Lemongrass Plant Benefits | How to Grow Lemongrass

The citrusy flavored lemongrass is a top ingredient in Asian cuisine. Here are some awesome Lemongrass Plant Benefits that you must know!

Lemongrass is popular in Asia for imparting pleasing fragrance and lemony flavor to the dishes. But are you aware of its exceptional therapeutic properties? Well, this article lists all the effective and proven Lemongrass Plant Benefits.

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What is Lemongrass?

Lemongrass is indigenous to tropical and subtropical climatic regions, specifically India and Sri Lanka. Regions like the western ghats, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim are the major cultivators in India.

The plant thrives in a clumping habit and can grow as long as 5-feet and as wide as 4-feet. It is a perennial plant with long, grassy leaves reminiscent of the seagrasses. Lemongrass is prized for its culinary and therapeutic uses. Its stalks and leaves are used for imparting lemony flavor in herbal teas, beverages, and curries. The leaves extract can also be applied topically on the skin for pain relief.

Lemongrass Plant Benefits

1. Relieves Anxiety and Stress

Drinking lemon tea helps in relieving stress, anxiety and also improves sleep quality. Moreover, the lemongrass fragrance has a soothing effect that mere whiffing the leaves or its oil lower anxiety and elevate mood.

2. Lowers Cholesterol

Some research shows that consuming the extracts of lemongrass effectively lowers cholesterol, thanks to its Hypocholesterolemic effect. Again, though, the quantity intake plays a major role, as low doses might not be as effective.

3. Helpful in Alleviating Rhematitis Arthritis Pain

Some studies advocate that applying the lemongrass oil topically on the affected part of the skin provides relief to arthritis pain. It is also stated that drinking lemongrass tea helps in blocking out inflammatory pain.

4. Assists in Getting Rid of Dandruff

Some people have reported that applying lemongrass oil on the hairs knocks off the dandruff problem.

5. Offers Natural Dental Care

Chewing or rinsing the mouth with fresh stalks of lemongrass improves oral health and works as a mouth cleanser. In addition, lemongrass herbal extracts hamper bacterial growth, therefore keeping the cavity and plaque problems at bay.

6. Improves RBC Count

It is reported from a study from Researchgate that regularly drinking lemongrass tea can uplift the hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, and RBC count, thanks to its antioxidant and pharmacologic properties.

7. Treats Urinary Tract Infection

The antimicrobial property of Lemongrass has a profound effect in treating urinary tract infections(UTI). Also, lemongrass has diuretic property, and consuming its tea prompts more urination. It tricks the kidney to generate more urine than normal.

8. Provides Relief in Menstrual Cramps

Some native beliefs suggest that drinking the tea of lemongrass leaves and stalks can relieve stomach pain and render calming effects in menstrual cramps.

Note: The above-mentioned health benefit pointers are based on small-scale or lab-based studies. Still, more large-scale researches are needed to validate the mentioned facts.

Lemongrass Culinary Uses

Food Flavoring

Take the lower stalk of lemongrass – it should be pale and yellow in color. Discard all the leaves, leaving only a few inches of the tender stalk. These stalks can be used either in dried or fresh form in Asian cuisines. They act as citrusy flavoring agents in soups, poultry, and seafood dishes.

Lemongrass Herbal Tea

• Snip off fresh stalks of lemongrass. The stalk’s texture must be firm, not rubbery, as the softer stalks have negligible flavor.
• Cut the stalk into small chunks. Now, boil water for prepping tea.
• Once boiled, pour the chunks into the boiling water.
• Let the chunks steep in the water for 5-7 minutes.
• Then, strain it, and your tea is ready to serve.
• You can also add some ice for relishing a lemongrass ice tea.

How to Grow Lemon Grass

From Cuttings

Snip off a fresh 4-5 inches cutting from a healthy plant. Discard any leaves from the cutting and plant it directly in a pot filled with a good quality potting mix. The cutting will sprout within a week.

From Seeds

Buy good quality seeds from the garden store. Take a pot that is around 10-12 inches deep and wide. Fill it with regular potting soil. Sow the seeds 2-4 inches deeper and keep the pot at any well lit location. Keep the soil slightly moist all the time. For growing in the garden, sow the seeds 2 feet apart, as the plant has a spreading habit.

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