Why use lemongrass in your dishes?

The herb has anti-inflammatory properties. It is also known to aid digestion and relieve pain

When one thinks of lemongrass, one’s mind immediately conjures up the image a yummy pudding or lemongrass tea.

However, it should be known that this tall grass is more than just for dessert or a refreshing cup of beverage. It has several medicinal properties too.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI, USA), in one of its published papers, says “Lemongrass is a perennial tropical grass with thin, long leaves and is one of the main medicinal and aromatic plants cultivated in Algeria. It is also cultivated mostly for its essential oil (EO) in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, South America and Africa.”

Lemongrass possesses various pharmacological activities such as anti-amoebic, antibacterial, anti-diarrhoeal, antifilarial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties, according to the paper. “Various other effects like antimalarial, antimutagenicity, antimycobacterial, antioxidants, hypoglycemic and neurobehavioural effects have also been studied. These results are very encouraging and indicate that this herb should be studied more extensively to confirm these results and reveal other potential therapeutic effects,” it further adds. It is easily available in markets and very easy to grow as well.