The Benefits of Lemongrass Tea
Long before it became a staple in Thai curries and Vietnamese soups, lemongrass was valued as a medicinal herb across Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Africa, and South America. Communities in Brazil, India, Ghana, and across the African continent have brewed it for generations as a remedy for stomach complaints, fever, anxiety, and infections. It is one of those plants that traditional medicine discovered centuries before modern science arrived to explain why it works.
Lemongrass, known botanically as Cymbopogon citratus, is a tall, tropical grass with long, pale green stalks and a sharp, citrusy fragrance. It is sometimes called citronella, though the citronella used in mosquito repellents typically comes from a related species. Of the 55 or so lemongrass varieties that exist, the East Indian and West Indian types are the ones most commonly used in cooking and herbal medicine. The plant thrives in warm, humid climates, which is why it grows abundantly across much of sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean.
The most popular way to consume lemongrass for health purposes is as a tea: fresh stalks or dried leaves steeped in hot water, sometimes combined with ginger, honey, or turmeric. The result is a pale golden, pleasantly citrusy infusion that is caffeine-free, low in calories, and, according to a growing body of research, rich in bioactive compounds with a wide range of health-supporting properties.
What Makes Lemongrass Medicinally Active
The health benefits of lemongrass tea do not come from a single compound but from a complex mixture of phytochemicals that work individually and synergistically. Understanding what these compounds are helps explain why the plant has such a diverse range of potential effects.
Citral is the primary active compound in lemongrass and is responsible for its characteristic lemony scent. It is actually a mixture of two closely related compounds, geranial and neral. Citral and geraniol are the primary essential volatile compounds in lemongrass, alongside flavonoids, polysaccharides, and alkaloids. Citral is the compound to which most of lemongrass’s antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal properties are primarily attributed.
Chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, and swertiajaponin are three antioxidant compounds identified in lemongrass that have received particular attention in research. According to a 2021 review of studies, these antioxidants may help prevent the dysfunction of cells inside the coronary arteries.
Flavonoids and polyphenols contribute broad antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Lemongrass also contains small amounts of micronutrients including vitamin A, folate, magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulfur, and phosphorus, making it a functional herb rather than a macronutrient-rich food. While a cup of lemongrass tea will not replace a balanced diet, the cumulative effect of these micronutrients and phytochemicals taken daily as part of a varied diet is meaningful.
Rich in Antioxidants
Antioxidants are compounds that neutralise free radicals, the unstable molecules that damage cells, accelerate ageing, and contribute to the development of chronic diseases including cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative conditions. Every time the body processes food, manages stress, or is exposed to environmental pollutants and ultraviolet radiation, free radicals are generated. The body has its own antioxidant defence systems, but dietary antioxidants supplement and support those systems.
According to a 2021 review of studies, lemongrass contains several antioxidants that can help scavenge free radicals in the body that may cause disease. These antioxidants help fight harmful free radicals, which may cause cellular damage, ageing, and chronic diseases, offering protection against cardiac ailments, cancer, and oxidative stress.
The antioxidant activity of lemongrass is not just theoretical. A December 2025 review published in the Journal of Functional Foods confirmed that lemongrass exhibits a broad spectrum of biological activities including antioxidant properties, alongside anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immune-modulatory effects. For a daily herbal tea consumed without any particular medical intent, that is a meaningfully broad protective profile.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Chronic low-grade inflammation is now understood to be a contributing factor in a remarkably wide range of conditions: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and even depression. Managing inflammation through diet and lifestyle is therefore one of the most impactful health strategies available, and lemongrass tea has a growing evidence base in this area.
Research from 2024 suggests that lemongrass has anti-inflammatory benefits, with its compounds helping to stop the release of certain inflammation-causing markers in the body. A 2022 study also notes that the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of lemongrass are widely known and used in folk medicine.
Lemongrass contains compounds like chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, and swertiajaponin that are effective at battling inflammation, which is linked to many health problems including pain and heart disease.
The anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties work together. Several traditional medicine systems use lemongrass preparations to manage headaches, joint pain, and muscle aches. While clinical trials specifically on lemongrass tea for pain management in humans remain limited, the mechanistic evidence for its anti-inflammatory activity is well supported at the cellular level.
