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Heard about the amazing lemongrass benefits? Keep reading to find out! Here we have got everything you need to know about the same!
A popular Southeast Asian tropical plant commonly found in Thai cuisines, lemongrass is a herb with a distinct aroma similar to that of lemons and is grown for medicinal and culinary purposes.
Lemongrass is most commonly used in the preparation of tea, but it has other uses as well, and because of the potential lemongrass benefits, which we shall discuss in a bit, many people across the world have already incorporated it into their day-to-day diet.
1. Nutritional Value of Lemongrass
Lemongrass is rich in essential nutrients and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and manganese. It also contains several vitamins in very small concentrations, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, and niacin.
An ounce of lemongrass would approximately contain 30 calories, with 1 gram of protein, 7 grams of carbohydrates, and no fat, fiber, or sugar.
With such high nutritional value, lemongrass is sure to offer some amazing benefits! But as it is said, all good things come at a cost, and this one, too, might have a downside to it.
2. Benefits of the Lemongrass
There are so many lemongrass benefits, but we have narrowed it down to 14! These include medicinal benefits, health benefits, and many more!
2.1. Antibacterial and Antifungal Properties
Lemongrass has extremely beneficial antifungal and antibacterial properties.
It is an herbal solution, and in addition to wound healing and infection prevention, it is also known for reducing E. coli bacterial infections.
Lemongrass also helps to prevent thrush, a fungal infection that affects persons with a compromised immune system, particularly those living with HIV.
2.2. Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
A variety of health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and arthritis are believed to be caused by chronic inflammation. Lemongrass contains bioactive components such as chlorogenic acid, which helps fight inflammation and relieve pain.
Lemongrass includes quercetin which is a flavonoid that has anti-inflammatory properties. Quercetin inhibits cancer cell proliferation and protects against heart disease by reducing inflammation.
Citral, another anti-inflammatory chemical, is also found in lemongrass.
2.3. Anti-cancer Abilities
Lemongrass has several cancer-fighting qualities. This happens either through explicitly killing the cells or by boosting the overall immunity so that the body becomes capable of fighting the cancer cells.
As mentioned above, citral and quercetin in Lemongrass have been found to have significant anticancer properties that aid in the battle against cancer cell lines.
Also, lemongrass tea is often incorporated as an adjuvant treatment throughout chemotherapy 1and radiotherapy. However, this should only be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional.
2.4. Antioxidant Properties
Lemongrass contains several antioxidants that may aid in neutralizing free radical scavengers in the body, which cause cell damage and sickness.
Some of these antioxidants include swertiajaponin, isoorientin, and chlorogenic acid. These antioxidants can help in avoiding the malfunctioning of coronary artery cells.
2.5. Diuretic Properties
Lemongrass contains diuretic effects, which means it causes the kidneys to produce more urine than regular.
This diuretic activity on the body may be beneficial in relieving bloating caused by water retention. This is also a common symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS2), and lemongrass could prove to be beneficial at such a time.
2.6. Benefits for Diabetic Patients
According to a 2007 study on male and female rats, lemongrass oil may help reduce the blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Not only was it found to reduce blood sugar levels, but it also increased HDL 3cholesterol levels while changing lipid characteristics.
So, when included in one’s diet regularly, lemongrass can help minimize the risk of diabetes-related problems.
2.7. Helps Maintain Cholesterol Levels
Lemongrass has been used for centuries to treat excessive cholesterol4, which raises your chances of having a heart attack or a stroke.
Hence, it’s critical to maintain a healthy cholesterol level, and lemongrass tea, when consumed on a regular basis, aids with cholesterol management.
2.8. Helps Maintain Blood Pressure
Lemongrass tea consumption considerably lowers systolic blood pressure while causing a slight increase in diastolic blood pressure.
2.9. Improves Digestive Health
Lemongrass is used as a natural remedy for a variety of digestive issues, including stomachaches and gastric ulcers. It also aids in the reduction of gas and flatulence.
Lemongrass tea, when consumed daily, helps you maintain a healthy stomach lining and avoid gas.
2.10. Aids in Weight Loss
Another one of the lemongrass benefits is that it aids in weight loss!
Lemongrass can also be used to prepare a detox tea that can help you lose weight by removing extra toxins from your body and boosting your metabolism. But please note that this benefit lacks a proper scientific basis.
However, simply replacing sweetened beverages with herbal teas like lemongrass tea would help you lose weight. So, lemongrass tea taken twice a day aids in weight reduction management.
Also, due to its diuretic aspects, lemongrass will help you shed water weight.
