Hello Everyone,
So a couple of days ago, I had this terrible headache that just refused to go. It was on for days and I literally had to put all my work on hold. I could understand that it was as a result of working too much on my computer, but I needed the work. After all, that's what pays the bills
So I took a break from working and learning online for a day to see if it would just go.
Well, it didn't.
I'm sure you would ask why I didn't just take aspirin or any other painkiller. The simple answer to that is, I was medically advised to stop taking painkillers years ago. The reason being that the standard dosage doesn't work on me and I would have to double or sometimes triple the dosage to see a change. So I heeded the warning and for the past 10 years, I've been off painkillers.
Sleeping was my usual remedy to pains and headaches, but this headache just won't go. So I tried a new approach and decided to change my environment and get fresh air somewhere else, and it became worse. Luckily for me, I was introduced to a herbal tea by a very close relative, I thought it was all these "fake roots" but I decided to give it a try the next day since all other remedies had failed.
It worked!!!
Within 5mins of taking it, I was already better and that is the reason behind this post. I was curious to know what ingredient inside a simple tea stopped my headache.
It was lemongrass.
So I went on to research more and share with you.
Lemon grass—Light Background.
For those of you who are all science oriented, its botanical name is Cymbopogon citratus. But I'll just call it lemongrass all through this post, to save you the stress of trying to pronounce the word.
And according to Wikipedia, it can be found in Asia, Africa, Australia, and Tropical Islands. It belongs to the grass family and has numerous names e.g. fever grass, silky heads and barbed wire grass.
It is widely used as a cooking herb in Asian cuisines and also as a medicinal herb. It has a subtle citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. It is commonly used in teas, soups and curries. It is also suitable for use with meat, fish, and seafood. It is can be used as a tea in African countries like Nigeria.
It has a lot of benefits which include:
🌠 It can be used to prepare teas for headaches
🌠 Soap and cream production
🌠 Even production of insecticides
But let's talk about lemongrass and migraines.
Lemongrass Tea
Apparently, this herbal concussion has been around for a while and has been tested worth for its migraine curing powers over time. The Aboriginal Australians used tea with lemongrass to relieve headaches and migraines. That’s a long long time, and it still works. Apparently, lemongrass plant has the same effect as an analgesic or anti-inflammatory drug. And it’s 100% natural.
All Healthy News gave a more scientific breakdown of how it works. I just decided to break it down a bit further.
So headaches and migraines are the cause of some abnormal activities in the brain, like the altering of serotonin levels. Serotonin is a chemical produced from nerve cells and it basically sends signals between nerve cells. Altering these levels result in a change in the functioning platelets.
So you may ask why this is bad, well if there is an excess of platelets, there is a risk that internal clots can form, which can stop your brain from receiving oxygen properly. And we all know how important oxygen is to us if you don't just try not breathing for a minute…
So basically lemongrass has an ingredient called Citronella, and this regulates platelet function and it effectively controls the release of serotonin. That's because citronella is a natural detoxifier, it essentially removes toxins and wastes from your body.
Amazing thing is that it doesn’t just control serotonin, it regulates the mood, appetite, sleep, muscle concentration and some cognitive functions, including memory.
Wonder plant right!!!
If you are having headaches and want to try this herbal mix. All you need is lemongrass and water. You can get it in your local vegetable market if you can't find any in your local vicinity.
You can dry it before using or use it fresh. Mine was already in a teabag, so I think it was dried.
If you want to use it fresh, you first have to cut it into smaller pieces to make the brew.
For the dry plant, you’ll have to boil in water for 10 to 15 minutes. For the natural plant, use 20 mins. Then turn off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. Finally, filter off the particles, and consume the brew.
For those who are going to use already made teabags, just drop the teabag in hot water and leave it for 3-4 mins.
Sweeten with a little honey and drink slowly. Well, mine didn't have honey and it didn't taste bad, so it's not compulsory to have honey in yours.
If you ever have an headache and you don't feel like popping synthetic pills, you could try this out. It works and its all natural.
Thank you for reading.
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