The Magic Elixir for Long Life?

In 17^th century France a group of nuns were making an herbal concoction. It was nothing new, Benedictine Abbess Saint Hildegard of Bingen wrote about it in the 12^th century. She suggested drinking the strained tea of 1 part lemon balm and 3 parts fennel leaves, boiled in water. She said it would combat mental confusion. The Carmelite nuns put a different spin on it. It was now called, "miracle water."

"The juice of the roots was used to make Carmelite water, considered a  'Sovereign remedy,' and drunk to ensure a long life…"

" Carmelite water, a special long-life elixir."

"Carmelite water, a medieval drink said to cure headache, promote relaxation and long life."

The recipe they created was a little different. No one knows for sure what the original recipe contained but this might help.

CARMELITE: "MIRACLE WATER"

“Eau de Melisse de Carmes: Take of dried balm leaves, 4 oz., dried lemon-peel, 2 do.; nutmegs and coriander seeds, each, 1 oz.; cloves, cinnamon, and dried angelica roots, each, 4 dr.; spirit of wine, 2 lbs.; brandy, 2 ditto. Steep and distil in balneum mariae, re-distil, and keep for some time in a cold cellar.”

Another original recipe:

The original recipe might have contained 14 medicinal plants and 9 spices : melissa, angelica, lily of the valley, watercress, lemon zest, marjoram, cowslip, sage, rosemary, lavender, Artemisia, savory, chamomile, thyme, coriander, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, green anise, fennel, gentiana root, angelica root and sandalwood. The correct amounts are unknown, but melissa officinalis (more commonly known as lemon balm) was probably the main ingredient.

The main ingredient in Carmelite is lemon balm. Today with my juicer in hand I tapped into the plant's rich source of miraculous juice. I added it to my other juices and made my own herbal elixir.

Here are the benefits of lemon balm: http://www.herballegacy.com/Morrison_History.html

I must say, you need a drink of alcohol after ingesting it even after diluting it with water. It was one bitter drink. But so is almost every herb used in juices. In my quest for the right food for prolonging life, I doubt that this is the one. It has benefits like all herbs and deserves our attention, however, I doubt if it would extend our lives. I could be wrong. Maybe the fresh juice of lemon balm is the answer to health and vitality but in my research I found no one (no nuns or monks) living an extra-long life by drinking Carmelite or lemon balm.

Like all herbs, dosage and contraindications with other drugs might pose a problem. Juicing can be hazardous to your health and cause loss of life to you or a loved one. In my test, I used only 1 ounce of juice mixed with water. I did not become nauseous or pass out. Those are always good signs of toxicity. I would always use caution when juicing mint. Lemon balm is of the mint family. Mint is powerful stuff. Don't become a lab rat by not first studying any toxicity effects in the dosage of any herb.

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130428150026AAWuTts