We got used that the smell of a citrus proceeds from fruit known to us: lemons, oranges, tangerines, grapefruits. But that the plant can have qualities of citrus fruit appearance reminding a grass, many also do not guess. A subject of our article — an interesting plant lemongrass: what is it and what it can be useful for us.
Botanical reference
Plant lemongrass — a species of cereal perennial plants which initially grew in warm regions of tropics of the Old World (Eurasia and Africa). In tropical conditions about 1.8 m in height can grow, and moving away from a tropical zone higher than 1 m do not grow. Externally represents set of long, narrow, light green leaves. From these leaves the smell of a citrus proceeds lungs and the taste at them too very much reminds a citrus.
The root system of a plant quite powerful because of what most often lemongrass it is possible to meet in the marshland. It is also possible to grow up this cereal from seeds for the industrial purposes. Now we will understand what so appreciate lemongrass.
Nutrition value and caloric content
This plant is safe for consumption and also for use in the household purposes. As for nutrition and power value, in 100 g of edible pulp of a product contains:
- 99 kcal;
- 1.82 g of proteins;
- 0.49 g of fats;
- 25.31 g of carbohydrates
Also besides makronutriyen the lemongrassa contains a number of useful vitamins and elements.
Vitamins:
- beta carotene — 0.003 mg;
- thiamine — 0.065 mg;
- Riboflavinum — 0.135 mg;
- pantothenic acid — 0.05 mg;
- pyridoxine — 0.08 mg;
- folic acid — 75 mkg;
- ascorbic acid — 2.6 mg;
- niatsinovy equivalent (RR) — 1.101 mg.
Macrocells:
- potassium — 723 mg;
- calcium — 65 mg;
- magnesium — 60 mg;
- sodium — 6 mg;
- phosphorus — 101 mg.
Minerals:
- iron — 8.17 mg;
- selenium — 0.7 mkg;
- manganese — 5.224 mg;
- copper — 266 mkg;
- zinc — 2.23 mg.
As we can see, in this plant there are a lot of useful substances and components. Now let's learn what useful properties this has a citrus grass.
Useful properties
Lemongrass possesses very extensive list of useful impact on a human body. This plant can be used for such purposes:
- at fight against fungal infections, skin diseases, dermatitis, for healing of wounds of integuments;
- for acceleration of a metabolism and work of digestive tract in fight against a meteorizm;
- for relief of symptoms of cold and fight against infections of respiratory bodies;
- for simplification of muscular fatigue;
- at fight against cellulitis;
- at sleep disorders and concentration of attention;
Whether you know? Some doctors advise motorists to use natural essential oil of a lemongrass for the car, it helps attention to concentrate.
- for improvement of a lactation at nursing mothers.
As we found out, at a lemon grass there are a lot of properties, but the medicine and cookery will be the main directions of its use.
Application in medicine
It should be noted at once that application of a lemongrass is widespread in nonconventional auxiliary medicine. Such use of a lemongrass is shown in what their this plant is got by essential oils and extracts. Such products are used most often in treatment of cosmetic diseases and also applied at fight against various diseases of respiratory or nervous systems. Here several examples of diseases at which this plant makes medical impact:
- cold;
- tonsillitis;
- asthma;
- the lowered arterial blood pressure;
- drowsiness, fatigue;
- seasonal hypovitaminoses (lack of vitamins);
- acne;
- parasitic invasions in digestive tract.
Now we will consider forms and spheres in which this cereal is applied.
Also, anti-inflammatory effect cloudberries, ginger, mustard oil, buckthorn bark, mint, coltsfoot, a clover meadow, a bearberry, a sage medicinal have
Essential oil
Essential oil from this plant helps with the basic at treatment of nervous stresses as the relaxing factor. It is used in special aromaapparata, and also in life. At home it is oil it is possible to use:
- as the disinfector for rooms and things;
- in seasonal fight against insects — for example if to grate skin with this oil, then mosquitoes will not wish to contact to you within 2 hours;
- as the help in fight against ticks and fleas at pets;
- for disinfection of the place of a sting of insects and against spread of an itch and reddening on the place of a sting.
Important! When mopping add several drops of this essential oil to water. In such a way you will disinfect a surface and eliminate unpleasant smells on it.
Mask from inflammations and pimples
As it was already told, use of essential oil of this plant helps at various problems with skin. One of the most widespread problems are pimples and eels on a surface terms. So, if on your face the inflammation is observed, then everything that is required to you, is a cotton tampon and oil of a lemongrass. Moisten a Q-tip head in oil and accurately apply it to the place of skin inflammation. It is necessary to put means pointwise, avoiding hit of oil on healthy skin, it can cause irritation.
