Foods

Lemongrass Benefits for your Health and its Importance in your Diet

Want to get rid of mosquitoes in your home? Or want to attain a healthy body and flawless skin? It would be hard to believe that one thing can help all your queries. Intrigued? Yes, lemongrass is one such magical herb can aid in multiple ailments. Learn how you can reap the maximum lemongrass benefits today!

What is Lemongrass?

Lemongrass is also known as Citronella. The leaves of this plant get used to making necessary medicines that can aid in various illnesses. You can consume lemongrass orally as well as apply its extracts directly on the skin. It gets used as an herbal tea in most of the countries of Asia and Africa.

The lemongrass benefits include lowering of cholesterol, preventing from fungal infection and relieving anxiety and many more. It also serves as an essential ingredient for manufacturing deodorants, soaps, etc. Due to its natural fragrance.

Lemongrass and its Nutrients

Lemongrass has various kinds of nutrients which is beneficial for the human body. The lemongrass is very low in saturated fat as well as cholesterol. It contains zinc, sodium, and copper in adequate quantities.

It also includes various kinds of essential oils, chemical, minerals as well as vitamins. The herb is absolutely cholesterol free. The oil contained by lemongrass has antiseptic and antifungal properties. The lemongrass leaves whether dried or fresh contains minerals like potassium, calcium as well as iron.

Lemongrass Benefits for Your Health

Lemongrass has become popular in most of the countries of Asia and Africa. It is because of its antiseptic properties which makes it very useful.

It is available in much forms like lemongrass oil, lemongrass tea, lemongrass seeds. It gets consumed on a large scale in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. Different products of lemongrass offer various benefits, these products, and their benefits are discussed as follows:

Lemongrass Tea

Lemongrass tea is made up of leaves of lemongrass. It offers multiple benefits to the human body, and it gets considered as a healthy beverage which can get consumed on a daily basis.

It helps in fighting with the free radicals and reducing the chances of inflammation etc. Due to the unhealthy lifestyle, inflammation is considered a significant and common problem. It can get cured to quite an extent through regular consumption of lemongrass tea. The various benefits are as follows:

1. Lemongrass tea lowers cholesterol

Lemongrass tea is very beneficial for you if you are suffering from a higher level of cholesterol or hypertension.

The properties of lemongrass allow it to reduce the level of LDL or low-density Lipoproteins. It leads to a better as well as effective maintenance of blood pressure levels. Thus, it can turn out beneficial for patients suffering from high cholesterol and high Heart issues.

The current unhealthy lifestyles of people are turning their cholesterol level high. Thus incorporation of lemongrass tea in the daily diet plan can reduce the chances of higher cholesterol to quite an extent.

2. Tea of lemongrass benefits to reduce bloating

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Bloating occurs from improper eating habit and can create various kind of illness to you. Therefore proper treatment and long-term solution are necessary for this kind of problem.

This problem can get addressed by adding lemongrass tea to your daily diet on a regular basis. It has diuretic properties which stimulate kidneys. Therefore the body tends to produce more urine than usual.

Various studies on patients have suggested that drinking this tea has increased the output of urine more than other beverages. It can be beneficial for those people who face issues of bloating due to water retention within their body.

Lemongrass acts as an essential detoxifier of the body, and thus problems like bloating can be addressed to quite an extent going in future.

3. Lemongrass tea boosts red blood cells level

People who consume lemongrass tea on a consistent basis for at least 30 days observe this benefit. They have an improved hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volumes as well as red blood cells within the body.

It is primarily because of the antioxidants properties that are present in the tea, which makes it entirely different than the other beverages that are present in the market. There are various studies, which have suggested that regular consumption of this tea increases the number of red blood cells within the body.

Lemongrass Oil

Lemongrass oil uses are enormous; it gets used in the cuisines in various countries like Malaysia, Thailand, etc. This oil is also consistently used in manufacturing as well as the production of personal care products in a practical way. It gets extracted from the leaves and stalks of lemongrass plant. This oil has a dominant citrus aroma.

The oil derived from lemongrass benefits in various ways that include relieving stress, reducing anxiety, etc. This reasons the popularity of lemongrass oil not only amongst general people but also manufacturing business.

Big and reputed companies use lemongrass oil in their products to enhance the overall quality. The various benefits of lemongrass oil are as follows:

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4. Lemongrass oil contains anti-inflammatory properties

Lemongrass oil contains anti-inflammatory properties that slow down the process of inflammation, if not completely eradicate it. It is one of the most crucial benefits that can get derived from lemongrass oil.

Inflammation can cause various severe diseases like arthritis, cardiovascular issues, and many others. Lemongrass tea and oil contain citral, which is an anti-inflammatory compound. It will reduce the cases if inflammation and you can have a healthier future going ahead through regular consumption of lemongrass oil.

