Lemon Balm and The Hyperthyroid Pattern

An Overview of Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid is an endocrine gland located in the throat, whose primary function is to set your basal metabolic rate. In states of thyroid imbalance, a polarity exists where hyperthyroid is a state of excess, and hypothyroid is a state of deficiency.

I think of the thyroid like the engine of a car. When you start your car and it idles, it has a baseline RPM (rotations per minute). With hypothyroidism, it’s as if you start your car, but the engine sputters and blub, blub blub … it sounds like it might die. Of course, newer cars don’t do this as much, but if you’ve ever driven an older car, you know what I’m talking about.

By contrast, hyperthyroid is when your car is revved up too high. You start your car, and it goes vroooom! The RPMs are high, and it’s running hot. This tends to wear down the mechanical parts of your engine, burn through your gas and oil more rapidly, and generally increases the wear and tear on your vehicle. The same is true in your body when your basal metabolic rate is too high. 

When thyroid function is elevated (hyperthyroidism), mitochondrial activity is increased. The mitochondria are the structures within a cell that produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule of cellular energy. In addition to increased mitochondrial activity, there are more cardiac contractions (heart rate) and a faster metabolic rate (fuel consumption). Everything happens more rapidly.

The thyroid is part of a broader axis which is controlled by the higher regulatory centers in the brain — the hypothalamus and the pituitary, collectively referred to as the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Thyroid (HPT) axis. Thyroid function is governed by these higher regulatory glands in your brain. When the hypothalamus triggers the pituitary gland, it releases TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) based on feedback mechanisms from your body that send a message that thyroid hormones are getting low. The hormones secreted by the thyroid gland itself are T3 (the active form) and T4. TSH tells the thyroid, “Secrete T3 and T4 when the levels are low.” When the levels are high enough, it says, “We have enough T3 and T4. Stop stimulating the thyroid to produce those.”​

If TSH levels are high, it suggests the body is stuck in a state of low thyroid hormone because it’s trying to stimulate the thyroid to secrete more. This is a key indicator of hypothyroidism. But if TSH levels are low, it indicates excess or hyperthyroid function. There are many contributing factors to thyroid disease, so it’s not a single root-cause phenomenon. There is often a perfect storm of factors, including food intolerance, systemic inflammation, autoimmunity (a big one), and endocrine disruptors. 

If you’re looking at blood work and you read a thyroid panel, it’s helpful to know that these hormones require iodine and tyrosine (an amino acid) for their production. In the periodic table of the elements, iodine is in the halide family, which also includes chlorine, bromine, and fluoride. Chlorine and fluoride are often present in municipal water. Hot tubs and swimming pools are usually chlorinated or brominated. Drinking or soaking in water that contains these elements in meaningful amounts can disrupt thyroid function. Additionally, if you’re deficient in baseline nutrients required to manufacture thyroid hormones, that can be a contributing factor.

The Hyperthyroid Pattern

The hyperthyroid pattern shows up as elevated T3 and T4 levels and low TSH levels, because the higher regulatory centers in the brain are saying, “We have plenty of thyroid hormone, we don’t need to stimulate it anymore.” The thyroid is overactive or hyper — it’s in a state of excess.

​From a humoral perspective, this is a pattern of heat or excitation in which an organ is overactive, overstimulated, and overheated. In hyperthyroidism, the heat excitation tissue state is often coupled with the wind tension tissue state. The entire system is overstimulated, and this manifests in several observable patterns: elevated body temperature, feeling hot all the time, excessive sweating, and rapid heart rate. Going back to our engine example, the RPMs are high, so the person will feel the heat and may have heightened sensitivity to environmental heat and to heat in foods, both in terms of temperature and spice.

​Often, the heart is overstimulated, leading to an elevated heart rate, palpitations, a nervous, irritable, and anxious feeling, and insomnia. These are all overstimulations of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, which will affect the mind as well. Oftentimes, people with hyperthyroid feel very overstimulated and then excessively fatigued. And because the metabolism is heightened, they tend to burn through fuel more quickly, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies and weight loss. This will also affect diet and digestion, and over time, can lead to a thin, weak, emaciated frame if not managed appropriately. These imbalances match a constitutional pattern in Ayurveda known as an excess of pitta and vāta doshas — too much heat (pitta), coupled with too much tension (vāta). This is a picture-perfect example of that dynamic.

​A critical point to mention about the thyroid gland and its associated diseases, whether hyper- or hypo-, is that there is often a strong autoimmune component. This is typically due to IgG immunoglobulins that are “attacking” the thyroid gland itself by binding to TSH receptors, causing swelling and overstimulation. In some instances, an autoimmune thyroid condition can actually damage the thyroid, causing it to under-function, which is more of a hypothyroid pattern.