It is possible to carry out this procedure to 2 times a day up to disappearance of a problem. For maintenance of effect you can add oil to your cream or face toner. Such measures will longer help your skin to remain in a clean state.
Mask for reduction of a time
In order that enlarged pores began disturb noticeably less you, you need to try the following recipe. Take 7 drops of oil of a lemongrass and add to them 10 drops of oil from wheat sprouts. Mix these oils and take a cotton tampon. Apply them mix to problem skin and leave for 10 minutes. It is the best of all for Musk to wash away soapsuds. After you washed away means, wipe skin with tonic or pink water and apply the moisturizing cream.
In cosmetology often also use oil such plants as rosemary, a sea-buckthorn, unab, hemp, a sandalwood, a linden and also a peach, jojoba, walnut, orange and a lemon.
As an alternative to cream, you can apply to skin jojoba oil with camomile oil in a proportion: 1 tablespoon jojoba on 4 drops of camomile oil.
Washing of problem skin
For washing of problem skin it is recommended to prepare tonic with use of oil of this plant. The recipe of such tonic is very simple: take 100 ml of the filtered water or rather weak green tea and add to a basis of 5 drops of essential oil of a lemongrass. Take care of the capacity where you will pour the turned-out tonic. It is possible to use means 2 times a day during evening and morning washing and if your skin very much shines, then it is possible to wipe it as required.
Important! For more convenient use you can use capacity with a spray — so means will be distributed by an easy uniform layer on all field of drawing.
Anti-cellulite massage
Massage of problem places — one of important measures in fight against excessive flabbiness of skin and against fat deposits. To prepare an effective remedy with oil of a lemon grass, you need some more oils of other plants. In equal proportions mix essential oils of a lemongrass, geranium and rosemary with usual oil of a macadamia. Carefully stir and use the turned-out mix in a small amount at vigorous massage of problem parts of the body.
Tea
Zavarivaniye of this plant is used for the help in treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and also for nervous relaxation. Still ancient Thais noticed that tea from a lemongrass helps at respiratory diseases, belly-aches and has aphrodisiac influence. It is very simple to make such tea: fill in 1 tablespoon of the dried-up grass with 1 glass of boiled water and insist within 5 minutes, then pour infusion in a cup. It is also possible to add ginger at respiratory diseases.
It will be interesting to you to learn, about properties of ginger, white, green, black, Kuril and chabretsovy tea, milk oolong tea, a sencha, rooibos, a cowberry leaf, raspberry, a meadowsweet, a linden, solyanka holmovy.
Use in cookery
This plant is used not only at treatment of various problems with health, but also is widespread in cookery as the known spice. This spice is cooked so: the fresh cut-off stalks undertake and are displayed indoors where there is a good ventilation.
After the plant some time was dried in such room, it is cut on thin slices and used in preparation of dishes, replacing vegetables. Well the lemon grass approaches meat, fish dishes, in soups, suppression and in vegetarian dishes.
Whether you know? Slices of a plant can be turned in food wrap and to store in the fridge up to 2 weeks. And still it is possible to freeze it and to use in the winter.
Contraindications
It is necessary to use a lemon grass with care. People with a severe form of low blood pressure, people with nervousness of the central nervous system and also pregnant women get into risk group. Still it is necessary to be careful when using essential oil of a plant, it can cause irritation of skin. As tonic 2 weeks are not recommended to have tea from a plant longer.
Storage
It is necessary to store a plant according to its purpose. For example, lemongrass for tea it is possible to store in the dried look quietly. The plant is applied to cosmetics as essential oil and does not demand special storage conditions. And for cooking it is enough to cut stalks of a plant and to store in food wrap on a fridge shelf.
Learn what vitamins contain in rosemary, a dogrose, a barberry, a thyme, cornflowers, a guelder-rose, a sea-buckthorn, a motherwort and a St. John's wort.
Analogs
In general, lemongrass has a set of analogs as belongs to quite extensive family of cereals. In general, in our area you can replace this plant with a tsitronella or a lemon sorghum which have similar qualities and are applied in the similar purposes.
So, our article approached the logical conclusion. We hope that you could gather for yourself a lot of useful information that it lemongrass, than it is interesting and useful and also as it can be applied in various spheres of our life.