Supports Digestive Health
Lemongrass tea is a folk remedy that has been used to promote sleep, relieve pain, and boost immunity. But among its most established traditional uses, digestive support occupies a central place. Across West Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, lemongrass tea is routinely consumed after meals to ease bloating, calm cramping, and settle the stomach.
Lemongrass tea may help soothe the digestive system and promote healthy digestion. Some people drink it after meals to help ease bloating, gas, and stomach discomfort.
The mechanisms behind this are multiple. The anti-inflammatory properties of lemongrass help reduce the chances of bloating and constipation and ease stomach cramps, while also increasing the production of digestive juices, improving nutrient absorption, and preventing indigestion.
In a controlled study on rats, a lemongrass infusion significantly reduced damage to the stomach lining caused by ethanol exposure. The protective effect worked both when the tea was given before and after the stomach injury occurred, suggesting it can help prevent irritation and support healing of existing damage.
Drinking lemongrass tea offers a cooling effect that helps regulate body temperature and promotes a more efficient digestion process after a meal. The tea also holds the potential to improve a spectrum of stomach-related issues including constipation, indigestion, cramps, and unsettled stomachs.
Antimicrobial and Antifungal Activity
One of the best-documented properties of lemongrass is its ability to inhibit the growth of certain bacteria and fungi. Research from 2021 found that citral, one of the main components of lemongrass, exhibited antimicrobial properties, and a 2021 study found that lemongrass essential oil had both antibacterial and antifungal characteristics.
A 2012 in vitro study found that lemongrass essential oil showed antimicrobial abilities against Streptococcus mutans bacteria, the bacteria most responsible for tooth decay. Further research found that lemongrass oil and silver ions may work together against several types of bacteria and fungus in vitro.
This has practical implications beyond infection prevention. Regular consumption of lemongrass tea may support oral health by creating an environment less hospitable to the bacteria responsible for cavities and gum disease. It also partially explains the traditional use of lemongrass as a wound-healing herb in communities across Africa and Asia, where its antimicrobial properties helped prevent infection in cuts and abrasions before the arrival of pharmaceutical antiseptics.
The immune-modulating effects of lemongrass, confirmed in the 2025 Journal of Functional Foods review, complement the direct antimicrobial activity by supporting the body’s own capacity to identify and respond to pathogens.
May Support Heart Health
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death globally, and dietary interventions that support heart health are among the most impactful choices an individual can make. Lemongrass tea has attracted research attention for two specific cardiovascular parameters: blood pressure and cholesterol.
Blood pressure. In a 2012 observational study, scientists provided 72 male participants with either lemongrass tea or green tea. The conclusion was that those who drank the former experienced a moderate drop in systolic blood pressure. A review of studies from 2021 also noted anti-hypertensive effects across several models. Those with existing heart conditions should speak to a doctor before using lemongrass regularly. Note: All tests are always subjective irrespective of who does it.
Cholesterol. A 2022 in vitro study found that lemongrass extracts had the ability to prevent cholesterol absorption in the gut, though researchers cautioned that additional studies are needed to confirm these results. A 2018 animal study found that lemongrass water extract significantly decreased total cholesterol in rats.
On one side, lemongrass reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides, and on the other hand, it increases HDL (good cholesterol). Studies have shown that regular consumption of lemongrass tea has shown significant help in sustaining healthy levels of triglycerides and reducing LDL cholesterol in the body. This helps in preventing the accumulation of lipids in the blood vessels, promoting an unobstructed flow of blood in the arteries, and preventing various cardiac disorders such as atherosclerosis.
It is important to note that the human evidence here, while encouraging, is still limited. People with diagnosed cardiovascular conditions should treat lemongrass tea as a complementary habit rather than a substitute for prescribed treatment.