The Energetic Architecture of Hyperthyroidism

In medical astrology, the thyroid gland is associated with Taurus, the ruler of the neck and throat region. It is also on the same axis as Scorpio, which is related to the body’s elimination functions. The Taurus-Scorpio axis often triggers hypothyroid, which is the opposite pattern. Taurus tends to be a bit slow, cool, and more hypo in its functioning in general. 

With hyperthyroid, we often see the square between Sagittarius and Virgo. We also see a relationship to Leo, the governor of the cardiovascular system, as many of the symptoms of hyperthyroid are cardiovascular in nature.

​Turning our attention to the planets, Mercury is the ruler of the throat and communication. Mars has a close relationship here as well, due to its associated patterns of heat, inflammation, irritation, overstimulation, and excitation. If you use medical astrology, I suggest looking into those areas of the chart.

Lemon Balm for Hyperthyroidism

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is an aromatic mint and one of the best remedies to consider for hyperthyroidism. It is a traditional European herbal remedy which is useful for a wide variety of patterns, and hyperthyroidism is one of them.

Tastes of Lemon Balm

We predominantly use the leaves of Melissa, which have a lemony, citrusy, sour, aromatic smell. The taste is also sour, and it’s one of the few non-berry plants that has a sour taste. It is very pleasant-tasting and mild, which makes it excellent for children and for preparation as a tea.​

Actions of Lemon Balm

This plant has a wide variety of actions, including nervine, relaxant, diaphoretic, and carminative. This is an excellent herb for children who are a little anxious, have trouble sleeping, or have an upset tummy or a fever. I’ve used Lemon Balm for my young sons quite a bit over the last few years. It also has some useful properties that make it specific for hyperthyroidism, so we’ll zoom in on those next.​

Energetics of Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm is cooling, which makes it excellent for summer heat. If you’re outside in the sun and summer heat, and you get overheated, Lemon Balm tea is an excellent remedy to cool you down. It is a gentle herb, but it’s also strong enough to calm down the excessive heat of hyperthyroidism. It relieves heat, inflammation, and especially the irritation we see in the nerves and the heart.

​Lemon Balm is great for relieving sweating. Matthew Wood says that the Lemon Balm person often has sweaty palms. This could be due to nervous system excess, or excess activity of the HPA axis, but it could also be due to an excess of the thyroid gland. When the basal metabolic rate is revving really hot, that can make a person excessively sweaty, so on a general level, the cooling energetic of Lemon Balm is helpful for the hyperthyroid pattern.

​How Lemon Balm Supports Hyperthyroidism

Now we’ll get more specific about how Lemon Balm supports the hyperthyroid pattern. Lemon Balm is a mild nervine relaxant, but it isn’t strong enough to make you sleepy, so you should still be able to focus at work. It uplifts your consciousness, mind, heart, and psychology, and it brings a buoyancy to your perceptions and awareness. So it calms you and uplifts you at the same time. It is very useful for the irritability that can arise from hyperthyroidism — the nervousness, anxiety, and even shaking that can occur from neural overstimulation. Sometimes people with hyperthyroid get a bit quivery or shaky, and Lemon Balm will help calm all of that down.

​Lemon Balm is what I think of as a cardiac nervine, which is a pretty unique property. Sometimes when a person gets anxious or nervous, their mind races. They have mental stress; they can’t stop thinking, and maybe they’re worrying about things. Some people, when they get really nervous or anxious, feel it in their gut. They might get hungry and overeat, or the opposite happens, and they can’t eat anything. Or maybe they get nervous and develop digestive symptoms, such as constipation or loose stools. Maybe they get bloated or gaseous. Other people, when they get anxious, feel it in their hearts. They’re nervous or anxious, and they feel it in their chest. It might feel tight and constricted, and their heart may race, even skip a beat now and then, and palpitate.

​These cardiovascular effects are common symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The cardiac nervine nature of Lemon Balm is specific to these issues. It is unique in its ability to relieve palpitations, agitation, and heart overstimulation. That said, Lemon Balm is carminative, so it’s also helpful for people with nervous digestion symptoms. 

​Many sour herbal remedies have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the cardiovascular system. This is because sour remedies tend to be berries, which are rich in anthocyanidins, proanthocyanidins, and flavonoids. These herbal constituents protect the blood vessels from oxidative damage. Oftentimes they’re cooling and anti-inflammatory, specifically in the vasculature. Lemon Balm also has this effect to some degree. It protects the nervous system from oxidative damage and neuroinflammation. It is also good on a constitutional level for the effects of hyperthyroidism.

