Lemon Verbena (Aloysia)

Also called lemon verbena, Aloysia citrodora, Aloysia citriodora, Aloysia triphylla, Lippia citriodora, lemon verbena extract.

Best grade C across 7 graded outcomes Botanical Last checked

The short answer

From 9 sources

Lemon verbena leaf is a traditional herbal tea, but every human trial here tested an extract or syrup, not the leaf. Two placebo-controlled trials (171 adults) found better sleep scores, and two found less strength loss or muscle damage after hard exercise. A meta-analysis of 11 small trials found modest drops in weight and blood pressure, partly with hibiscus blends.

Quick pick

Frontier Co-op Organic Lemon Verbena Leaf, cut & sifted, 1 lb

from HerbsPro

Its name matches dried lemon verbena leaf (herbal tea), one of the forms compared in our Forms table.

Label: Dried organic lemon verbena leaf (Aloysia citriodora) for tea. Trials tested concentrated extracts, not loose leaf, so this matches EMA's traditional tea use rather than the trial doses.

Best for trying one bottle: $37.01 one-time (checked Oct 15, 2026).

Shop at HerbsPro (paid link, opens in new tab)

Partner links may earn us a commission. How partner links work

How we chose: Momentous is the partner brand we list first, so its product leads whenever the Where to buy list has one for this compound or a form in our Forms table. Otherwise, among partner brands that passed our vetting without conditions (others only when none sells it), the first product in that list whose name matches a form in our Forms table, else the first one listed. Not a claim that it works: check the amount per serving against the studied doses and limits.

Every graded outcome on this page

7 rows · line = participants
  1. Grade CSleep quality and insomnia severity in adults with insomniaSleep qualityn 100
  2. Grade CSleep quality in adults with sleep problemsSleep qualityn 71
  3. Grade CMuscle damage and soreness after exhaustive exerciseExercise recoveryn 60
  4. Grade CStrength loss and recovery after exhaustive exerciseExercise recoveryn 44
  5. Grade DWeight, blood pressure and cholesterolHeart and metabolicn 503
  6. Grade DBehavior, mood and energy in children with sub-clinical ADHD-type behaviorsChildren's behaviorn 120
  7. Grade DPerceived stress, cortisol and sleep in adults with stress and poor sleepStressn 40
  8. 4 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter

Key facts

What it is
Leaves of Aloysia citrodora (also called Lippia citriodora); EMA recognizes the dried leaf as a traditional herbal tea1
Extracts, not leaf
Every trial on this page used a lemon verbena extract or syrup; none tested loose leaf or tea2345789
Sleep (2 trials, 171 adults)
Sleep quality score 6.5 vs 5.5 on placebo after 90 days of an extract; PSQI and insomnia severity scores improved vs placebo after 4 weeks of a syrup27
Weight and blood pressure (11 trials, 503 people)
Weight -2.09 kg and systolic pressure -8.59 mmHg; some trials combined it with hibiscus5
Children (120)
More reported fatigue on an extract; the drop in parent-rated hyperactivity only approached significance4

What it is

Lemon verbena is the leaf of Aloysia citrodora (Lippia citriodora), drunk as a tea; human trials tested concentrated extracts.

How it works

Proposed

Lemon verbena leaves are rich in polyphenols with antioxidant activity. In trials, an extract raised the antioxidant enzyme GPx and lowered muscle-damage markers, and another raised nighttime melatonin; how these link to the outcomes is not settled.32