May Help Regulate Blood Sugar
Lemongrass tea shows real promise for blood sugar management, though the evidence so far is limited to animal studies. In diabetic mice, lemongrass tea brewed at standard concentrations reduced fasting blood sugar by up to 60 percent compared to untreated controls. Those same animals showed insulin levels roughly 30 percent higher than diabetic mice that did not receive the tea, meaning the lemongrass appeared to help the pancreas produce more insulin and improve the body’s response to it. In healthy mice, a lemongrass extract lowered fasting blood glucose by about 26 percent.
Due to the larger phytochemical content, consumption of lemongrass tea decreased blood glucose by 60.3 percent in animal studies, showing strong ability to inhibit the actions of the enzymes alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase, both of which play a role in breaking down carbohydrates into glucose and therefore in regulating post-meal blood sugar spikes.
These numbers are striking, but they come from animals receiving concentrated doses. A daily cup or two of lemongrass tea delivers far less of the active compounds than what is used in these experiments. Still, as part of an overall healthy diet, it is a reasonable swap for sugary drinks, and the direction of the evidence is consistently positive for metabolic health.
Supports Detoxification
Lemongrass tea helps in cleansing and flushing harmful toxic wastes out of the body as a result of its diuretic properties. Detoxification helps in the regulation of various organs of the body, including the liver and kidney, while also helping to lower the levels of uric acid. The diuretic effect of lemongrass tea helps in increasing the quantity and frequency of urination, which helps in maintaining digestive health, eliminating accrued fats, and assisting in maintaining a clean system.
Lemongrass tea is known to have a mild diuretic effect, where drinking it might increase urine production and help the body get rid of excess waste products. This property is particularly valued in traditional medicine for reducing water retention, supporting kidney function, and maintaining overall systemic cleanliness. Combined with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the detoxifying effect of lemongrass tea makes it a gentle but effective support for the body’s natural elimination systems.
Calming Effects and Sleep Support
The aroma and properties of lemongrass leaves are sedating and act naturally as relaxants, calming the mind and reducing stress and anxiety. Many people consume lemongrass tea before going to sleep as it prevents restlessness and dispels tension, thereby inducing sleep.
Lemongrass has a long history in folk medicine as a calming herb, and animal studies suggest it has sedative effects that work through the same brain signalling system targeted by prescription anti-anxiety medications. However, it is important to be honest about where the human evidence currently stands.
Clinical studies testing lemongrass tea in people found that it did not significantly lower anxiety or produce measurable calming effects in the way animal data suggested. If you find lemongrass tea relaxing, the ritual of drinking a warm beverage likely contributes as much as the compounds themselves. There is nothing wrong with that, but do not expect it to function like a sleep aid.
What can be said with confidence is this: while robust clinical evidence specifically on lemongrass tea and sleep is still limited, the experience of drinking a warm herbal tea in the evening is itself a well-known relaxation ritual that signals the body to slow down. If stress and an overactive mind are contributing to poor sleep quality, making lemongrass tea part of a calming bedtime routine may offer gentle, natural support.
Lemongrass is known to relax muscles and calm the nerves involved in sleep, and it may also have a mild sedative effect that helps promote better sleep. Its caffeine-free nature also makes it an inherently sleep-friendly beverage when consumed in the evening, unlike caffeinated teas or coffee which can disrupt the body’s ability to wind down.
Immune System Support
In Brazilian folk medicine, especially in Quilombo communities, lemongrass tea is popular for boosting the immune system. This traditional use is supported by lemongrass’s well-documented antimicrobial activity and its more recently confirmed immune-modulating properties.
The 2025 review in the Journal of Functional Foods confirmed immune-modulatory effects among lemongrass’s broad spectrum of biological activities, meaning the plant appears to influence the body’s immune response rather than simply acting as an external antimicrobial agent.
Antioxidants in lemongrass tea help fight harmful free radicals which may cause cellular damage, ageing, and chronic diseases, offering protection against cardiac ailments, cancer, and oxidative stress. The cumulative effect of reducing oxidative stress, lowering chronic inflammation, and supporting the body’s own immune architecture makes lemongrass tea a meaningful daily contribution to systemic resilience.
Potential Cancer-Related Research
Several components of lemongrass may help fight cancer. This occurs either by directly causing cell death or by boosting the immune system so that the body is better able to fight off cancer on its own. Lemongrass tea is sometimes used as an adjuvant therapy during chemotherapy.
