Lemongrass Tea Kills Cancer Cells: Fact or Fantastical Thinking?

Lemongrass tea has long since been a staple of traditional eastern medicine, thanks to its anti-oxidant properties and other health benefits. However, modern research now suggests that there may be more to this seemingly innocuous tea than initially thought.

Can a Simple Plant Kill Cancer Cells?

It seems far-fetched. After all, lemongrass tea is more commonly known for its fragrant smell, creating a refreshing herbal tea and a flavouring for many Asian dishes. Indeed, it’s also important to remember that the research has been very tentative and that there have certainly been no official medical recommendations advocating using lemongrass tea to cure cancer.
However, the research that has taken place so far has yielded some exciting results.

The Research Into Lemon Grass Herbal Tea

The principal piece of research conducted into the effects of lemongrass benefits on cancer cells was undertaken in 2005 by a medical team at Ben Gurion University (Israel). Led by Dr Rivka Ofir, the research team discovered that a substance in lemon grass, called citral, created a ‘suicide’ effect in cancer cells, essentially inspiring them to eliminate themselves.

Citral, the substance that gives lemongrass its distinctive lemony taste, was found to eradicate cancerous cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. Their conclusion from the research was that lemongrass and other herbs containing citral might be helpful as a preventative against certain types of cancer.

In addition to this exciting research, a study was also carried out on rats, which found that citral prevented the formation of retinoic acid from retinol. In simple terms, this chemical reaction occurs when tumours form on the skin. Other tentative studies have also been made into lemongrass’s effectiveness in combating various cancers, including colon cancer, cancer of the liver and lung cancer.

Time to Invest in Lemongrass Tea?

Before you rush out to buy plenty of lemongrass tea, it’s important to remember that research is still very much in its formative stages. Some of the claims have caused controversy in the medical world. So far, tests have only been carried out on laboratory animals, not on humans, so the effectiveness of lemongrass is still to be medically proven.

However, lemongrass poses no health threat to humans and drinking it will certainly do you no harm, only sound. In addition to the possibility that lemongrass can help to combat cancer, it also offers a wealth of other health benefits, including:

• Lowering cholesterol
• Reducing fever
• Boosting the immune system
• Aiding digestion
• Toning muscles
• reducing acne
• Lowering blood pressure

The Official Conclusion

There is not enough research to support the claim that lemongrass can cure cancer, so relying on lemongrass tea alone is not recommended. However, as part of a controlled medical treatment plan, lemongrass can offer a range of benefits to your health and can undoubtedly ease other symptoms within the body. Furthermore, after the research undertaken at Ben Gurion University, many Israeli people now drink lemongrass tea to combat cancer. They have reported remarkable improvements in their health, so there’s certainly nothing to lose by giving it a go.