Lemon grass fights headaches like aspirin

Scientists have found lemon grass as a
potential traditional medicine to relieve
headaches and migraines.In a five-years
study in complementary and Alternative
Medicine Journal, it was discovered that
lemon grass, whose leaves many brew as,
contain cymbopogon ambiguous, a lemon
grass plant, that may be as good as aspirin
when it comes to headaches treatment.
Lemon grass is a tall perennial grass with
slender sharp edged green leaves that have
a pointed apex. It is native to India but
found growing naturally in tropical grass
land It is referred to as Koriko-oba in
Yoruba, Nche in Igbo and Awula in Hausa.
The stem is reddish brown in colour and it
is attached to the bulb by stalk. The entire
plant is attached to the soil by fibrous root.
Infusions and decoctions of lemon grass
leaves have been used in Australian
traditional medicine to treat chest
infections, sores, muscle cramps as well as
headache. Two or three of these bruised
stalks, chopped into half inch pieces and
steeped in a pot of nearly boiling water,
make a tea to aid digestion, ease menstrual
cramps, reduce stress, relieve rheumatism
and promote a calm night ’s sleep.
A tea made from the leaves of lemon grass
has been used to treat fever, cold, cough
and stomach upset. The tea also has diuretic
properties and can help in urinating
difficulties and water retention, making it
helpful in individuals with high blood
pressure. Extracts of both the leaves and
stalks of lemon grass are used as an herbal
medicine to treat nervous condition and
inflammation.
Lemon grass has considerable economic
importance. In some part of Asia, it is
cultivated for commercial purpose as
industrial raw materials to cosmetic and
insecticide factories. It is used as scent in
many product including soap, perfume
candle mosquito and other insect repellent.
The study, which was aimed at screening
and identifying the chemical substances in
the infusions and decoctions of lemon grass
that explain the plant ’s use for headache,
found out that it prevented blood platelets
clumping together and aided the release of
serotonin.
Serotonin regulates mood, appetite, sleep,
muscle contraction, and some cognitive
functions including memory, learning and
has alterations in migraine.Headaches and
migraines cause abnormal activities in our
bodies, such as altering our serotonin levels
and interfering with the normal function of
our blood platelets. Although, platelets clump
together for wound repair, but they can
also form life-threatening internal clots
starving the brain of oxygen and causing
strokes.
The researchers attributed the effectiveness
of lemon grass in the treatment of
headaches and migraine to a chemical
substance called eugenol in the plant. They
suggested that this chemical substance in
lemon grass has similar effect in aspirin, a
common medicine for headache, because it
holds back platelets clumping together and
aids the release of serotonin. They declared,
“ The results of these studies provide
evidence identifying specific constituents
(principally eugenol) that have anti-platelet
activity that establish the basis of the
therapeutic activity and traditional use of C.
ambiguus as a non-conventional remedy
for headache conditions. ”
However, the benefit of drinking lemon
grass tea or infusion includes prevention of
typhoid fever. Researchers from the
Department of Biochemistry, University of
Ado-Ekiti, Ado-Ekiti Ekiti State, in their
assessment of the chemical composition
and constituents of lemon grass, declared
that under laboratory conditions it can
effectively kill S. typhi, the germ that causes
typhoid fever. The 2009 study was carried
out by M.F. Asaolu, O.A. Oyeyemi and J.O.
Olanlokun and reported in Asian Network
for Scientific Information Journal.
A recent study by the Food and Nutrition
Research Institute of the Department of
Science and Technology ( DOST ) claims that
every 100g of edible lemon grass when
boiled can contain up to 24.205 micrograms
of beta-carotene the anti-oxidant that
scientists believe can help prevent cancer.
Another DOST study shows that lemon grass
oil has the potential as a tropical eye
medication against keratomycosis, an
inflammation of cornea often associated
with burning or blurring of vision.
In 2006, research discovered citral (a
substance in lemongrass) caused apoptosis
in malignant cancer cells, meaning the
cancer cells would kill off themselves (a cell
suicide). Citral not only caused cancer cells
to kill themselves on a petri dish, it caused
no harm to normal cells that were present.
More amazingly, the quantity of citral used
in this experiment was equivalent to one
cup of tea using 1 gram of lemongrass in
hot water.
Lemongrass tea, with pepper, can help
relieve menstrual problems and nausea. It
can promote perspiration and lower fevers
or cool the body in high temperatures. It
may also help lower high blood pressure
and cholesterol levels.
When used externally, lemongrass tea can
help treat athlete ’s foot (because it has anti-
fungal properties), heal cuts and sprains,
and relieve arthritic pain.