Plants and their European monographs
- Lemon balm — Melissa officinalis L., leaf
European Medicines Agency monograph (EMA/HMPC/196745/2012): traditional use for mild mental stress and to aid sleep, and for mild gastrointestinal complaints including bloating. - Peppermint — Mentha × piperita L., leaf
European Medicines Agency monograph (EMA/HMPC/572705/2014 Rev. 1): traditional use for digestive disorders such as dyspepsia and flatulence.
From “Before You Begin”
The book’s safety page, quoted as it stands. Read the whole page — it is free.
- Fifteen of the recipes are drunk whenever you like. Make them at whatever frequency suits you, within the limits each chapter gives.
- Pregnancy. Twenty-six of the twenty-eight recipes here are restricted in pregnancy — most because safety has not been established rather than because harm has been shown, but the answer is the same either way. The two that carry no restriction are the rosehip brew of Chapter 26 and the sea buckthorn of Chapter 28, both of them fruits eaten as food across Europe.
Free The full recipe is in the free sample. Read it below ↓
The recipe
An evening drink with a pleasant coolness. Two herbs, doing two different jobs: lemon balm is the calming one, peppermint is here for the digestion and the taste. It matters which is which: their restrictions differ too — and the one people usually get wrong is the mint.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp fresh or dried peppermint leaves (Mentha × piperita L.)
- 1 tbsp lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.)
- 1 tsp dried stevia leaf, or a pinch of the extract (optional)
- 500 ml hot water (~80°C / 175°F)
Preparation
- Gently crush the mint and lemon balm leaves with your fingers to release essential oils
- Place the herbs in a warmed teapot or French press
- Pour water at approximately 80°C / 175°F
- Steep covered for 5–7 minutes
- Strain through a sieve
- Add stevia extract to taste and stir until completely dissolved; steep dried stevia leaf together with the herbs
Ingredient Properties
1. Peppermint (Mentha × piperita)
- Digestive — recognized in European monographs for the symptomatic relief of dyspepsia and flatulence1
- Antispasmodic — relaxes the smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract
- Carminative — eases bloating
- Cooling — menthol acts on cold receptors; the coolness is a sensation, not a drop in temperature
2. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
- Calming — recognized for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress and to aid sleep.2 This, not the mint, is the reason to drink this in the evening
- Digestive — also recognized for mild gastrointestinal complaints including bloating and flatulence
- Aromatic — adds lemon notes
3. Stevia
- Sweetener — softens the herbal astringency without adding sugar
When to Drink It
- Evening time, as part of a wind-down before sleep
- Mild symptoms of stress and tension
- Bloating and mild digestive discomfort
- As a daily ritual
How Much
- 1–2 cups per day
- If symptoms of stress, poor sleep or indigestion persist longer than 2 weeks, see a doctor
Contraindications
- Gastroesophageal reflux — peppermint relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter and can make heartburn worse. This is the mint restriction that matters most, and the one most often left out1
- Gallstones and other disorders of the bile ducts — caution with peppermint
- Children under 12 years, on account of the lemon balm; peppermint alone is not recommended under 4 years
- Pregnancy and lactation — safety not established for either herb
- Known allergy to any ingredient