Lemongrass is good for reducing inflammation, supporting digestive comfort, and fighting bacteria and fungi. Used for centuries in traditional medicine across Southeast Asia and South America, the herb has earned growing scientific backing for these benefits, largely thanks to a compound called citral that makes up the majority of its essential oil.
The Compound Behind Most of the Benefits
Citral is the main active ingredient in lemongrass, and it drives most of the herb’s medicinal properties. Lemongrass essential oil contains two forms of citral (E-citral and Z-citral) along with a smaller amount of a compound called beta-myrcene. Together, these belong to a class of plant chemicals called oxygenated monoterpenes, the most abundant group in the oil. When you smell that bright, lemony scent in a cup of lemongrass tea or a stalk snapped open in a stir-fry, you’re smelling citral.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Citral works against inflammation through several biological pathways at once. It blocks COX-2, the same enzyme targeted by common over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen. It also suppresses NF-kB, a protein complex that acts as a master switch for inflammation throughout the body. When NF-kB is overactive, it ramps up the production of inflammatory signaling molecules called cytokines and prostaglandins. Citral dials that activity down.
On top of blocking inflammatory signals, citral activates a group of receptors (PPARs) that help regulate the body’s immune response and metabolism. This dual action, dampening inflammation while promoting a balanced immune reaction, is part of why lemongrass has traditionally been used for joint pain, muscle soreness, and general discomfort tied to chronic low-grade inflammation.
Digestive and Stomach Protection
Lemongrass tea has a long folk reputation as a digestive aid, and animal research supports the idea that it protects the stomach lining. In a study on rats exposed to a substance that causes severe gastric damage, a lemongrass infusion given before or after the exposure significantly reduced injury to the stomach lining compared to controls. The protective effect didn’t depend much on the dose but improved the longer the extract stayed in contact with the stomach wall.
The likely mechanism involves reinforcing the stomach’s natural defenses: the mucus barrier, blood flow to the lining, and the permeability of stomach tissue. When these defenses break down, you get the kind of irritation and tissue damage associated with gastritis and ulcers. Lemongrass appears to help keep that barrier intact. For everyday use, drinking lemongrass tea before or with meals is the most common way people apply this benefit.
Antimicrobial Properties
Lemongrass essential oil is effective against a range of bacteria, including some that cause serious infections. Lab testing shows it inhibits Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of skin infections and food poisoning, at very low concentrations (0.08% for the oil, even less for pure citral). It also works against Acinetobacter baumannii, a bacterium notorious for causing hard-to-treat hospital-acquired infections, though higher concentrations are needed.
These antimicrobial properties explain why lemongrass oil is a popular ingredient in natural cleaning products, topical antiseptics, and food preservation. It’s worth noting that most of this research involves the concentrated essential oil applied directly to bacteria in lab settings, not drinking tea. Topical use of diluted lemongrass oil on minor cuts or as a surface cleaner has the most practical relevance here.
Nutritional Value
Fresh lemongrass stalks aren’t a nutritional powerhouse in the way leafy greens are, but they do contribute small amounts of useful minerals. A tablespoon of raw lemongrass provides about 0.39 mg of iron, 34.7 mg of potassium, and 0.25 mg of manganese. You’re unlikely to eat enough lemongrass in a sitting to meet a significant portion of your daily needs for any of these, so the real value of lemongrass lies in its bioactive compounds rather than its vitamin and mineral content.
How People Use Lemongrass
The most accessible form is lemongrass tea, made by steeping fresh or dried stalks in boiling water for five to ten minutes. This delivers citral and other compounds in a gentle, water-extracted form. It’s the preparation used in most of the digestive health research and is widely available as pre-packaged tea bags.
Lemongrass essential oil is the concentrated form used for aromatherapy, topical applications (always diluted in a carrier oil), and cleaning. Because it’s far more potent than tea, it carries more risk of skin irritation if used undiluted. In cooking, whole stalks or thinly sliced lemongrass add flavor to soups, curries, and marinades, contributing trace amounts of the same beneficial compounds in a culinary context.
Safety Considerations
Lemongrass is safe for most people when consumed as food or tea in normal amounts. Two groups should be cautious. Pregnant women should avoid lemongrass in concentrated forms: citral and beta-myrcene caused birth defects in animal studies, so the risk, even if unconfirmed in humans, makes avoidance the safer choice. People with kidney concerns should also be careful, as excessive intake of lemongrass tea may affect kidney function, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “Excessive” isn’t precisely defined, but several cups a day over a prolonged period is the general threshold of concern. One or two cups occasionally is unlikely to pose a problem for healthy adults.