(NaturalHealth365)  Most people walk right past lemongrass at the grocery store.  A few stalks, maybe in the produce section near the herbs, are easy to overlook.  But researchers are paying close attention to this humble plant, and what they’re finding may surprise you.

A major 2025 review published in Pharmacological Research – Natural Products examined the key active compound in lemongrass, citral, and found it has powerful anti-inflammatory effects.  According to the review, citral works by interrupting the signals that keep inflammation turned on in the body.  That matters enormously, because chronic inflammation is now understood to be a driver of heart disease, diabetes, autoimmune conditions, and premature aging.  And most people have no idea they’re living with it.

Your body may be inflamed right now, and you’d never know it

Acute inflammation is easy to recognize.  You sprain an ankle, the ankle swells up, and then heals.  That’s your immune system doing exactly what it should.  Chronic inflammation is different.  There’s no swelling you can see, no obvious pain signal.  Left unchecked, this quiet process damages tissues and organs over months and years, raising your risk of serious disease.

What makes lemongrass so interesting is that citral doesn’t just cover up inflammation the way many drugs do.  Research suggests it works upstream, reducing the cellular signals that initiate the inflammatory process.  That’s a meaningfully different approach, and one that natural health practitioners have long argued is where the real power lies.

Lemongrass and your blood pressure

The blood pressure connection is where the human research gets especially compelling.  In one study, 72 volunteers drank either lemongrass tea or green tea daily.  Those in the lemongrass group experienced a notable drop in systolic blood pressure and a significantly lower heart rate.

A comprehensive scientific review confirmed these results hold up across multiple human studies, explaining that citral widens blood vessels, improves blood flow, and helps the body shed excess sodium and fluid – three separate ways of easing the pressure on your cardiovascular system.

Nearly half of all American adults have elevated blood pressure or full hypertension.  Most are handed a prescription and sent home.  The idea that a daily cup of lemongrass tea could meaningfully support blood pressure without side effects is exactly the kind of information that deserves more attention than it gets.

Simple ways to use lemongrass every day

Start with a daily cup of lemongrass tea and stay consistent.  Steep two or three fresh stalks in hot water for about 10 minutes, or use a tablespoon of dried lemongrass.  Fresh stalks are available at most Asian grocery stores and increasingly at regular supermarkets.  The flavor is light and citrusy, naturally caffeine-free, and easy to drink morning or evening.  Drink the tea regularly, as the benefits build with regular use.

Add lemongrass to soups, broths, and stir-fries.  Thai and Vietnamese cooking has leaned on lemongrass for centuries, and science is now explaining why.  Using the herb whole in cooking delivers the full range of anti-inflammatory compounds, along with the plant’s natural flavonoids and antioxidants.  A phytochemical analysis confirmed that lemongrass extracts have strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity throughout the whole plant.

Pair lemongrass with other anti-inflammatory foods for a stronger effect.  Turmeric, ginger, garlic, and wild-caught fatty fish all work through overlapping pathways.  Building meals around these foods, rather than treating any one of them as a magic bullet, is how real, lasting protection against chronic disease is built.

Your heart deserves better than a lifetime of prescriptions

Lemongrass is a start.  But if chronic inflammation has been quietly damaging your cardiovascular system, there’s much more to address.

Jonathan Landsman’s Cardiovascular Docu-Class reveals the proper tests that expose hidden heart damage years before a crisis, natural protocols for reversing arterial plaque, the real truth about blood pressure medications, and the nutrient deficiencies most doctors never test for.  Get real answers by accessing this lifesaving program today.

Sources for this article include:

Sciencedirect.com
Ijpca.org
NIH.gov