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia) forms compared

2 forms
Lemon Verbena (Aloysia) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 formsDried lemon verbena leaf (herbal tea)Lemon verbena leaf extracts and syrups (e.g. Planox, Recoverben, PLX)
Absorption in peopleNot studied in the trials on this page; EMA describes it as a traditional herbal tea.1Not measured; trials tracked sleep, muscle-damage markers, mood and cardiometabolic markers.238
GI toleranceEMA lists no known undesirable effects for the tea, with hypersensitivity to the Verbenaceae family as a contraindication.1The 120-child trial reported the extract safe and well tolerated with no unexpected safety events.4
Studied forTraditional use only (EMA): mild stress, sleep and mild digestive complaintsSleep, stress, exercise recovery, children's behavior, weight and blood pressure
  1. Dried lemon verbena leaf (herbal tea)
    Absorption in people
    Not studied in the trials on this page; EMA describes it as a traditional herbal tea.1
    GI tolerance
    EMA lists no known undesirable effects for the tea, with hypersensitivity to the Verbenaceae family as a contraindication.1
    Studied for
    Traditional use only (EMA): mild stress, sleep and mild digestive complaints
  2. Lemon verbena leaf extracts and syrups (e.g. Planox, Recoverben, PLX)
    Absorption in people
    Not measured; trials tracked sleep, muscle-damage markers, mood and cardiometabolic markers.238
    GI tolerance
    The 120-child trial reported the extract safe and well tolerated with no unexpected safety events.4
    Studied for
    Sleep, stress, exercise recovery, children's behavior, weight and blood pressure
Every cell holds data from a cited page; citation numbers link to the page that holds them.Scroll the table for every column

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

7 graded outcomes, largest study first

7 graded outcomes: 6 improved, 1 mixed. The largest, a 2026 meta-analysis of 503 people on weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, found an improvement.

1. Weight, blood pressure and cholesterol: improved, 503 people13. Sleep quality and insomnia severity in adults with insomnia: improved, 100 people34. Sleep quality in adults with sleep problems: improved, 71 people45. Muscle damage and soreness after exhaustive exercise: improved, 60 people56. Strength loss and recovery after exhaustive exercise: improved, 44 people67. Perceived stress, cortisol and sleep in adults with stress and poor sleep: improved, 40 people7
2. Behavior, mood and energy in children with sub-clinical ADHD-type behaviors: mixed, 120 people2

1Weight, blood pressure and cholesterol

Improved · Grade D · Meta-analysis, 503 people, 2026

Adults in 11 RCTs, including people with metabolic syndrome

Dose, result and source
Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
OutcomeFoundPeopleStudyWho was studied
Weight, blood pressure and cholesterolImproved503Grade D · Meta-analysis, 2026Adults in 11 RCTs, including people with metabolic syndrome
Behavior, mood and energy in children with sub-clinical ADHD-type behaviorsMixed120Grade D · RCT, 2025Healthy children aged 8 to 17 with sub-clinical ADHD-type behaviors
Sleep quality and insomnia severity in adults with insomniaImproved100Grade C · RCT, 2019Adults with insomnia (Iran; 50 per group randomized)
Sleep quality in adults with sleep problemsImproved71Grade C · RCT, 2024Healthy adults with sleep disturbances (33 extract, 38 placebo)
Muscle damage and soreness after exhaustive exerciseImproved60Grade C · RCT, 2021Healthy adults (30 men, 30 women)
Strength loss and recovery after exhaustive exerciseImproved44Grade C · RCT, 2018Healthy sport-active men and women aged 22–50
Perceived stress, cortisol and sleep in adults with stress and poor sleepImproved40Grade D · RCT, 2022Adults over 21 with moderate perceived stress and poor sleep quality (Spain; 20 per group)
Each circle is one graded outcome on this page, numbered from the largest study down, and placed by how many people it studied (log scale). It shows who was studied and what was found, not advice about your dose.

Every graded row

7 rows

Showing 7 of 7 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade CSleep quality and insomnia severity in adults with insomniaSleep qualityBetter PSQI and insomnia scoresRCT
n 100 · 2019

Improved Global PSQI, four of its components (sleep latency, efficiency, daytime dysfunction, subjective quality) and Insomnia Severity Index scores improved more than placebo after 4 weeks (p < 0.001), with differences already at 2 weeks.

Design
RCT, n = 100, 2019
Population
Adults with insomnia (Iran; 50 per group randomized)
Form
Lemon verbena syrup (1.66 mg essential oil and 3.22 mg flavonoids as quercetin per 10 ml)
Dose
10 ml an hour before bedtime
Duration
4 weeks
Source
Reference 7 · PubMed 30450627 (opens PubMed)
Grade CSleep quality in adults with sleep problemsSleep qualityBetter sleep scoresRCT
n 71 · 2024

Improved Sleep quality on a visual scale was 6.5 vs 5.5 (p = 0.021), and PSQI sleep latency (p = 0.027) and efficiency (84.5 vs 79.8, p = 0.023) favored the extract; actigraphy sleep measures also improved (p = 0.001).

