No1 Lemon Verbena Water
No. 1 Botanicals – Lemon Verbena (Aloysia citrodora (Paláu), Verbenaceae)
An attractive sweet-scented shrub with glossy-green lanceolate leaves, Lemon Verbena is a native of southern South America, and was brought to Europe in the 1600’s, arriving in England in the 1780’s. The whole plant is powerfully aromatic in warm weather, giving off an almost intoxicating lemony scent. its citrusy, floral flavour enhances cocktails, teas, oils, and vinegars.
As with other lemon-scented plants, such as Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Lemon Verbena leaf has a gentle tranquilising, chill out activity, and is commonly used to ease anxiety and tension. It makes a good bedtime drink, as its calming effect often promotes a sound night’s sleep, and the chilled infusion makes an excellent cooling drink in hot weather.
It has been suggested that Lemon Verbena extract can help reduce inflammatory damage and speed recovery in athletes after strenuous exercise. Researchers claim that Lemon verbena extract has been shown to be a safe and well-tolerated natural sports ingredient, by reducing muscle damage after exhaustive exercise1. There have also been links between weight loss and Lemon Verbena extract combined with Hibiscus2.
No1 Lemon Verbena Water is a refreshing pick-me-up, any time of the day. It accompanies perfectly with salads, fish and desserts.
REFERENCES
- Effects of lemon verbena extract (Recoverben®) supplementation on muscle strength and recovery after exhaustive exercise: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.Buchwald-Werner et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutrition (2018) 15:5
- Hibiscus and lemon verbena polyphenols modulate appetite-related biomarkers in overweight subjects: a randomized controlled trial. Boix-Castejón M et al. Food & function 9:6 2018 Jun 20 pg 3173-3184