2.11. Oral Health Benefits
Lemongrass stalks are chewed to improve and maintain oral health in many countries. Lemongrass oil is also useful in formulations for controlling yeast infections in the mouth.
Additionally, lemongrass possesses antibacterial properties that may help treat cavities and oral infections and antimicrobial properties that improve overall oral hygiene.
2.12. Relieves Cold and Cough
Lemongrass is an excellent remedy for colds and coughs. It relieves coughing by releasing mucus and clearing the airways. This also makes it possible for people who suffer to breathe comfortably.
2.13. Helps with Anxiety
Among its other uses, lemongrass also has therapeutic use, as smelling its scent is a great technique to reduce anxiety.
The inhalers are also made with lemongrass essential oil, which helps relieve anxiety and stress.
2.14. Improves Hair Health
Finally, lemongrass helps in the improvement of hair health.
Lemongrass oil in the shampoo aids in the prevention of hair loss and dandruff. Applying lemongrass oil to your hair and scalp would also do the trick.
3. Side Effects of Lemongrass
Now that we have discussed the lemongrass benefits let us look at the flip side of the coin, which is the side effects of lemongrass.
While consuming lemongrass hasn’t usually been known to cause side effects, it is always better to stay on the safer side. Since lemongrass contains such powerful ingredients, it is advisable to seek medical advice before consuming it.
You must keep the following dangers in mind before consuming lemongrass in any shape or form:
3.1. Concerns During Pregnancy
It is a common conception that lemongrass is harmful to pregnant women. This is because it is believed that ingesting lemongrass initiates menstrual flow, which might result in a miscarriage.
And while there isn’t enough research to prove this, we would definitely recommend you not take any chances in such a state and avoid lemongrass until more research has been conducted.
3.2. May Cause Skin Irritation
Lemongrass oil can create a rash and irritation when applied to the skin. For this reason, lemongrass oil is often diluted with carrier essential oils such as almond oil, coconut oil, or olive oil to avoid such reactions.
Also, if you have an adverse reaction to the oil after applying it to your skin, it would be better for you to avoid consuming lemongrass through the mouth.
4. How to Use Lemongrass
Finally, we come to how you can use lemongrass. There are a hundred ways for you to use and enjoy lemongrass, but to simplify this, we have listed the best and easiest of them.
You can easily get fresh lemongrass or even tea bags and lemongrass oil extract at grocery stores. So, here is how you can use them!
4.1. For Edible Consumption
4.1.1. Lemongrass Tea
Drinking lemongrass tea, an herbal tea5 produced from lemongrass leaves is a great way of consuming lemongrass.
This lemongrass infusion is very easy to prepare! Just take a cup of boiling water and add a lemongrass tea bag to it. Let it rest for 3 minutes, and it is ready!
It is advisable to consume lemongrass tea two times a day.
4.1.2. Lemongrass Powder
If you are someone who doesn’t like herbal teas, you can also consume lemongrass in powder form. Add half a tablespoon of dried Lemongrass leaf powder to one cup of hot water and wait for around 10 minutes before filtering it.
This too, you should consume twice a day.
4.2. For Skin and Hair
4.2.1. Lemongrass Oil
Lemongrass oil, extracted by steam distilling dried lemongrass, confers benefits to users in a variety of ways!
It has antiseptic and astringent characteristics, which help heal wounds and treat muscular and joint problems. Lemongrass can also be applied to hair, preferably once a week, to reap the benefits mentioned in the previous section!
4.3. Other Lemongrass Uses
4.3.1. Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lemongrass essential oil is also extracted from lemongrass, an excellent aromatherapy 6tool for stress and anxiety relief.
4.3.2. Lemongrass as a Fragrance
Lemongrass extract is also often used to make natural insect repellent, disinfectants, soaps, and candles to give them a fresh aroma.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
5.1. Is it OK to drink lemongrass tea every day?
Yes! It is safe and beneficial to consume lemongrass tea every day. However, it might cause side effects for some people if consumed too much. Therefore, take precautionary measures while consuming lemongrass.
5.2. Is lemongrass good for the kidney and liver?
Yes. It is known that lemongrass helps in enhancing the functioning of the liver and kidneys.
5.3. What is the best time to drink lemongrass tea?
Taking lemongrass tea on an empty stomach in the morning helps detoxify the body and makes you feel fresh to start your day.
5.4. Who should not consume lemongrass?
It is advisable to avoid lemongrass for pregnant and breastfeeding women as it initiates menstrual flow and can increase the possibility of miscarriage.
With this, we come to the end of this article! We hope you found it useful and got to know more about the lemongrass benefits and its side effects and uses!
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