One of my favorite medicinal plants in the garden is lemongrass (malojillo), for its exquisite taste to prepare tea 🍵 and a large number of properties it has.
Usually, I prepare lemongrass tea 🍵 to relax and enjoy its exquisite taste with cookies, and share with my family... but sometimes, I usually turn to this plant for help, when we have the flu or stomach pain... other times, as a repellent. However, there are many properties that make it wonderful.
Characteristics of the plant 🌱
Originally, this plant comes from the south of India but, at present, it's cultivated as a medicinal plant in tropical and subtropical zones. In Venezuela, it's known as malojillo, but it receives other names, some of them are: Luisa grass, lemongrass, melissa cane, lemon cane, santa cane, citronella grass, barbed wire grass... among many others.
Its leaves are very aromatic and elongated as slats (soft if you touch them from the inside out, rough if you touch them from the outside in), light green color that sprout from the ground forming dense plants.
It’s important to be careful when cutting it because the edges of its leaves can make small cuts in the skin and is very unpleasant.
Its properties
•Geraniol and citronellol, its main active components, both antiseptics, confer fungistatic properties (suspends the growth and development of fungi or the germination of their spores) and bactericides.
• It works as antipyretic because it helps to reduce fever.
• It’s an excellent carminative because it favors the decrease of the generation of gases in the digestive tract and with it, the flatulence and cramps decrease.
• Contains vitamin A, C, B6, B2, folic acid, manganese, iron, potassium, copper, and zinc, thiamine, calcium, and phosphorus.
• It's usually used in Asian food, and in some foods, it has preservative effects.
• In cosmetics, it’s added to shampoos for oily hair and in various cosmetics for oily skin.
• It’s used as an insect repellent (mosquitoes), but interestingly, it attracts bees. So, it serves to recover swarms of bees and to ward off unpleasant insects.
In Venezuela, it’s said that every house must have sown on the left side of the entrance, a Malojillo plant so that its leaves touch the visitors and clean them of the bad vibes they may bring.
Precautions of use ⚠
Everything in excess is harmful, however, everything also depends on the personal situation of each one. Some guidelines for use are:
• If you have hypertension problems and diabetes is a perfect plant for you because it’ll help you maintain your blood sugar and blood pressure levels.
• If your blood glucose and blood pressure levels are low, it isn't recommended that you drink it, because it could cause you hypoglycemia or hypotension.
• If your blood glucose and blood pressure levels are normal you can consume it from time to time, nothing will happen to you if you do it 2 or 3 times a week, but as a precaution avoid doing it every day even if it seems very delicious, because you could get to have episodes of hypotension or hypoglycemia.
• Because the composition of infusions of medicinal plants isn't standardized, consumption in children isn’t recommended, because their digestive system is still immature and they could be poisoned.
In the current circumstances of our country, where the humanitarian crisis is also present in hospitals, I think everyone should have a lemongrass plant in their home.
If you liked this post leave your comments or questions. I’ll be sharing in my next publication how to properly make herbal infusions.
Proudly contributing to @naturalmedicine.
The photographs used in this publication are my property, taken with a cell phone camera Yezz 4E of 8 megapixels.
Una de mis plantas medicinales favoritas en el jardín es el limoncillo (malojillo), por su exquisito sabor para preparar té 🍵 y por la gran cantidad de propiedades que posee.
Usualmente, preparo té de limoncillo 🍵 para relajarme y disfrutar su sabor exquisito con galletas, y compartir con mi familia… pero a veces, suelo recurrir a esta planta en busca de ayuda, cuando tenemos gripe o dolor de estómago... otras veces, como repelente. Sin embargo, son muchas las propiedades que la hacen maravillosa.
Características de la planta 🌱
Originalmente, esta planta proviene del sur de la India pero, actualmente, se cultiva como planta medicinal en zonas tropicales y subtropicales. En Venezuela, se conoce como malojillo, pero recibe otros nombres, algunos de ellos son: yerba luisa, hierba limón, toronjil de caña, caña de limón, caña santa, citronela, hierba de alambre de púas... entre muchos otros.
Sus hojas son muy aromáticas y alargadas como listones (suaves si las tocas de adentro hacia afuera, ásperas si las tocas de afuera hacia adentro), de color verde claro que brotan desde el suelo formando matas densas.
Es importante ser cuidadoso al momento de cortarla porque los bordes de sus hojas pueden hacerte pequeños cortes en la piel y es muy desagradable.
Sus propiedades
• El geraniol y el citronelol, sus principales componentes activos, ambos antisépticos, le confieren propiedades fungistáticas (suspende el crecimiento y desarrollo de los hongos o la germinación de sus esporas) y bactericidas.
• Funciona como antipirético porque ayuda a bajar la fiebre.
• Es un excelente carminativo porque favorece la disminución de la generación de gases en el tubo digestivo y con ello disminuyen las flatulencias y cólicos.
