Scientific Name: Cymbopogan citratus | English: Lemon grass | Sanskrit: Bhustrina | Hindi: Gandhatrina | Marathi: Gavati Chaa| Tamil: Karppurappul | Telugu: Nimmagaddi | Malayalam: Vasana Pullu| Kannada: Majjigehullu|
Medicinal Uses: Insect Repellant, For Rheumatism and arthritis, Antipyretic (For fever), For stomach upsets, Cough, Cold, Powerful Antiviral and Anticancer.
Caution: The leaves of Lemon Grass have serrated edges which can give a nasty cut while harvesting the leaves.
Traditional uses:
In Maharashtra, a small piece of the leaf about the size of little finger is crushed and added while making tea. It imparts an excellent lemony flavour to tea.
1-2 Tablespoons of finely chopped leaves are added to any herbal tea formulation to impart flavour as well as endow the tea with the healing properties of lemon grass
The essential oil from this grass along with oil of Eucalyptus and mint can be added to vaseline to make a mosquito repellent cream. Addition of a few drops of Vanilla essence to this cream prolongs the duration of the repellent action.
Disclaimer: For the untrained eye, many plants appear similar. Do not attempt to harvest and use herbs until and unless you are familiar with herb identification and usage.
If you want to use any of the herbs mentioned on these blogs, please do so under the guidance of a doctor or a holistic practitioner. You can also write to us at feedback@prehealing.com for usage information specific to your issue.
References:
Indian Materia Medica by Dr A.M.Nadkarni
Phytochemistry and pharmacological activities of Cymbopogon citratus: A review
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