Anemia is a condition in which the level of healthy red blood cells in the body becomes too low. This can potentially harm health because red blood cells contain hemoglobin, which transports oxygen to the body's tissues. It can cause health complications, such as fatigue and stress on the body's organs. (Related: 7 Potent Superfoods To Combat Anemia And Balanced Hemoglobin.)
For the study, researchers from the University of Uyo and the University of Calabar in Nigeria looked at the effects of lemongrass tea on hematologic indices in humans. To do this, they enrolled 105 individuals aged 18 to 35 years to participate in the study. All participants underwent a thorough pre-survey medical screening.
The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups, with groups 1, 2, and 3 receiving two, four, or eight grams (g) of lemongrass leaf powder, respectively, infused in 150 milliliters (ml) of hot water once a day for 30 days. The researchers assessed their hematologic indices one day before the intervention and at the 10th and 30th days after the intervention.
The results revealed that lemongrass leaf powder contains tannins, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, macronutrients, and micronutrients. All infusions from lemongrass leaf powder greatly increased packed cell volume (PCV), which is the percentage of red blood cells found in the blood. Lemongrass leaf infusions also significantly increased hemoglobin and red blood cell levels.
These results indicate that the infusions prepared from lemongrass boosted the body's ability to produce red blood cells, which may be attributed to the extract's antioxidant content.
With these findings, the researchers concluded that drinking lemongrass tea can help increase the production of red blood cell and could be used as a treatment for anemia.
Other health benefits of lemongrass
Lemongrass is a herb native to Sri Lanka and South India, but is now grown in many countries all over the world. It is commonly used in Asian cooking, but it can also be used to make tea. Lemongrass offers health benefits. These include:
- Relieving anxiety: Lemongrass offers anxiety-relieving effects, be it drinking hot lemongrass tea or inhaling lemongrass essential oil.
- Decreasing cholesterol levels: Some research has shown that consuming lemongrass extracts may lower cholesterol in animals.
- Fighting infection: A study suggested that lemongrass may have some protective effects against infections. It has been seen to reduce the incidence of thrush, a fungal infection that commonly affects people with weakened immune systems.
- Supporting oral health: Some people chew on lemongrass stalks to keep their mouth feeling clean and improve oral health. Supporting this claim, a study published in The Food Chemistry journal found that lemongrass extracts have powerful antibacterial properties. In the study, lemongrass extracts were tested against bacteria that cause cavities in the mouth.
- Blocking pain: A study suggested that lemongrass may block pain, which means that sipping lemongrass tea may help prevent a person from feeling pain.
- Increasing urine output: Lemongrass has a diuretic effect, which means that drinking lemongrass tea may stimulate the kidneys to excrete more urine than normal. This diuretic effect can also help prevent bloating due to water retention.
Read more news stories and studies on the health benefits of lemongrass by going to NaturalMedicine.news.
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