Design
RCT, n = 71, 2024
Population
Healthy adults with sleep disturbances (33 extract, 38 placebo)
Form
Lemon verbena extract (dose not stated in the abstract)
Dose
Daily extract supplement
Duration
90 days
Source
Reference 2 · PubMed 38794761 (opens PubMed)
Grade CMuscle damage and soreness after exhaustive exerciseExercise recoveryLess muscle damage and painRCT
n 60 · 2021

Improved The extract raised the antioxidant enzyme GPx and lowered creatine kinase, IL-6, 8-OHdG and muscle pain after exhaustive exercise compared with placebo.

Design
RCT, n = 60, 2021
Population
Healthy adults (30 men, 30 women)
Form
Planox lemon verbena extract
Dose
400 mg a day
Duration
10 days before an exhaustive exercise test, continued through 3 days of follow-up
Source
Reference 3 · PubMed 34104096 (opens PubMed)
Grade CStrength loss and recovery after exhaustive exerciseExercise recoveryLess strength lossRCT
n 44 · 2018

Improved Exercise-related loss of muscle strength was smaller than with placebo (p = 0.031); antioxidant enzyme activity and movement pain improved only by trend, and creatine kinase and IL-6 did not differ.

Design
RCT, n = 44, 2018
Population
Healthy sport-active men and women aged 22–50
Form
Recoverben lemon verbena extract
Dose
400 mg once a day
Duration
15 days (10 days before an exhaustive jump test, the test day and 4 days after)
Source
Reference 9 · PubMed 29410606 (opens PubMed)
Grade DWeight, blood pressure and cholesterolHeart and metabolicModest drops in weight and BPMeta-analysis · 11 studies
n 503 · 2026

Improved Body weight fell 2.09 kg, total cholesterol 9.06 mg/dL and systolic pressure 8.59 mmHg, and HDL rose 2.10 mg/dL; glycemic markers did not change.

Design
Meta-analysis, 11 studies, n = 503, 2026
Population
Adults in 11 RCTs, including people with metabolic syndrome
Form
Lemon verbena (Lippia citriodora) extract, alone or with Hibiscus sabdariffa
Dose
Varied by trial
Duration
3 to 12 weeks
Source
Reference 5 · PubMed 42191680 (opens PubMed)
Grade DBehavior, mood and energy in children with sub-clinical ADHD-type behaviorsChildren's behaviorMore tiredness; hyperactivity not significantRCT
n 120 · 2025

Mixed Children on the extract reported more fatigue (lower energy) and fewer depression symptoms at day 56 than on placebo; the drop in parent-rated hyperactivity only approached significance.

Design
RCT, n = 120, 2025
Population
Healthy children aged 8 to 17 with sub-clinical ADHD-type behaviors
Form
Lemon verbena extract
Dose
15 mg per kg of body weight a day
Duration
56 days
Source
Reference 4 · PubMed 40251851 (opens PubMed)
Grade DPerceived stress, cortisol and sleep in adults with stress and poor sleepStressLower perceived stressRCT
n 40 · 2022

Improved Perceived stress and cortisol fell in the extract group, participants reported feeling better rested, and wearable tracking showed more time in deep and REM sleep.

Design
RCT, n = 40, 2022
Population
Adults over 21 with moderate perceived stress and poor sleep quality (Spain; 20 per group)
Form
Lemon verbena extract standardized to ≥28% phenylpropanoids (≥24% verbascoside)
Dose
400 mg a day, 1–2 hours before bed
Duration
8 weeks, then 4 weeks off
Source
Reference 8 · PubMed 35011093 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Extract makers were involved

Employees of extract makers co-authored the 2024 sleep, 2022 stress and 2025 children's trials, and the 2018 strength trial was sponsored by the extract's owner; the 2021 muscle trial and the meta-analysis authors declared no competing interests.284935

How we got this: Competing-interest statements and affiliations in the cited abstracts and full texts

Tiredness, not focus

In 120 children, the extract increased reported fatigue rather than improving focus, while mood scores improved.4

How we got this: 2025 children's trial results

Sleep has the most consistent signal

Both placebo-controlled trials with sleep as the main outcome, a 90-day extract trial in 71 adults and a 4-week syrup trial in 100 adults with insomnia, found better sleep scores, though they used different preparations.27

How we got this: 71 + 100 = 171 adults across the two sleep rows.

