7 HEALTH BENEFITS AND USES OF LEMON GRASS (FEVER GRASS)

Lemon grass which is commonly known as fever grass is an indigenous plant to Africa and Asia. It is scientifically known as Cymbopogon citratus. It has long slender leaves and as its name implies, it tastes like lemon.

A study found the following nutrients found in lemon grass: 

• carbohydrates
• proteins
• fat
• tannins
• flavonoids
• terpenoids

Lemon grass can be consumed fresh or can be dried and preserved for further use. Here are five benefits of lemon grass. Though there is little research on the importance of lemon grass, its effectiveness is confirmed by folk users all over Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Asia.

1) It possesses antibiotic properties
A study conducted showed that lemon grass oil is effective against 6 species of bacteria (1).
The inhabitants of remote villages in Africa use lemon grass to make herbal oil infusions. 

2)Alleviates common cold 

Fever grass has anti-bacterial and anti fungal properties that make it useful for fighting minor infections caused by bacteria (2). 
Furthermore, the vitamin C in it helps fight infections. 

3)Reduces joint pain

Fever grass contains anti-inflammatory properties that suppresses cyclooxygenase-2 which is an enzyme that causes pain especially in joints.  

Fever grass will therefore help to reduce joint pain caused by arthritis, rheumatism and osteoarthritis. Fever grass also helps relieve the muscles in sprains and strains thereby reducing pain.

People suffering from joint pain either drink lemon grass tea or apply lemon grass oil on the affected part. 

     4) lemon has anti cancer benefits
     A study conducted showed that a component of lemongrass causes apoptosis (cell suicide) in carcinoma cells (3). 
     
     Another study further investigated the antiproliferative and antioxidant potential of cymbopogon citratus (Lemon grass) extracts and revealed that lemon grass extract has antiproliferative properties on human cancer cells (4).

    Polysaccharides extracted from lemon grass have also showed that it has anti-tumour properties achieved through immunoenhancement. It inhibited the growth of tumours (5).

     5) Reduces cholesterol levels
  Findings from a study have confirmed the safety and use of lemon grass in folk medicine and further showed that lemon grass has a beneficial effect on the reduction of blood cholesterol level (6)

    Researchers from the Department of Nutritional science in the University of Wisconsin conducted a research in 1989 to establish the link between lemon grass and cholesterol. The findings of the study was published in the medical journal of lipids in 1989. The clinical trial involved 22 people with high cholesterol and blood fats. This group of people took 140 mg of lemon grass oil daily and at the end of the study, they experienced a significant reduction in cholesterol levels and blood fats.

6) Lemon grass can be used to treat headaches 
Lemon grass possesses anti-inflammatory properties (7) which makes it effective against mild pain and headaches

7) Detoxifies the body

Lemon grass tea is able to detoxify the body and help get rid of toxins from the body (8).  It cleanses and detoxifies the body by promoting frequent urination. By so doing the kidneys and bladder are cleansed. Drink lemon grass tea once in a while to detoxify your body.

last updated: 11/7/2017