Benefits of Lemongrass Tea

Tap to Read ➤ Mukta Gaikwad

Lemongrass tea has been a folk medicine for a long time now. Read on to find out what are the lemongrass tea uses, its health benefits and how to make it.

Lemongrass is a native of South East Asia and Africa. Cymbopogon , as it is botanically called, this plant belongs to the grass family. Since the ancient times, lemongrass has widely been used in Indian cuisine. Lemongrass oil has been used for its zesty flavor and medicinal properties.

However, in recent times, lemongrass tea has gained immense popularity among westerners for its medicinal properties. This tall perennial grass is easy to grow, which is why you can make it a regular kitchen garden plant. Let's see what are the benefits of lemongrass tea.

Benefits

Lemongrass has been used in South Asian cooking since a long time. It is known to have a calming effect on the body, thereby helps in inducing sleep and curing insomnia.

Lemongrass is also antibacterial and antifungal in nature, which makes it an effective remedy for a wide variety of complaints. It provides relief from nausea, severe menstrual cramps and acts as a diuretic too.The health benefits stretch to detoxification of liver, pancreas, kidneys, bladder and the digestive tract.

Lemongrass tea also helps in maintaining normal cholesterol levels in the body, toxins, excess fats and improves digestion. Lemongrass finds a place in Ayurvedic medicine for its innumerable properties, relieving common cold and cough being the famous ones.

Lemongrass tea has been an ancient remedy for curing chest congestion, colds and coughs. A concoction called, 'kadha' is given to the patient to get rid of common cold. Also, if you add a dash of pepper to this tea, it will help you ease all menstrual problems like cramps and nausea.

Interestingly, this tea benefits in acne prevention and in dealing with other skin problems too. Studies have shown that drinking lemongrass tea on a regular basis, prevents the skin from developing any acne or pimples. This is true, as acne is a result of bacteria, and the anti-bacterial nature of the tea, helps the skin to look good and feel good.

Recipe

I ngredients Clumps of lemongrass Water, 1 cup Milk, if desired Sugar or honey, as per taste Strainer

Method Peel the outer layer of the leaves and discard them. The outer layers, will give your tea a bitter taste. Boil the water and add the clumps of peeled leaves to it. Let the water boil on a slow heat for twenty minutes. This extracts all the essence of the leaves.

Add sweetener and boil it for another 5 minutes. If you want, you can add some milk at this point. Remove from the stove, strain it in a cup and drink it hot.

You can also serve iced lemongrass tea. Go along with the suggested recipe, let it cool and serve it with ice. If you are making lemongrass iced tea, refrain from adding milk.

Side Effects

Avoid drinking lemongrass tea in excess as it tends to increase body heat. If you are suffering from any ailment, make sure you consult a doctor, before you start consuming this herbal tea. In case you feel any side effect after drinking this tea, immediately stop taking it. Also, lemongrass tea during pregnancy isn't a good idea, so avoid completely.

There is a plethora of lemongrass uses. This folk medicine has to have some truth as it has been used for so many years. To make a start, combat the cold, with a cuppa lemongrass tea.