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 400 mg a day of a lemon verbena extract in adults to 15 mg per kg of body weight a day in children, plus 10 ml of syrup nightly in one insomnia trial, for about 2 weeks up to 90 days; every trial used an extract or syrup, not the dried leaf.3894752

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

What Lemon Verbena meets

0 cited rows 1 tested together

Medicines 0

No medicine rows in our sources.

Lemon Verbena0 medicines · 1 supplement

Supplements and foods 1

  • Tested together in a graded trial
Also cited: 1 tested together

  1. HibiscusHibiscus page

Rows as our evidence profiles cite them; links stay on this site. Line weight shows what backs a row, not how serious an interaction is. No line means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe. Not medical advice: ask your pharmacist.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Lemon Verbena and your picks, and between your picks.

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Lemon Verbena.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Not medical advice, and no dosing advice. An empty result means no row we cite names that pair, by name or through a drug class we can link the medicine to, not that a combination is safe. Where our sources name only a group of medicines we cannot match, the cabinet says so. Ask your pharmacist before you combine supplements and medicines.

Who should be careful

5 groups
Allergy to the verbena family
EMA lists hypersensitivity to lemon verbena or other plants of the Verbenaceae family as a contraindication.1
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
EMA says safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established and, without enough data, use is not recommended.1
Children
EMA says use in children has not been established for lack of data; in one 120-child extract trial, children reported more fatigue.14
Driving and machinery
EMA notes the traditional tea may impair the ability to drive and use machines.1
Medicines and surgery
EMA lists no reported interactions with medicines, which reflects limited data rather than proof of safety; NCCIH advises telling your health care providers about every supplement, especially before surgery.16
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

4 checks
Leaf tea is not the trial extract

Trials used concentrated extracts dosed in milligrams; EMA's traditional sleep use is 1 to 2 g of dried leaf in 200 ml of boiling water, a different preparation.13

Check the standardization

One sleep and stress extract was standardized to at least 28% phenylpropanoids, mostly verbascoside, at 400 mg a day. A label that gives no marker compound cannot be matched to that trial.8

Check for hibiscus

Several weight and blood-pressure trials combined lemon verbena with hibiscus, and benefits were larger with the combined products, so a blend is not the same as lemon verbena alone.5

Brand names mark different extracts

Trials used named extracts (Planox, Recoverben, PLX) at 400 mg a day; results from one branded extract do not automatically carry over to another.398

Where to buy Lemon Verbena (Aloysia)

Products from brands we partner with that contain Lemon Verbena (Aloysia). Check the amount per serving against the doses studied above, and the label for other ingredients.

Lemon Verbena (Aloysia) products from partner brands

1 product
  • Quick pickHerbsProFrontier Co-op Organic Lemon Verbena Leaf, cut & sifted, 1 lb

    Dried organic lemon verbena leaf (Aloysia citriodora) for tea. Trials tested concentrated extracts, not loose leaf, so this matches EMA's traditional tea use rather than the trial doses

    $37.01one-timeChecked Oct 15, 2026
    Shop at HerbsPro (paid link, opens in new tab)

Listing a product is not a claim that it works; check the amount per serving against the doses studied, and the label for other ingredients.Prices and labels are from each brand’s own site on the date shown; confirm before you buy.

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Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

7 answers
Does lemon verbena help with sleep?

Two placebo-controlled trials found better sleep scores: a 90-day extract trial in 71 adults with sleep problems and a 4-week syrup trial in 100 adults with insomnia. Extract-maker employees co-authored the first. No trial tested the tea.27

Does lemon verbena help with stress?

One small trial in 40 stressed adults found lower perceived stress and cortisol after 8 weeks of 400 mg a day of an extract. It has not been repeated, and authors from the extract supplier took part.8

Does lemon verbena lower blood pressure or weight?

