In India, Ayurvedic medicine is considered the great, great grandfather of all natural medical knowledge, because the information regarding the chemical compounds that are used to treat a plethora of illnesses and dis-ease are founded in Ayurvedic thought.
India has been practicing natural healing for thousands of years and Ayurvedic concepts about prolonging life have been much studied, and copied because they are part of the vital power and innate wisdom that flows through all of us. Healing is not a result of any one belief; it is the result of believing that the body can heal itself when its energies are in balance and flowing in and out smoothly.
Lemongrass oil contains chemical compounds that can boost the immune system and balance hormonal secretion, as these same compounds are found naturally in the body. When the dried leaves of Cymbopogon citratus are extracted using steam distillation, the result is this sweet smelling dark yellow or amber oil with the viscosity of water.
The main chemicals in this essential oil are myrcene, traces of limonene, geranyl acetate, nerol, citronellal, geraniol, citral and neral. Therapeutically, lemongrass oil has anti-infectious properties as well as analgesic, antimicrobial, fungicidal, anti-depressant antiseptic, astringent, bactericidal, deodorant, carminative, diuretic, insecticidal, and febrifuge properties.
Lemongrass has the ability to relieve jetlag, nervous exhaustion, and stress related conditions, and the oil also helps with respiratory infections and infectious diseases. Laryngitis, fever, muscle aches, poor circulation, indigestion, and gastro-enteritis may all be treated with lemongrass oil. It’s great for clearing up oily skin, it works on athlete’s foot, and it can alleviate excessive perspiration.
When the oil is used as a vapor it revitalizes the mind and increases cellular energy, which makes it perfect for fatigue and mid-afternoon lethargy. A diluted bath or a massage can help get rid of infections; sooth exerted ligaments, and relax the nervous system. Lemongrass oil blends beautifully with other essential oils such as lavender, basil, cedarwood, jasmine, geranium, and tea tree oil in aromatherapy.
Lemongrass essential oil for aromatherapy comes from the citratus variety, not the flexuosus variety of Cymbopogon citratus. Flexuosus is used in the perfume industry because it contain less mycrene than citratus. We will need to do more research to ensure that both varieties of lemongrass oil have all the chemical compounds that benefit with the immune and hormone systems of the body.
