Today is an excellent day to discover more about the health benefits of lemongrass.
What is lemongrass?
Lemongrass is a tropical grass that has been used in Asian cuisine for centuries.
It has a strong, lemon-like scent and flavor, which makes it an ideal ingredient for a variety of dishes.
Lemongrass is most often found fresh or dried.
It has a strong smell and taste that can be added to drinks, soups, sauces, and marinades.
Native to India, Southeast Asia, and the Philippines, lemongrass is easy to grow in warm climates.
As an herbaceous perennial plant, it has thick green leaves that grow along the stalk of the plant up to four feet tall.
When the stalk is cut into thin slices or ground into a paste, it can also be eaten.
It has a unique citrusy taste that is common in Thai cooking.
Here’s a list of the health benefits of lemongrass.
- Lemongrass may aid in the treatment of anxiety and depression.
- It is high in nutrients.
- Lemongrass may aid in the prevention of obesity.
- May aid in cholesterol reduction.
- Lemongrass has a high concentration of antioxidants.
- Aids in the protection of your heart.
- Lemongrass detoxifies the body indirectly.
- Edema may be treated.
- Lemongrass may help with stomach problems.
- Assists with sleeping.
- Lemongrass can boost your energy.
- Cough and cold symptoms are treated.
- Lemongrass is antimicrobial.
- Some pain may be relieved.
- Lemongrass may aid in the treatment of diabetes.
- Helps with skin care.
- Lemongrass aids in dandruff reduction.
- The body may be revitalized.
- Lemongrass aids in the elimination of body odor.
- Enhances eye health.
- Lemongrass has the potential to be an insect repellent.
Please keep reading if you want to learn more.
1. Lemongrass May Help Treat Anxiety And Depression
Lemongrass is liked because it has antidepressant properties that make anxiety and sadness less noticeable.
It makes your brain make more serotonin, which is a very important chemical for your mental health.
Lemongrass not only helps to ease anxiety and sadness, but it also helps you feel better about yourself, gets rid of negative emotions, and strengthens your mind.
Citronella, which is found in lemongrass, calms the body and mind and helps people sleep better.
2. Has A High Nutrient Content
As a plain grass plant, lemongrass has reasonable amounts of nutrients that you can benefit from.
Some of these are protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc.
You can also get vitamins from lemongrass, like vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin A, and folate.
Adding it to your diet from time to time can help you become healthier in the long run.
3. Lemongrass May Be Effective In Combating Obesity
Lemongrass’s citral is well-known for its capacity to both prevent and treat obesity.
This part makes it easier to use stored energy and stops belly fat from building up.
Daily consumption of lemongrass tea speeds up weight loss, but a balanced diet should also be included.
When you drink lemongrass tea, you lose weight because your body burns more fat and your metabolism speeds up.
4. May Be Used As A Natural Way To Lower Cholesterol Levels
In an article, it is said that the anti-hypercholesterolemic and anti-hyperlipidemic properties of lemongrass essential oils may help control cholesterol levels.
An animal study using lemongrass showed a reduction of bad cholesterol and proper levels of triglycerides.
It can help prevent heart disease by preventing lipid buildup in your blood vessels.
This makes it easier for blood to flow through your arteries.
5. Lemongrass Contains Good Amounts Of Antioxidants
Lemongrass is rich in antioxidants and provides cellular protection.
Antioxidants look for harmful free radicals that are moving around the body and get rid of them.
This helps fix any damage that has already been done and improves the health of the cells.
This keeps our skin healthy and smooth and aids in illness prevention.
Aam panna also contains a lot of antioxidants. You may find out more about its health benefits by going here.
6. Aids In Protecting Your Heart
We’ve already mentioned that lemongrass helps reduce cholesterol. This contributes greatly to keeping your heart healthy.
It also contains potassium, which can help regulate your blood pressure.
Finally, the antioxidants in lemongrass lower your risk of diseases caused by oxidative stress.
7. Lemongrass Indirectly Detoxifies The Body
Lemongrass has diuretic properties.
This means that it can make you urinate more to get rid of extra water and toxins in your body.
This effect can help maintain good digestive health and detoxify your body.
8. May Treat Edema
As mentioned earlier, lemongrass has diuretic properties.
This quality helps in treating edema or too much water retention.
It can also soothe the swelling.
9. Lemongrass Is Used To Aid In Relieving Stomach Disorders
Based on research, lemongrass essential oils have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that can help fight different infections that are caused by pathogens like Escherichia coli and Helicobacter pylori.
It can also reduce inflammation and gastrointestinal disorders.
You might want to try lemongrass essential oil if you have constipation, diarrhea, gastric ulcers, nausea, a stomachache, or ulcerative colitis.
Consuming lemongrass may be helpful to improve your digestion.
It has good fiber content and may help increase good bacteria in your colon.
(Antimicrobial Activity Of Essential Oils Against Helicobacter Pylori)
10. Assists In Sleep
Drinking lemongrass tea before going to bed may improve your sleep.
This research on lemongrass will tell you that it has sedative properties that can calm your muscles and ease your mind.
Both of these effects can give you a better, more relaxing sleep.
Mead may also help you sleep. You may learn more about its health advantages by clicking here.
11. Lemongrass Can Give You More Energy
Drinking lemongrass tea can improve your energy levels.
Lemongrass contains manganese, which is essential for your body’s metabolism.
It also helps sustain your energy levels.
Riboflavin, which is also present in lemongrass, helps sustain your body’s energy.
