Natural products like turmeric, ginger etc, if eaten in the right proportions are always helpful. Lemon grass is one such natural herb that has many health benefits. Lemon grass is widely used in Indian, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Thai cuisine. It is also frequently used as an ingredient in herbal teas and other blends.
Lemon grass (scientifically known as Cymbopogon ciatrus) is a genus containing about 55 species of grasses. It is a perennial grass with sharp-edged leaves, and it grows into dense clumps. It thrives in warm weather and reaches a height of about 2 to 4 feet. It grows and spreads very fast like any other grass.
The contributions of lemon grass in medicinal applications are well known to many cultures. Have a quick look at how lemon grass can prove beneficial to cope with some health disorders:
- Prevents Cancer: A study revealed that every 100 g of edible lemon grass contains up to 24.205 micrograms of beta-carotene -- the powerful antioxidant that can help prevent cancer. In 2006, a research team from the Ben Gurion University in Israel found that citral, a key compound found in lemon grass, induced programmed cell death (apoptosis) in the cancerous cells while leaving the normal cells unharmed. As part of the research, the concentration of citral equivalent to the quantity in a cup of tea (one gram of lemon grass in hot water) was used.
- Aids in Digestion: Lemongrass tea can help with poor digestion, stomach aches, gas, bowel spasms, and diarrhea. It also helps to reduce gas problems as it has the ability to relax the stomach muscles. It not only helps remove gas from the intestines, but also prevents further gas formation.
- Effective Detoxifier: Lemongrass also has the property of detoxifying the body by increasing the quantity and frequency of urination. This helps the liver, digestive tract, kidney, pancreas and bladder to stay clean and healthy by assisting the body to get rid of unwanted toxic substances and uric acid.
- Benefits the Nervous system: Essential oils made by using lemon grass can be used for strengthening and improving the functionality of the nervous system. It aids in treating several disorders of the nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, convulsions, nervousness, vertigo, shaking limbs etc.
- Reduces Blood Pressure: Lemon grass is effective in reducing blood pressure. It boosts blood circulation and eases all the problems of the blood pressure. Drinking a glass of lemongrass juice can bring down your blood pressure considerably.
- Acts as Effective Analgesic: Lemongrass helps to offer relief against all kinds of inflammation and irritability related to pains and aches. So if you have toothache, muscle ache, joint pain or any other pain, lemongrass tea can certainly help you.
- Benefits the Skin: Lemon grass is a pillar in the cosmetic industry as it has so many benefits for the skin. Lemon grass improves skin quality by reducing acne and pimples. It also acts as a muscle and tissue toner.
- Benefits Women's Health: It has been found that lemon grass can prove to be beneficial for women as it helps in treating menstrual troubles and nausea. By mixing lemon grass with pepper, one can get rid of a majority of problems related to women's menstrual cycle.
The best way to consume lemon grass is through lemongrass tea. It is not only the therapeutic effect that makes lemon grass very popular, but its incredible flavor adds taste to the food. Lemon grass can be added to meat dishes like poultry, fish and pork. The preventive and therapeutic health benefits of lemon grass are too good to ignore.
