How (and Why!) to Make Lemongrass Tea

First, why do we want to drink lemongrass tea? It has great medicinal values, that’s why. You can’t eat lemongrass. So the next best thing is to make tea with it. It contains anti-bacterial and anti-cancer properties.

There is a substance in it called "citral" that gives it the lemon-like aroma. This citral allegedly causes cancer cells to self-destruct, a process referred to as “apoptosis.” Apart from this very important substance, lemongrass is also able to heal many illnesses and relieve problems like joint and muscle pains. Drinking lemongrass tea has the following benefits:

• Detoxify the body
• Improve blood circulation
• Reduce blood pressure
• Cure flu and cold
• Reduce fever
• Relieve indigestion and flatulence
• Relieve arthritic pain
• Normalize bowel movement and bladder control

The scientific name for lemongrass is Cymbopogon. One variety is called citronella, and it is effective for repelling insects, especially mosquitoes. In Asian cooking, lemongrass is an indispensable ingredient, especially in Thai cuisine. Here in Malaysia, and also in Indonesia, it is called serai. In our local Hokkien dialect, lemongrass is called chang mao. It is also an important herb in Ayurvedic treatment for cough and nasal congestion.

1. Wash 8 stalks of lemongrass.
2. Crush the stalks with the flat side or blunt side of a knife or with a pestle.
3. Put stalks in a pot with 1 liter of water and bring to boil.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Discard the stalks.
6. Add 2 tablespoons (or to taste) of brown sugar.
7. Drink it hot, cold, or at room temperature, whichever suits your taste.

The information provided in this article is sourced from the internet, from friends and contacts, and from personal experience. As I cautioned in my article, not every remedy will work on everyone. It very much depends on the person's constitution and the conditions peculiar to that person.

Whatever the reasons, this article does not claim the information provided will "cure" anyone. The purpose of this article is merely to inform visitors that there are alternative remedies for many ailments.

You are therefore advised to consult your registered medical physicians as a matter of due diligence.

• De Silva, B., et al. (2017). Antimicrobial property of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) oil against pathogenic bacteria isolated from pet turtles. Laboratory animal research, 33(2), 84–91. doi:10.5625/lar.2017.33.2.84
• Philion, C., et al. (2017). Cymbopogon citratus and Camellia sinensis extracts selectively induce apoptosis in cancer cells and reduce growth of lymphoma xenografts in vivo. Oncotarget, 8(67), 110756–110773. doi:10.18632/oncotarget.22502
• Xia, H., et al. (2012). The in vitro study of apoptosis in NB4 cell induced by citral. PubMed. doi: 10.1007/s10616-012-9453-2