​Lemon Balm is a thyroxine (T4) inhibitor, which is the less active form of thyroid hormone. T4 is converted to T3 (the more active form of thyroid hormone) peripherally. By inhibiting T4, we reduce its conversion to T3, which will help lower the active thyroid hormone in circulation and thus help cut the cause of some of the symptoms closer to the roots. However, Lemon Balm does not address the root cause of why the thyroid is overstimulated in the first place. This is why, as an herbalist, it’s important to do an in-depth analysis of the whole person through a thorough case history. It is important to ask questions such as: When was the onset of this situation? What was going on in your life? You also need a detailed dietary assessment, and it’s important to look at their exposure to things that might potentially disrupt the thyroid. 

​Our goal as herbalists is not just to get to the root cause. The goal also isn’t only to palliate symptoms; it’s both! It is important to provide relief to people, easing their suffering and improving their quality of life with herbs as much as possible. At the same time, it’s important to examine the contributing factors in a disease process and address them.

An Herbal Formula for Hyperthyroid

Lemon balm isn’t typically used alone to address a hyperthyroid pattern, because it’s insufficient by itself. The following triplet is a base formula for hyperthyroid commonly used by herbalists.

• Bugleweed (Lycopus virginiana)
• Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
• Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

These are all mint family plants that have a mildly suppressant effect on the thyroid. Motherwort, like Lemon Balm, is a specific cardiac nervine, and it’s cooling and relaxant. Unlike Lemon Balm, it is very bitter. It is excellent for the nervous system symptoms of hyperthyroid.

Bugleweed is probably the best overall herb to address hyperthyroid patterns. It appears to have a stronger thyroxine-suppressing effect than most other plants. It is excellent for the overstimulation of the nervous system and the cardiovascular system.

Note: If you’re working with someone who has hypothyroid (low or deficient thyroid function) who drinks a lot of mint family tea or takes it in tincture form, you should be aware that mints are not ideal for the hypothyroid pattern.

Other Therapeutics for Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is often related to autoimmune conditions. Because of this, other therapeutic interventions are very important. Screening for food intolerance and leaky gut syndrome is essential, because if a person eats foods they’re intolerant to or has leaky gut syndrome, these conditions will often trigger a systemic inflammatory response. Over time, that can lead to autoimmunity. Screening for wheat- or gluten-containing food intolerances, as well as soy intolerance, is important.

​For hyperthyroid, it’s best to avoid excess consumption of iodized salt. The iodization of salt became popular because people living away from the sea were developing thyroid deficiency leading to goiter (a swelling of the thyroid), due to inadequate iodine levels. If someone has hyperthyroid, underlying nutrient deficiencies need correction, but they shouldn’t get too much iodine as that can exacerbate the issue.

​Vitamin D and selenium are particularly important nutrients to supplement and monitor.  It’s also important to correct gut dysbiosis, leaky gut, and to attend to other contributing factors to systemic inflammation. You might consider: Do they sleep with their dog in their bed and have allergies and hives and other signs of immune dysregulation? Therapeutically, it’s important to attend to the immune system. Gut issues need correction, but it’s also important to address immune dysregulation via immune-amphoteric herbs, non-stimulating adaptogens, and immunoregulating herbs, which help calm excessive immune response. Getting a solid dose of antioxidants is a good idea too — brightly colored berries or berry powders in smoothies help with humoral cooling, provide antioxidant protection, and protect the blood vessels and nerves from inflammatory damage.

​Hyperthyroidism can be complex and this is just a glimpse into some ways to discover underlying causes as well as address the symptoms. Lemon Balm can be an incredibly supportive part of the protocol for providing relief.

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FAQ

What is hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid produces excess thyroid hormone, increasing the body’s metabolic activity.

What are common signs of hyperthyroidism?

Common signs can include heat intolerance, sweating, a racing heart, palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and unintended weight loss.

What do TSH, T3, and T4 do?

T3 and T4 are thyroid hormones, while TSH is the pituitary signal that helps regulate thyroid hormone production.

Why is Lemon Balm discussed for hyperthyroid patterns?

In herbal traditions, Lemon Balm is valued for its cooling, calming, and cardiac-nervine qualities.

Can Lemon Balm treat hyperthyroidism on its own?

No. Hyperthyroidism requires comprehensive evaluation and monitoring; herbs should be considered under the guidance of a qualified clinician as part of a treatment plan, and Lemon Balm is usually formulated with other herbs based on the full symptom picture.

Why might herbalists use a formula rather than one herb?

A formula can address several aspects of a person’s presentation, such as nervous-system activation, palpitations, and digestive discomfort.