Health benefits of lemongrass

lemongrass nutrition facts:

Refreshing, citrus-scented lemongrass imparts unique flavor to recipes. Its coarse tufted stems and leaf buds are among the most sought after herbal parts used in an array of cuisines all over South and East Asian regions.

Botanically, the herb belongs to grass family of Poaceae. Botanicall name: Cymbopogon citratus. It is native to Southern part of India and Sri Lanka. The herb is one of the popular ingredients employed in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia and as far as African and American continents for its culinary and medicinal uses.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon) grows in dense clumps, erupting from tough bulbous base with a spread of about 1 meter wide and about 3 feet in height. Its leaves are bright green with sharp edges with appearance similar to that of grass. It flourishes well in fertile sandy soils with tropical climates receiving heavy rain.

Several cultivars of cymbopogon, based upon their origin, culinary, and oil properties, are grown around the world at a commercial level. West-Indian lemongrass (C. citratus) is an important culinary herb, and spice used extensively in cooking in many East Asian countries. Indian lemon grass (C. flexuosus) is dominantly used in the perfume industry since it contains fewer myrcene and, therefore, has a longer shelf-life.

Health benefits of lemongrass

    Lemongrass herb has numerous health benefiting essential oils, chemicals, minerals and vitamins that are known to have anti-oxidant and disease preventing properties.

    The herb contains 99 calories per 100 g but contains no cholesterol.

    The primary chemical component in lemongrass herb is citral or lemonal, an aldehyde responsible for its unique lemon odor. Citral also has strong anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties.

    In addition, its herb parts contain other constituents of the essential oils such as myrcene, citronellol, methyl heptenone, dipentene, geraniol, limonene, geranyl acetate, nerol, etc. These compounds are known to have counter-irritant, rubefacient, insecticidal, anti-fungal and anti-septic properties.

    Its leaves and stems are very good in folic acid content (100 g leaves and stem provide about 75 µg or 19% of RDA). Folates are important in cell division and DNA synthesis. When given during the peri-conception period can help prevent neural tube defects in the baby.

    Its herb parts are also rich in many invaluable essential vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to replenish.

    Furthermore, fresh herb contains small amounts of anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C, and vitamin-A.

    Lemon grass herb parts, whether fresh or dried, are rich sources of minerals like potassium, zinc, calcium, iron, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, which helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.

Dr.S.Senthil Karunakaran, M.D(Siddha)

AVIZTHAM SIDDHA HOSPITAL

No 6, Mounasamy Mutt Street,

Ambattur O.T, Chennai – 53

Contact no: 9444403023