5. Oil of lemongrass benefits in reducing stress and anxiety

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In today’s lifestyle stress is a common phenomenon due to which various kinds of health issues arise within the human body. These include high blood pressure, anxiety and in some severe cases, acute depression. Thus, it is essential to have a regular consumption of oil like lemongrass get rid of the issues related to stress as well as anxiety over a more extended period.

In a study on participants, lemongrass oil massage was given to them for once a week and up to 3 weeks. The result showed that they had a low diastolic blood pressure as compared to people massaged regular oil.

Recipe of Lemongrass Tea

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This recipe is the most widely followed amongst other lemongrass recipes around the world. The lemongrass tea benefits your health in various ways, and it does not take much time for preparation. It can get prepared within few minutes and the ingredients required is also not much.

You can add this tea to your diet and feel the difference in your health over a period. The lemongrass tea has become one of the favorite beverages of breakfast in most parts of Asia and Africa.

Ingredients

  • Water- 4 Cups
  • 2 cups of lemongrass stalks that get chopped roughly
  • Sugar up to the 1/4th cup, based on taste

Procedure

  • The water shall be put to heat, on a medium-size saucepan until it is adequately heated
  • Add lemongrass and shall be boiled quickly for 5 minutes
  • Now, reduce the heat to low and simmer the tea for up to 5 minutes
  • Now, it is necessary to strain the stalks from water and stir the same in sugar until dissolved. This process is required to make sure that sugar gets adequately dissolved in water along with the essence of lemongrass stalks.
  • It can be served warm or can be put into the refrigerator and served with ice. In both the ways, it will have its nutritious value and will taste better. However, it gets recommended to consume it hot as the benefits derived from consumption of hot lemongrass tea are more than the iced lemongrass tea.

Side Effects of Lemongrass

Though the lemongrass benefits are plenty, there are certain side-effects of it as well. Lemongrass can get used in various kinds of ways; it is mostly used for food and can also get applied to the skin.

It is necessary to make sure that you take appropriate precautions before consuming or applying lemongrass. Some of the prominent side effects of lemongrass are seen among people who were having a food allergy and for pregnant women. The various side effects due to lemongrass are as follows:

1. Lemongrass may cause skin allergy

There have been reported cases, where people who have allergy from food, may experience itchy skin rash or hives over the skin from regular consumption of lemongrass tea. The lemongrass allergy cases are not much.

Lemongrass has the properties which might affect an individual who would consume it for the first time or is prone to food allergy. How their body will respond to any external element infused is not certain. Therefore, it shall be consumed keeping in mind this side effect of the tea.

2. Lemongrass tea is not right in pregnancy

Lemongrass tends to begin menstrual flow, and thus if women consume it during the tenure of pregnancy, it may cause miscarriage in pregnant women. It is advisable to avoid lemongrass when they are going through pregnancy as it might cause various harmful effects on their and their children’s health.

Lemongrass tea pregnancy side effects make it an infamous tea among women community as they have to undergo menstrual cycles on a regular basis and it expedites the menstrual cycle of women.

Conclusion

Lemongrass has plenty of benefits for your health. It is quite clear that lemongrass benefits override its side effects. It is easy to consume and is available within the market with not many difficulties. Lemongrass leaves get used to making tea and extracting its natural oil. It is one of the most effective beverages available in the market and adding the same in your diet can have a very positive impact on your health going forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is lemongrass healthy for sugar patients?

The answer is yes. Lemongrass tea contains properties, which slows down or reduces the overall absorption of starch and sugar into the body. Thus, it prevents sugar and starch to convert into fat cells quite easily.

Therefore it is a fact that tea of lemongrass benefits those who are suffering from high sugar problems. The citrus present in lemongrass can be beneficial for the patients of type-2 diabetes. It tries to maintain the level of insulin within the body and at the same time tolerates the glucose level that is currently present.

2. Is lemongrass tea healthy for skin?

Yes. Lemongrass contains antiseptic and astringent qualities, which makes it quite accessible for skin treatment and widely gets used for healthy skin. It gets considered as a skin tonic as well as a natural remedy for preventing acne and act as a cleanser for oily skin. Lemongrass sterilizes the pores as well as strengthens the skin tissues effectively.

3. Is lemongrass tea helps in reducing obesity?

Citral is the most crucial ingredient which is present in large quantity within lemongrass; it tends to prevent the accumulation of abdominal fat and.

It also helps in breaking down of fat into energy rather than converting sugar and starch into fat cells. It ultimately helps in eliminating obesity in the best possible way.

It also aids in the overall oxidation of fatty acid and leads to a reduction in the possibilities of weight gain in the longer run.

Citrus is primarily responsible for improving the metabolism of the body, and thus it reduces the formation of fat cells and turns fat into energy.