving has about 0.4 g of net carbs (1 g total minus 0.6 g fiber).
Best in the evening. Lemon balm is traditionally taken as a bedtime infusion to ease tension and aid sleep.
A typical serving is around 2 g (~6 kcal), based on the FDA's Reference Amount Customarily Consumed for this food category. There's no fixed daily target — most adults benefit from rotating lemon balm (dried) alongside several other herbs & spices sources.
Lemon Balm (Dried) pairs nicely with: Pair with mint in a tea blend because the two mint-family herbs reinforce a fresh, calming infusion; Combine with honey because sweetness rounds the herb's soft lemon note in tea; Use with fish and poultry because the gentle citrus brightens delicate proteins without acidity.
Encyclopedia entries that supply the same signature nutrients lemon balm (dried) contributes. Click through to see clinical dose ranges, evidence quality, and bioavailable forms.
These are the nutrients lemon balm (dried)contributes meaningfully toward (≥10% DV per 100 g serving). Click one to see what it does in the body, which supplements concentrate it, and which other foods are top sources.