People are always seeking organic ways to become healthier and avoid any medical conditions that hamper daily living. This is why many natural afficiados adopt cymbopogon, better known as lemongrass, into their diets. Lemongrass is a tropical grass plant with Asian, African, Australian, and tropical origins, often used as a medicinal herb or aromatherapy ingredient due to the pleasing lemon scent. However, it’s also often used in teas, bath oils, lotions, perfumes, body scrubs, essential oils, and even food. Many natural practitioners have linked lemongrass to reducing the symptoms of several medical conditions, including gout, arthritis, anxiety, gloat, indigestion, joint pain, acne, and more.

Here’s how the medicinal side of lemongrass may improve your life and health:

1. Reduce bloating
Many natural practitioners recommend lemongrass for it’s diuretic effects. For instance, drinking lemongrass infused tea has been known to trigger the kidneys to release more urine, greatly reducing water retention, which may cause painful bloating and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

2. Pain reduction
Patient with arthritis, gout, and chronic joint pain will be thrilled to hear that lemongrass acts as a natural pain reliever. A 2017 study noted that the citral in lemongrass essential oil may help ease painful inflammation when applied topically to affected joints.

3. Sleep aid
According to a study published by pharmaceutical researchers at India’s Punjabi University, lemongrass may be a natural promoter of sleep. In fact, the 2015 study found that sipping lemongrass tea prior to bedtime had sedative benefits on study participants, increasing sleep duration and overall sleep quality.

4. Flu fighter
A popular home remedy for the flu has always featured lemongrass front and center. In fact, mom’s have been infusing vaporizers with lemongrass oil for years to ward off colds and flues.

Not only does lemongrass help kill bacteria and germs, it fights flu by reducing fever symptoms (by reducing core body temperature), relieves indigestion, calms nausea and abdominal cramps, and soothes headache.