The Healthy Stem - How to cure with lemongrass

Lemongrass has essential oils making it a plant which helps in the war against infections, fungus, nausea and anxiety.

Asia has a plentiful supply of lemongrass, here at Phanganist we often make tea from it by picking it from right outside our door!

It has long narrow leaves and you can use all parts of the spice for a broad range of stews, soups, infusions, drinks and more.

In folk medicine it was recognised as one of the herbal remedies that is available around the world, thanks to the essential oils that can reduce blood pressure, reduce heat, soothe convulsions and spasms, relieve pain, treat nausea, inflammation and cough, disinfect, soothe symptoms of the gastrointestinal and nervousness/anxious.

Many studies have examined the medical efficiency of lemongrass and the contribution to the human body.

Medical studies show that effects are many and varied, including the ability of anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti diarrhea and helping to reduce blood sugar levels.

Lemongrass contains essential nutrients and flavonoid-type phenolic compounds, essential oils and one of the most significant of which is the Chatterley, giving it the characteristic lemony scent which is known as an antioxidant.

Both the leaves and the stem of the plant contain a nice amount of folic acid, essential for the proper functioning of DNA and division of cells in the body and which is an important component in building the nervous system in the embryonic stage.

Lemongrass is also rich in B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper and magnesium.

In 2005, held at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben Gurion University, was a study led by Dr. Rivka Ofir and Prof. Yakov Weinstein and Dr. path for the Department of aromatic plants oasis in the centre of the forest. Cancer cell soaked infected tissues were given an infusion of lemongrass, a concentration similar to the concentration of the tea house. The researchers said that Chatterley which is found in abundance in lemongrass can cause cancer cells to "commit suicide" (apoptosis).

Furthermore, the study - carried out in laboratory conditions - found that the use of Chatterley hit only the cancerous cells and did not harm healthy cells.

Against bacteria and fungi
Chatterley has been shown in research conducted in 1984 and published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology pharmacology as against various bacteria, including E. coli, causes of urinary tract infections.

Chatterley is also used as an anti-fungus, so it is effective not only for the treatment of onychomycosis but also as preventing the development of mold in food.

A study conducted in India and the results of which were published in 1994 in an American magazine ‘Environmental Microbiology’ found that food can be preserved through up to seven months, even in conditions that were exposed to the development of mold.

Phanganist's recipe for Lemongrass tea - 

Get yourself some lemongras, we are lucky enough to be able to pick it from the garden. Break it into a few pieces to let out the goodness and aroma.

Some ginger chopped up is a good addition.

And we also use kafir lime leaves from our garden as well.

Pour on boiling water and leave to cool before serving! Then enjoy!

So try out some nice lemongrass tea, if anything it tastes great!





(Thank you Christopher Thomas for being roped into modelling)