Lemongrass

What is Lemongrass?

Lemongrass is a fast-growing tropical grass native to South and Southeast Asia, now cultivated across the tropics worldwide. Its lower stalks and leaves are used fresh in cooking, brewed into tea, or concentrated into essential oil. The plant is a staple in Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian cuisines and a long-standing remedy in traditional medicine systems from Ayurveda to Brazilian folk healing.

How does Lemongrass work?

The main active compound, citral, gives lemongrass its distinctive lemon scent and drives most of its health effects — it helps relax smooth muscle in the gut (easing cramps and bloating), has natural antimicrobial properties, and supports the body's inflammatory response. Flavonoids like isoorientin and luteolin add antioxidant and mild blood pressure-lowering activity by helping blood vessels relax.

What forms does Lemongrass come in?

Tea made from fresh or dried stalks is the most traditional and accessible form, delivering a gentle therapeutic dose. Essential oil is much more concentrated and intended for aromatherapy or diluted topical use — never taken by mouth undiluted. Capsules and powders standardized to citral content are used for more targeted supplementation. Culinary use (whole stalks in soups and curries) provides smaller but consistent daily exposure to beneficial compounds.

Where it comes from:

Lemongrass has been used medicinally for at least 2,000 years. In Ayurveda it was prescribed for fevers, digestive issues, and respiratory complaints. In Brazil and the Caribbean it is still among the most widely consumed medicinal teas, commonly called 'fever grass.' Traditional Chinese and Thai medicine both incorporated it for digestive and calming purposes. Its essential oil entered Western aromatherapy and cosmetic use in the early 20th century.

What does Lemongrass help with?

• Bloating and digestive discomfort: Lemongrass has a long tradition as a digestive herb, and its antispasmodic action helps relax the muscles of the gut wall, reducing cramping, gas, and bloating. A cup of lemongrass tea after meals is one of the most common folk remedies across Southeast Asia and Latin America for this purpose.
• Anxiety and stress: Lemongrass aromatherapy and tea both appear to have mild calming effects, likely through its fragrant compounds acting on the nervous system. Small clinical studies have found that inhaling lemongrass essential oil can reduce anxiety and lower the body's stress response fairly quickly.
• High blood pressure: Early human research suggests lemongrass tea may help bring blood pressure down modestly, possibly by helping blood vessels relax. While it is not a replacement for prescribed medication, it may be a useful addition to a heart-healthy lifestyle.
• High cholesterol: A few small clinical studies have found that lemongrass supplementation can lower total cholesterol and triglycerides, and may improve the balance of good and bad cholesterol. Results are promising but more research is needed to confirm the best dose and duration.
• Fungal and bacterial infections: Citral in lemongrass oil is a well-documented natural antimicrobial — it disrupts the cell membranes of bacteria and fungi, making it effective against several common pathogens including Candida. Topical or aromatherapy use is most relevant here; internal use for infection requires appropriate dosing.
• Fever and flu symptoms: Traditionally used across Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean as a fever remedy, lemongrass tea helps the body sweat and cool down and may have mild analgesic properties. Its anti-inflammatory compounds may also ease the body aches associated with colds and flu.
• Stomach cramps and nausea: The muscle-relaxing effects of lemongrass compounds extend to the stomach, making it genuinely useful for nausea and cramps. It is commonly recommended in traditional medicine for morning sickness, travel sickness, and general stomach upset.
• Chronic inflammation: Lemongrass contains multiple compounds that dampen inflammatory pathways in the body. Regular consumption through tea or supplementation may help reduce the low-grade inflammation linked to many chronic diseases, though most strong evidence comes from lab studies rather than large human trials.
• Skin conditions (topical): Diluted lemongrass essential oil is used topically for acne, oily skin, and minor fungal infections like athlete's foot. Its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties make it a practical natural option, though it must always be diluted in a carrier oil to avoid skin irritation.
• Blood sugar management: Early research suggests lemongrass flavonoids may help moderate blood sugar levels by supporting insulin activity and reducing the absorption of sugar in the gut. This is an emerging area of research and most evidence is still preliminary.

What can Lemongrass help prevent?

• Recurrent yeast infections (topical/internal antimicrobial use may reduce Candida overgrowth)
• Mosquito bites (citronella-type compounds in lemongrass essential oil have documented insect-repellent activity)

Which foods are rich in Lemongrass?

1. Fresh lemongrass stalks: The whole plant itself — used fresh in Southeast Asian cooking, it delivers the highest concentration of citral, geraniol, and beneficial flavonoids directly.
2. Lemongrass tea (dried herb): Dried lemongrass brewed as tea is the most accessible daily therapeutic form, delivering a consistent dose of active compounds including citral and antioxidant flavonoids.
3. Lemon verbena: A closely related herb with a similar citral-rich essential oil profile — a good culinary and tea alternative that shares many of lemongrass's antioxidant and digestive benefits.
4. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis): Contains citral and related terpenoids overlapping with lemongrass, with similar calming and digestive effects — widely available as tea and often combined with lemongrass in blends.
5. Ginger: Shares the digestive, anti-nausea, and anti-inflammatory territory with lemongrass and works well alongside it — a complementary food for the same conditions lemongrass targets.

Practical Tips:

Lemongrass is itself a food and herb. The best dietary approach is to use fresh stalks regularly in cooking (soups, curries, marinades) or brew daily tea from dried lemongrass. Pairing with ginger, turmeric, and citrus-rich foods amplifies its anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits.

How much Lemongrass should you take?

• Recommended daily: Tea: 1–2 cups daily brewed from 1–2 tsp dried lemongrass (approx. 2–4 g herb). Capsule/powder: 500–1,000 mg standardized extract once or twice daily. Essential oil (aromatherapy): 2–5 drops diffused; topical use requires dilution to 1–2% in carrier oil.
• Best time of day: Tea for digestion is best after meals. Tea or aromatherapy for anxiety and sleep is best in the evening. Capsules for blood pressure or cholesterol can be taken any time, ideally consistently each day.
• With or without food: Tea and capsules are generally better tolerated with food to avoid stomach irritation, especially at higher doses.
• Time to effect: Digestive and calming effects: 30–60 minutes per use. Blood pressure and cholesterol changes: 4–8 weeks of consistent daily use.
• How long to take it: Safe for ongoing daily use in tea or food amounts with no known need to cycle. For higher-dose supplementation targeting blood pressure or cholesterol, reassess with a healthcare provider after 8–12 weeks.