This area of research is still in its early stages, and it would be irresponsible to overstate what is currently known. The studies conducted so far are primarily in vitro, meaning they involve cells in a laboratory rather than human patients, and the concentrations of lemongrass compounds used in these studies are often far higher than what a cup of tea delivers. What the research does establish is a mechanistic plausibility for anti-cancer activity through specific pathways, which justifies continued investigation. It does not, at this stage, justify claims that lemongrass tea treats or prevents cancer.
How to Make Lemongrass Tea
Brewing lemongrass tea is simple and can be done with either fresh stalks or dried lemongrass.
Using fresh lemongrass: Take two to three stalks, remove any dry outer leaves, trim the ends, and lightly crush the stalks with the flat of a knife or the back of a spoon to release the plant’s aromatic oils and flavour compounds. Cut into short sections of about four to five centimetres. Place in a small pot, cover with two cups of water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for ten minutes, then remove from heat and allow to steep for a further five minutes. Strain into a cup and drink as is or with a small amount of honey. Ginger and lemongrass brewed together is a particularly effective and warming combination.
Using dried lemongrass: Place one to two teaspoons of dried lemongrass in a tea infuser or strainer. Pour freshly boiled water over it and steep for five to seven minutes. The flavour is slightly less vibrant than fresh but still pleasant and effective.
Best times to drink it: Lemongrass tea is versatile enough to be enjoyed at different times of the day. A cup in the morning on an empty stomach may support digestion and provide a refreshing, caffeine-free start to the day. After meals, it helps ease bloating and stomach discomfort. In the mid-afternoon, it serves as a good replacement for caffeinated drinks when you want something warm and calming without disrupting sleep later. In the evening, its calming properties make it well suited to a wind-down routine.
Cautions and Side Effects
Lemongrass tea is generally well tolerated by most healthy adults when consumed in moderate amounts. However, some precautions are worth knowing.
Pregnancy. Lemongrass is traditionally associated with stimulating uterine contractions and is generally advised against during pregnancy. Pregnant women should avoid lemongrass tea and speak with their healthcare provider before using it.
Blood pressure medication. Given its demonstrated ability to lower blood pressure, lemongrass tea may interact with antihypertensive medications, potentially lowering blood pressure further than intended. People on blood pressure medication should consult their doctor before making lemongrass tea a regular habit.
Heart conditions. Researchers caution that men with heart problems should use lemongrass in moderation to avoid dangerous drops in heart rate or increased diastolic pressure.
Diuretic interactions. Its mild diuretic effect may compound the effect of diuretic medications. If you are prescribed a diuretic, speak with your doctor before drinking lemongrass tea regularly.
Allergic reactions. Though rare, some people experience skin or respiratory sensitivity to lemongrass. If you notice any unusual symptoms after consuming lemongrass tea, discontinue use and seek advice from a health professional.
Quantity. Drinking one to two cups per day is the generally cited range for safe consumption. Excessive intake has been associated in some reports with liver or kidney strain over time, though this is most commonly associated with very high doses rather than moderate daily consumption.
As with all herbal remedies, the benefits of lemongrass tea may vary from person to person. Most of the benefits mentioned are based on animal studies and more research is needed to confirm them in humans. Therefore, it should not replace proper medical treatment and advice.
A Cup with Real Credentials
Lemongrass tea occupies a credible middle ground in the world of herbal health drinks: it is neither a miracle cure nor an empty ritual. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and digestive benefits are well supported by existing research. Its cardiovascular and metabolic benefits are promising but require more human trials to be confirmed at the level of clinical recommendation. Its calming effects are real in practice even if the clinical evidence for them is still developing.
What it undeniably is, at a minimum, is a pleasant, caffeine-free, naturally flavoured beverage with a meaningful phytochemical profile, no added sugar, and centuries of safe use across multiple cultures and continents. As a daily habit within a balanced diet, it is a sound one. As a gateway into the broader world of herbal wellness, it is one of the most accessible and enjoyable places to begin. Pour the water. Crush the stalk. Breathe in the scent. The benefits start before the first sip.
