People with anemia may benefit from drinking lemongrass tea. Researchers from the University Of Uyo and the University of Calabar in Nigeria have found that lemongrass tea can help increase red blood cell production, thereby making it a great natural treatment for anemia.
Anemia is a condition wherein the level of healthy red blood cells in the body becomes too low. This can possibly harm your health since red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to your body’s tissues. Some of the health complications related to this are fatigue and stress on the body’s organs.
In this study, which was published in the Journal of Medicinal Food, researchers looked at the effects of lemongrass tea on hematologic indices in humans. They involved 105 participants, aged 18 to 35 years, who underwent a thorough pre-survey medical screening.
The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, with groups 1, 2, and 3 receiving two, four, or eight grams (g) of lemongrass leaf powder, respectively, infused in 150 milliliters (ml) of hot water once a day for 30 days. Their hematologic indices were assessed one day before intervention and at the 10th and 30th days after the intervention.
Based on the results, lemongrass leaf powder was found to have alkaloids, flavonoids, macronutrients, micronutrients, saponins, and tannins. Due to these, the lemongrass leaf powder greatly increases the packed cell volume (PCV), which is the percentage of red blood cells found in the blood. Moreover, it was also revealed that lemongrass leaf infusions can significantly increase hemoglobin and red blood cell levels.
The results only show that lemongrass infusion can boost the body’s ability to produce red blood cells, which may be due to the extract’s antioxidant content.
Researchers then concluded that drinking lemongrass tea can help increase the production of red blood cells and could be used as a treatment for anemia.
Other Health Benefits Of Lemongrass
Lemongrass is now grown in many countries all over the world. It commonly used in Asian cooking and in making a tea. It offers other health benefits which include the following:
Fighting Infection
According to studies, lemongrass may have some protective effects against infections. It has been seen to reduce the incidence of thrush, a fungal infection that commonly affects people with weakened immune systems.
Blocking Pain
A study suggested that lemongrass may block pain, which means that sipping lemongrass tea may help prevent a person from feeling pain.
Increasing Urine Output
Drinking lemongrass tea may stimulate the kidneys to excrete more urine than normal. It can also help prevent bloating due to water retention.
Decreasing Cholesterol Levels
Some research has shown that consuming lemongrass extracts may lower cholesterol in animals.
Relieving Anxiety
Be it drinking hot lemongrass tea or inhaling lemongrass essential oil, this medicinal plant offers anxiety-relieving effects.
Supporting Oral Health
In a study published in The Food Chemistry journal, researchers found that lemongrass extracts have powerful antibacterial properties. They tested it by using lemongrass extracts against bacteria that cause cavities in the mouth.
Some people chew on lemongrass stalks to keep their mouth feeling clean and improve oral health.
