Lemongrass
香茅 · Xiāng Máo
Warms a queasy stomach and stiff joints
Properties
WarmingWarming botanicalSweet, Pungent
Concerns
What it does
Lemongrass is familiar as a Southeast Asian cooking herb, but has clear medicinal uses. In TCM, it warms the middle, your digestive core, to ease cold-pattern stomach pain and diarrhea. It also dispels wind and unblocks collaterals for cold-and-damp joint stiffness. The bright lemony aroma comes from citral and geraniol. Two trials explore it for blood pressure and digestion.
How to take it
Crush 2–3 fresh lemongrass stalks and steep in hot water for 10 minutes. Or simmer 9–15g dried lemongrass for 15 minutes. Drink warm. Common in Thai cooking too.
Make a fresh lemongrass tea with ginger after a heavy or oily meal
Bruise stalks and add to broths, curries, or marinades. Slice tender inner core thin for stir-fries.
Add a bruised stalk of lemongrass to chicken soup or coconut curry
Safety
- Generally very safe as a culinary herb
- Concentrated essential oil should not be ingested
- May lower blood pressure. Monitor if you take antihypertensives
- Skip large medicinal doses during pregnancy
- Talk to your doctor before starting medicinal use, especially if you take medication
Where it comes from
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is native to Southeast Asia and grows as tall, bunched grass with a sharp citrus scent. It entered Chinese pharmacopeia from southern provinces and Vietnam. The Chinese name Xiāng Máo simply means 'fragrant grass.' In Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino kitchens, it's a staple aromatic, but TCM and Ayurveda also use it medicinally. Two trials explore its cardiovascular effects.