12. Lemongrass Is Widely Used To Treat Cough And Cold Symptoms
Lemongrass is a powerful medicinal herb that has been used to treat a wide range of illnesses for hundreds of years.
It is also aromatic, with a distinct citrus-like aroma and flavor.
Recent studies have shown that lemongrass has antimicrobial properties that could help treat coughs and colds.
It is thought that the anti-inflammatory and muscle-relaxing properties of lemongrass come from the essential oils it contains.
By drinking tea brewed from the leaves of this plant or using it as an ingredient in food recipes, it can help reduce coughing spasms, soothe sore throats, and clear nasal passages.
Lemongrass oil can also be put on the chest when it is mixed with a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil.
This helps to calm the area, reduce swelling, and clear congestion.
13. Lemongrass Has Antifungal And Antibacterial Properties
Lemongrass can be used as an antiseptic.
It is effective in treating different kinds of infections like athlete’s foot, ringworms, scabies, sores, and urinary tract infections.
This is because of its antifungal and antimicrobial properties.
14. May Reduce Some Pain (My Favorite Health Benefit Of Lemongrass)
Lemongrass may be able to lessen the discomfort and pain caused by headaches and migraines.
This is because lemongrass also has analgesic properties.
In addition to its analgesic properties, its phytonutrient contents can improve your blood circulation.
This results in relieving backaches, muscle cramps, spasms, and sprains.
It can also be good at relieving menstrual pain because of its soothing effect.
You can also use lemongrass to relieve some of the pain caused by rheumatism.
15. Lemongrass May Help With Diabetes
There is an animal study that showed that the citral in lemongrass might help in maintaining proper insulin levels.
It can also improve the body’s tolerance to glucose.
Rose hips have also been reported to help with diabetic management. You may find out more about its health benefits by going here.
16. Lemongrass Extracts May Support Skin Care
Lemongrass can help prevent skin problems like enlarged pores and fungus infections.
This herb has antioxidants that fight wrinkles and fine lines, which lowers the risk of aging too quickly.
Because it is antifungal, antiseptic, and antibacterial, lemongrass can help stop fungi or bacteria from growing on your skin.
Lemongrass tea can help prevent skin infections and lessen skin issues brought on by bacterial or fungal infections if you drink it every day.
Lemongrass is also astringent, which means it shrinks pores, stops oil production, and makes skin more flexible.
Furthermore, a study found that lemongrass extract has potential topical applications for skin health.
The results show that the essential oil from dried lemongrass could be used to treat acne or slow the aging process.
In the study, researchers looked at what happened when they put lemongrass extract on the skin of mice for four weeks.
Results showed significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity compared to the control groups.
Also, compared to areas that weren’t treated, there were no signs of inflammation or damage in the areas that were treated.
These findings suggest that lemongrass extract can help reduce wrinkles and improve texture and tone by increasing firmness and hydration levels in skin cells.
17. Lemongrass Essential Oils Help Reduce Dandruff
Lemongrass has been seen as a good natural remedy for dandruff.
A study found that using a hair tonic containing lemongrass oil effectively reduced dandruff.
(Anti-Dandruff Hair Tonic Containing Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Flexuosus) Oil)
18. May Revitalize The Body
Lemongrass oil is used for aromatherapy, which can help revitalize your body.
It’s because of the therapeutic effects of the compounds in lemongrass essential oils.
Some of these compounds are citronellol, dipentene, geraniol, methyl heptenone, myrcene, and neroli.
Besides aromatherapy, you can also use lemongrass oil for your therapeutic baths.
This can calm your nerves and alleviate anxiety, fatigue, and stress.
19. Lemongrass Helps Eliminate Body Odor
The antibacterial properties of lemongrass help remove the bacteria that cause bad body odor.
It’s also good for foot bathing if you have smelly feet.
This can prevent bacterial and fungal infections in your feet, which can also cause a bad smell.
20. Improves Eye Health
Another herb that’s good for improving the health of your eyes is lemongrass.
Lemongrass contains vitamin A, which is excellent for keeping your eyesight healthy.
Drinking a cup or two a day of lemongrass tea can go a long way when it comes to your eye health.
Shishito peppers may also be beneficial to eye health. You may learn more about its health advantages by clicking here.
21. Lemongrass Can Be An Insect Repellent
Not only is lemongrass a natural ingredient that’s safe for humans and pets, but studies have shown that this powerful plant can deter many different types of insects.
Researchers have found that lemongrass has citronella oil in it, which is known to keep mosquitoes and other flying bugs away.
It’s also been found to be effective against ticks, fleas, ants, roaches, and flies.
In fact, some experts believe that it may even offer greater protection than commercial bug sprays, as its aroma lasts longer than chemical-based products.
Conclusion
Just like other grass-type plants, you wouldn’t think of lemongrass as having a lot of health benefits for your body.
I’m amazed at how many health benefits lemongrass brings.
Now for my favorite health benefit, it’ll be the pain-reduction quality of it.
Arthritis pain is just very troubling for me.
Any bit of help with it is good for me.
What’s your favorite lemongrass health benefit?
Although lemongrass is common and drinking lemongrass tea is fairly safe, please always check first with your doctor or medical professional.
You may have certain conditions that prohibit you from consuming lemongrass.
If you want to know more about other herbs that are beneficial to your health, you can click here.
As always, if you find this article valuable and you know someone who can benefit from it, please share it.
Thank you!