Study: Extract from Lemon Balm Plant Helps Alzheimer's Patients

A team of Iranian researchers reports finding that extract from the lemon balm plant (Melissa officinalis) can help slow the decline in cognitive function of Alzheimer's patients.

Although two FDA-approved drugs are available for the managment of Alzheimer's, the reseachers noted that their outcomes are not very promising and added that a place exists for alternative drugs. "In this respect, herbal medicines may be a new avenue for treatment of Alzheimer's disease," they said.

The researchers studied 42 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease aged between 65 and 80 years who either received a placebo or a fixed dose of Melissa officinalis extract. The plant is a member of the mint family.

After four months, the researchers found that Melissa officinalis extract safely produced a significantly better outcome on cognitive function than the placebo.

The researchers concluded that Melissa officinalis extract is of value in the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. "It also has a beneficial effect on the agitation experienced by patients with this disease, and so may well prove to be a novel natural treatment," they said, noting that their findings justify further study of the herb in Alzheimer's patients.

Lead researcher Shahin Akhondzadeh, an associate professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, told Medical Week that Melissa is quite safe and has been used for many centuries to minimize gassiness and reduce anxiety. The only caution, he added, is that those with respiratory problems such as asthma should use the herb under a doctor's supervision.

Other sources: Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2003;74:863-866