• Contiene vitamina A, C, B6, B2, ácido fólico, manganeso, hierro, potasio, cobre, y zinc, tiamina, calcio y fósforo.
• Suele utilizarse en la comida asiática, y en algunos alimentos tiene efectos conservantes.
• En cosmética, se añade a champús para cabellos grasos y en diversos cosméticos para pieles grasas.
• Se utiliza como repelente de insectos (mosquitos), pero curiosamente, atrae a las abejas. Así que, sirve para recuperar enjambres de abejas y para alejar a los insectos desagradables.
En Venezuela, se dice que toda casa debe tener sembrada del lado izquierdo de la entrada, una mata de Limoncillo para que sus hojas toquen a los visitantes y los limpie de las malas vibras que puedan traer.
Precauciones de uso ⚠
Todo en exceso es dañino, sin embargo, todo depende también de la situación personal de cada quien. Algunas orientaciones de uso son:
• Si tienes problemas de hipertensión y diabetes es una planta perfecta para ti, porque te ayudará a mantener tus niveles de glicemia y presión arterial.
• Si tus niveles de glicemia y presión arterial son bajos no es recomendable que la tomes, porque podría provocarte hipoglicemia o hipotensión.
• Si tus niveles de glicemia y presión arterial son normales puedes consumirla de vez en cuando, no te va a pasar nada si lo haces 2 o 3 veces por semana, pero por precaución evita hacerlo todos los días aunque te parezca muy deliciosa, porque podrías llegar a tener episodios de hipotensión o de hipoglicemia.
• Debido a que la composición de las infusiones de plantas medicinales no está estandarizada no se recomienda el consumo en niños, porque el sistema digestivo de ellos todavía es inmaduro y podrían presentar intoxicaciones.
En las circunstancias actuales de nuestro país, en donde la crisis humanitaria se hace presente también en los hospitales, creo que todos deberían tener una planta de limoncillo en su casa.
Si te ha gustado esta publicación deja tus comentarios o preguntas. Estaré compartiendo en mi próxima publicación cómo hacer adecuadamente infusiones de hierbas.
Orgullosamente contribuyendo con @naturalmedicine.
Las fotografías usadas en esta publicación son de mi propiedad y fueron tomadas con un celular Yezz 4E de 8 megapíxeles.
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That is an ecsellent and informative post and I really like it ^^ .. please go on like this .. I am looking forward to see more from you in the future ;)
Thank you for your words 😊 Next time I'll be writing about how to make herbal infusions properly 🍵 😊🌱
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Lemongrass is great. The venuzuelan crisis remimds me that we should ALL grow and learn about plants so we can take care of ourselves in difficult times
Much love to you.
Yes, it is! the crises leave you a lot of learning! and in a concrete world the best thing we can do, is learn about the benefits of nature. 😊🌱
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I lemongrass essential oil too, use it quite a bit as my healthy house cleaner, especially in the bathroom. I have a wooden toilet seat, and wipe down with lemongrass, bathroom lovely and fresh and organic!
Yes, you can use it as healthy house cleaner for its bactericidal properties 😊 It is a wonderful plant! 🌱
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I have lemongrass in my garden I love it and use it for tea and cooking thank you for informing me about it's amazing medicinal properties as well xx
Thanks for your words and support 😊👍🌱
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wow I did not know about lemongrass plant even when i am from India. I dont have one currently in my home garden but i have added it to my list. Sure has too many benefits.
Yes, it's my favorite! the taste is excellent and the benefits even more. Sure you will like it 😊👍
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It is a wonderful plant with great medicinal values, i have used it for tea and also for the treatment of fever, It is used both in cities and communities especially in developing countries with great flavour.
It:s true! What I love is that in general, medicinal plants have unpleasant flavors but lemongrass is delicious, especially if you combine it with honey 😋
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I knew it was good but it seems to have much more properties than I thought :)
Yes, it's really an excellent plant 😊🌱
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You've been visited by @minismallholding from Homesteaders Co-op.
I love my lemongrass, but never really got around to finding out about its medicinal benefits. I've shared this post and given you a shout out in the Homesteaders - Natural Living newsletter. I hope we continue to read more from you.
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Thanks so much for this informative post! I've been looking for mosquito-repellent plants (in addition to the marigolds I've already purchased) so I might just be getting a couple of these, too :)
The best way to make repellent with lemongrass is to make a natural extract with 80% alcohol. 20gr of dried leaves and 100 cc of 80% alcohol 👍😊
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Es muy buena, mi abuela me la hacia tomar cuando tenia gripe/It's very good, my grandmother used to make me drink when I had the flu
Desde que yo la tengo nunca más compré antigripales 😋 Suelo combinarla con toronjil y la gripe se va muy rápido 😊 / Since I have Lemongrass I never went back to buy anti-flu 😋 and usually combine it with Melissa plant, and the flu goes very fast 😊
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