shannah
Senior Member
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This is not new (2008) but I don't see where it's been posted before. I knew Lemon Balm aka Melissa had potent antivrial properties but wasn't aware it was retroviral.
From Prohealth:
http://www.prohealth.com/me-cfs/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=15451&B2=MSGBDART
"Do Lemon Balm & Other Herbals Inhibit Herpes & HIV Replication?
Several weeks ago I bought some lemon balm to help with sleep. I'd taken preparations before which had lemon balm as part of a combo, but this time I got straight lemon balm. Well, I think I took 2 capsules in the middle of the night and maybe another one early a.m. That day I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, totally wiped out. I know lemon balm is sedating, but this was different, not just sedated. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I realized it felt similar to herx reactions I had had before. [Herxheimer reaction is flu-like fever, chills, etc. that occur when large quantities of dead bacteria, viruses, etc. are released into the bloodstream for clearance.]
So I Googled lemon balm and found that it has effect against the herpes virus, and also - and this is really amazing - HIV, which of course is a retrovirus. Here's one link: Aqueous extracts from peppermint, sage and lemon balm leaves display potent anti-HIV-1 activity by increasing virion density. - M"
http://www.retrovirology.com/content/5/1/27
From Prohealth:
http://www.prohealth.com/me-cfs/library/showArticle.cfm?libid=15451&B2=MSGBDART
"Do Lemon Balm & Other Herbals Inhibit Herpes & HIV Replication?
Several weeks ago I bought some lemon balm to help with sleep. I'd taken preparations before which had lemon balm as part of a combo, but this time I got straight lemon balm. Well, I think I took 2 capsules in the middle of the night and maybe another one early a.m. That day I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, totally wiped out. I know lemon balm is sedating, but this was different, not just sedated. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I realized it felt similar to herx reactions I had had before. [Herxheimer reaction is flu-like fever, chills, etc. that occur when large quantities of dead bacteria, viruses, etc. are released into the bloodstream for clearance.]
So I Googled lemon balm and found that it has effect against the herpes virus, and also - and this is really amazing - HIV, which of course is a retrovirus. Here's one link: Aqueous extracts from peppermint, sage and lemon balm leaves display potent anti-HIV-1 activity by increasing virion density. - M"
http://www.retrovirology.com/content/5/1/27