A meta-analysis of 11 small trials (503 people) found weight down 2.09 kg and systolic pressure down 8.59 mmHg, but several trials combined it with hibiscus, and blood sugar markers did not change.5

Does lemon verbena help muscle recovery?

In 60 adults, 400 mg a day of one extract lowered muscle-damage markers and pain after exhaustive exercise. In 44 adults, another 400 mg extract reduced strength loss, while damage markers did not differ from placebo.39

Does lemon verbena interact with medicines?

EMA's monograph lists no reported interactions, but that reflects limited data. Tell your pharmacist or clinician about any supplement, especially before surgery.16

Is lemon verbena safe in pregnancy or for children?

EMA says safety in pregnancy and breastfeeding has not been established and use in children lacks data. In one trial in 120 children, the extract raised reported fatigue.14

Is lemon verbena tea the same as the extracts in studies?

No. Every trial used a concentrated extract. EMA recognizes the dried leaf only as a traditional tea, for example 1 to 2 g in 200 ml of boiling water to aid sleep.123

Sources

9 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

9 sources
  1. 1European Union herbal monograph on Aloysia citrodora Paláu (syn. Aloysia triphylla (L'Hér.) Kuntze; Verbena triphylla L'Hér.; Lippia citriodora Kunth), folium (EMA/HMPC/376770/2019)Guideline European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), 2021 · ema.europa.eu
  2. 2Dietary Supplementation with an Extract of Aloysia citrodora (Lemon verbena) Improves Sleep Quality in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Study.RCT Nutrients, 2024 · PMID 38794761
  3. 3Evaluation of the Efficacy of Supplementation with Planox® Lemon Verbena Extract in Improving Oxidative Stress and Muscle Damage: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial.RCT Int J Med Sci, 2021 · PMID 34104096
  4. 4Daily supplementation with lemon verbena extract decreases subjective energy and parental reports of hyperactivity in children displaying sub-clinical attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-type behaviours: A randomised controlled trial.RCT J Psychopharmacol, 2025 · PMID 40251851
  5. 5The effect of Lippia Citriodora (LC) extract on cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Meta-analysis Nutr Diabetes, 2026 · PMID 42191680
  6. 6Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 2019 · nccih.nih.gov
  7. 7Aloysia citriodora Palau (lemon verbena) for insomnia patients: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of efficacy and safety.RCT Phytother Res, 2019 · PMID 30450627
  8. 8Anxiolytic Effect and Improved Sleep Quality in Individuals Taking Lippia citriodora Extract.RCT Nutrients, 2022 · PMID 35011093
  9. 9Effects of lemon verbena extract (Recoverben®) supplementation on muscle strength and recovery after exhaustive exercise: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.RCT J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2018 · PMID 29410606

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

2 entries
Dated changes to this page
DateChangeWho and why
definition, summary, goals, key facts, evidence, forms, doses, safety, label, analysis, FAQAdded three RCT rows: insomnia syrup (PMID 30450627, grade C), stress and sleep with a phenylpropanoid-standardized extract (PMID 35011093, grade D; added the stress goal) and Recoverben strength recovery (PMID 29410606, grade C). Interactions: EMA monograph lists none reported (re-read 2026-10-21); safety note and FAQ now say interaction data are limited. Label guide expanded to 4 steps (standardization, hibiscus blends, brand extracts); studied doses, insights and FAQs updated; definition shortened. Fact-checked against the sources; corrected: the sleep insight now says the two trials had sleep as their main outcome (the stress trial also measured sleep).Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit
allInitial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, year, journal; none retracted) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts. Funding and conflicts disclosed per study: Monteloeder S.L. employees (sleep 2024), Finzelberg GmbH employees (children 2025), no competing interests declared (Planox 2021, meta-analysis 2026). Every trial used an extract, and the page says so. Children's trial shown as mixed. Safety from the EMA/HMPC EU herbal monograph (EMA/HMPC/376770/2019) plus NCCIH general guidance. Where to buy: Frontier Co-op organic lemon verbena leaf (checked 2026-10-15), labelled as tea leaf, not the trial extract.Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page

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