Lemongrass: Benefits Research, Lemongrass Tea and How to Use It

Lemongrass is a tall tropical grass, Cymbopogon citratus, whose pale lower stalk gives Thai, Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian dishes a bright lemony aroma without the sourness of lemon juice. Cooks bruise, slice or pound it into soups, curries, marinades and pastes, and many people steep it as an herbal tea. USDA data for raw lemongrass are sparse: the entry lists calories, minerals and a few vitamins but no fiber, sugar or vitamin K values. This guide covers what lemongrass is, what USDA does and does not list, what the small human studies on lemongrass tea found, how to use lemongrass in the kitchen, and why concentrated lemongrass oil is a different thing from the herb.

Peptide Labs does not sell lemongrass or lemongrass products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is lemongrass?

A 2025 study in Chemistry and Biodiversity describes Cymbopogon citratus, commonly known as lemongrass, as a member of the Poaceae (grass) family native to tropical and subtropical regions, including South Asia, with uses in cooking, perfumery and traditional practices. The same study found the plant’s oil was mostly neral and geranial, the two forms of citral, which together made up more than 70% of the oil analyzed. A 2026 food science review likewise describes lemongrass oil as dominated by citral.

Lemongrass and citronella are related but not the same plant. FDA’s list of essential oils and natural extractives generally recognized as safe for their intended use in food (21 CFR 182.20) names lemon grass as Cymbopogon citratus and Cymbopogon flexuosus, and lists citronella separately as Cymbopogon nardus. The USDA database adds to the confusion by naming its entry “Lemon grass (citronella), raw.” Citronella candles and sprays are not food. Lemongrass is also unrelated to lemon balm, a lemony mint-family herb covered in our lemon balm guide.

Lemongrass nutrition: what USDA lists

The table uses USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entry FDC 168573 for raw lemongrass, with percent Daily Values based on the FDA Daily Values. The entry has no values for fiber, total sugars or vitamin K, and SR Legacy has no entry for dried lemongrass or lemongrass tea, so those numbers are marked as not listed rather than guessed.

Read these numbers with the kitchen in mind. Much of a lemongrass stalk is woody and gets strained out or set aside, and tea extracts only part of what is in the leaves, so a cup of lemongrass tea is not the same as eating a cup of lemongrass. For minerals from foods you eat in larger portions, see our guides to iron in foods and potassium in foods.

Lemongrass benefits: what the research shows

Searches for lemongrass benefits turn up long lists, but most of that research tests concentrated oil or extracts in lab dishes and animals. Human studies of lemongrass as people actually consume it are few, small and old. Here is what they found.

• Healthy volunteers, 1986: a Brazilian study gave a tea made from dried lemongrass leaves to healthy volunteers once or every day for two weeks. Routine blood and urine tests, brain-wave recordings and heart tracings showed no meaningful changes, though some volunteers had slight rises in two blood markers (direct bilirubin and amylase) without symptoms. In double-blind tests against a placebo, the tea did not change sleep measures in 50 volunteers or anxiety scores in 18 volunteers with high trait anxiety. The authors concluded the tea lacked the calming effects claimed in folk use.
• Kidney measures, 2015: a 30-day trial in Nigeria randomly assigned 105 healthy adults aged 18 to 35 to lemongrass leaf infusions of three strengths once a day. Compared with their own starting values, creatinine clearance and estimated glomerular filtration rate, two measures of kidney filtering, fell by day 30 in every group, and the authors described the changes as rising with strength and duration. The abstract describes no placebo group, so the result needs confirmation, but it is a reason for caution.
• Aroma, 2015: in a Brazilian lab study, 40 men inhaled lemongrass essential oil, tea tree oil or water before a stressful color-word test. The lemongrass groups reported less anxiety and tension right after inhaling and recovered faster, but body measures such as heart rate did not differ, and the authors said more research is needed before drawing practical conclusions. This tested a smell, not lemongrass tea.

That is a thin base. Lemongrass is a pleasant culinary herb, and this guide makes no claim that it changes any health condition.

Lemongrass tea

Lemongrass tea is an herbal infusion of fresh or dried lemongrass in hot water, alone or mixed with ginger, mint or lemon. It is not true tea from the Camellia sinensis plant; bagged blends that include green or black tea contain caffeine, so check the label. Most people slice or bruise fresh stalks, pour hot water over them, let them steep and strain. Because the 2015 trial reported changes in kidney measures with daily infusions, people with kidney disease, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone taking prescription medicines should ask a clinician before drinking it regularly. For other herbal options, compare our guides to ginger tea, chamomile tea, hibiscus tea and green tea, or our lemon water guide for a citrus drink.

How to use lemongrass in cooking

Knowing how to use lemongrass mostly comes down to separating the tender core from the woody parts.

1. Choose firm, pale green stalks with a fresh lemon smell; skip dry, brown or shriveled ones.
2. Cut off the root end and the dry upper leaves, then peel away one or two tough outer layers.
3. For soups and curries, cut the stalk into lengths and bruise them with the back of a knife or a rolling pin to release aroma; remove the pieces before serving.
4. For pastes, marinades and stir-fries, slice only the tender lower part very thin, then pound or blend it so no fibrous bits remain.
5. Wrap extra stalks and refrigerate them, or slice and freeze them in a sealed bag for later.
6. Dried and ground lemongrass and lemongrass paste in tubes are convenient swaps; read paste labels for salt and other ingredients.

Lemongrass pairs well with ginger, garlic, chilies, coconut milk, lime and fresh herbs. Our ginger guide covers its most common partner, and our sibling guide to chives covers a milder herb for finishing dishes.

Kitchen lemongrass vs concentrated oils

FDA lists lemongrass oil among flavoring extractives recognized as safe for their intended use in food, which refers to tiny amounts blended into products by manufacturers. That listing does not make a bottle of essential oil a food. Poison Control warns that essential oils can be dangerous if swallowed, and asks that bottles be kept away from children; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 after an exposure. Skin reactions are also possible: in a German dermatology network that patch tested 10,930 patients, 2.6% reacted to lemongrass oil, the second-highest rate of the 12 oils tested. Lemongrass is not one of the nine major food allergens under US law, but anyone who reacts to it should see an allergist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Chives: USDA Chive Nutrition, Chives vs Scallions and Kitchen Tips, Ginger for Nausea: What Studies Show, Other Benefits and Side Effects, Ginger Tea Benefits: What the Research Shows and Side Effects.