Lemon Grass: Introduction, Health Benefits of Citronella Grass, Uses, and Side Effects of Cymbopogon Citratus

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

Lemon grass scientific name is Cymbopogon Citratus, some other common names are gandhatrana, bhustrina, and west Indian lemon grass. It is a perennial, aromatic, tall grass with rhizomes and densely tufted fibrous roots. It has short underground stems with coarse, green slightly leathery leaves in dense clusters. The blades of the grass are about 90 cm long and 0.5 cm wide.

Lemon grass is a popular spice in Southeastern cuisine, and the essential oil extract is used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. Many references in ancient Greek and Roman literature refer to calamus in ointment, wines, and fragrances. Now it is used in medicines, food, fragrances, and cosmetics.

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2. Medicinal Properties 

Lemon grass contains essential oil, the oil is sherry colored with a pungent taste and lemon-like odor with citral as the principal constituent. It contains 65-85 percent citral and myrcene, which has antibacterial and analgesic properties.

The contents of the oil vary with the age of the grass. Fresh lemon grass essential oil has a substantial amount of citral. The dry herbs yield 0.4 percent essential oil containing 72.3 percent citral.

3. Habitat

It is native to India, and it is grown in Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujrat, and Karnataka, it is also grown in some other parts like Sri Lanka and the islands of South-eastern Asia.

4. Ayurvedic properties of Lemon Grass

1. Rasa (Taste): It has pungent (Katu) and bitter (Tikta) tastes.

2. Virya (Potency): It is hot in nature (Ushna Virya).

3. Vipaka (Post-digestive taste): The post-digestive taste is pungent (Katu Vipaka).

5. Health Benefits and Uses 

The lemongrass is a stimulant, tonic, aromatic, antispasmodic, and mild counterirritant, it increases secretion and discharge of urine. Oil distilled from its leaves is used for medicinal purposes. It has restorative, digestive, antitussive, antifungal, antiviral, analgesic, antiemetic, ant cardiopathic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and anti-allergic effects.

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Here are some Health Benefits and Uses of Lemongrass

Digestive Disorders

Lemongrass is useful in strengthening the functioning of the stomach and promoting its action, it is beneficial in treating indigestion, spasmodic affections of the bowels, gastric irritability, and cholera.

Fever

Raw juice or decoction of the lemongrass induces copious perspiration and lowers body temperature, it also produces a feeling of coolness.

Flatulence

Lemongrass and its oil are carminative and valuable in relieving flatulence, it is given in doses of 3 to 6 drops with sugar as an emulsion. The emulsion is prepared by mixing 3 to 6 drops of common lemongrass oil with sugar.

Menstrual Disorders

An infusion of the lemongrass, mixed with black peppers, is given during painful and difficult menstruation, raw juice or decoction of the lemongrass may be taken in such conditions.

Rheumatism and Other Joint Pains

The lemongrass is used locally over rheumatic joints, lumbago, and sprains. Lemongrass oil mixed with twice its bulk of coconut oil is a stimulating ointment for rheumatism, lumbago, neuralgia, sprains, and other painful affections. In chronic cases, the undiluted oil may be used for better results, it can also be taken internally in the same manner as for fevers.

Ringworms

As local application leaves of lemongrass are useful in treating ringworm, a paste of the leaves made with buttermilk should be applied to the affected part.

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