Lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus), a local herb from temperate and warm regions for example India, is popular in Asian cooking and it is an ingredient in many Thai and Vietnamese foods. Lemon grass use within cooking has become popular within the Caribbean and in america for its aromatic citrus flavor having a trace of ginger.
Lemon grass is really a member of a specie of grass that grows up to 1 meter with leaves of just one to 1.5 centimeters wide that grows from the stalk of about 30 to 80 cm long with bulbous budget.
Lemon grass is really a perennial and tufted grass that’s commercially cultivated in Souteast Asian countries for example Thailand, Malaysia and China. Lemon grass can also be cultivated in Usa specifically in California and Florida. Propagation is as simple as dividing the root clumps.
Lemon grass oil is extracted by steam distillation. Lemongrass oil includes a lemony, sweet smell and it is dark yellow to amber and reddish colored, with a watery viscosity. It’s also known as ‘choomana poolu’ and is also known as ‘Indian Verbena’ or ‘Indian Melissa oil’. Lemon grass oil is really a valuable ingredient in cosmetics, perfumes so that as fragrances for soaps and insect repellants.
Lemongrass is reportedly includes a wide variety of therapeutic application. With limited studies conducted on humans, Lemon grass effectiveness relies mainly on the is a result of animal and laboratory studies along with its reputation as a folk remedy.
Lemon Grass Benefits
Lemongrass, or Cymbopogon citratus, is really a tall, aromatic perennial grass indigenous to tropical Asia. The freshly simple leaves of the plant happen to be used traditionally like a flavoring agent. The volatile oils from the plants contain a chemical called citral, which provides it medicinal value. Lemongrass supplements can be found as capsules, powders, liquid extracts and oils. The person recommended dose varies based on your age and overall health. Speak with a doctor before using lemongrass extract for medicinal purposes.
Lemongrass extracts can induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in certain cancer cell lines, says the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. However, these benefits haven’t been studied in actual patients and much more research is needed before lemongrass extracts may be used in cancer treatment, says MSKCC. A pet study published within the journal “Carcinogenesis” also highlights that lemongrass extracts can prevent DNA changes and thereby lower the risk of colon cancer in laboratory animals.
A 2005 study published within the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” says lemongrass extracts exhibit significant antioxidant activity and neutralize the unstable toxins formed as a result of various metabolic processes within the body. Unstable free radicals connect to the DNA and proteins from the cells in your body and may contribute to chronic diseases for example Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.
Lemongrass extracts also inhibit the development of candida or yeast within the laboratory, according to articles in the February 2008 publication of the “Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases.” Even though study indicates that lemongrass might treat fungal infections, actual numerous studies are needed to prove these benefits conclusively.
Research published in the December 2002 publication of the “Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition” reveals that polyphenols of lemongrass extract help relax the walls from the blood vessels and dilate them. This might, in turn, reduce the risk of high blood pressure along with other cardiovascular diseases related to it.
The essential oils of lemongrass also exhibit significant anti-anxiety activity by regulating certain neuroreceptors within the brain, as per research in the September 2011 publication of the “Journal of Ethnopharmacology.” These outcome was demonstrated in laboratory animals; consult a physician before using lemongrass extracts to treat anxiety.
Anti-convulsant effects against neurotoxins for example strychnine may be included in the listing of health benefits of lemon grass essential oil, based on a study by M.R. Silva et al. in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal University of Ceará, Ceará, Brazil. Within the study, laboratory mice that consumed lemon grass showed less tendency toward convulsions. Lemon grass also increased the sedative effective of barbiturate drugs within the study, published within the May 2010 “Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology.”
Candida infections respond well to lemon grass essential oil, based on a study by A.K. Tyagi, et al., in the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India. Lemon grass was more efficient against the fungus than peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil. The outcomes are particularly important considering the growing problem of drug resistance, the researchers in the study, published within the November 2010 “BCM Complementary and Alternative Medicine.”
Lemon grass is an efficient mosquito repellent, based on a study by K. Karunamoorthi, et al., in the College of Public Health & Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia. The essential oil provided around 79 percent protection within the study, published within the April 2010 “Parasitology Research” journal. Its high safety, for both the user and the environment, coupled with proven effectiveness make lemon grass an attractive alternative to commercial insecticides, the researchers.