What is lemon basil? Can lemongrass be eaten raw?

Lemon basil is a well-known herb. There are many cough remedies prepared from this plant. Lemon basil can be eaten raw is not a question that many people ask because using them regularly is said to be very good for health.

Lemon basil is very popular in Vietnam. This is a herb with a very specific aroma and many herbalists take advantage of this plant to make effective remedies for respiratory diseases. So can lemon basil be eaten raw? How to use them for good health? This article will accurately inform you. 

What is lemon basil?

Lemon basil is an herbaceous plant that grows upright. Lemon basil leaves are the most used part, they are hairy, succulent and have prominent veins with very sharp serrated edges. Lemon basil plants are so named because they have a scent like lemon and have a mild sour taste. 

Many people often wonder if lemon basil can be eaten raw, because lemon basil is considered very good for health by herbalists and recommended to be used regularly. Lemon basil has a spicy, aromatic, and warm taste that can disinfect, eliminate phlegm, clear the throat and increase sweating. 

Lemon basil is a very good herb for health

It is easy to recognize that current products to treat colds, flu, sore throats, bronchitis and fever reducers often have lemon basil extracts. In addition, lemon basil has a very high content of Vitamins A, B, C, which helps to enhance vision, improve  macular degeneration and increase the body's resistance. Not to mention because of their antiseptic properties, basil leaves are also used to treat wounds caused by insect bites. 

However, there is a common confusion that many people refer to lemon basil leaves as  marjoram . Is lemon basil marjoram? The answer is no. Marjoram is another herb. The leaves are fragrant and have rounder, thicker, and more succulent leaves than marjoram leaves. If you want to buy lemon basil leaves, look closely and don't forget to smell the scent to choose the right herb. 

Can lemongrass be eaten raw?

Lemon basil is recommended to be used fresh. Although better known as a precious herb, lemon basil leaves are also a delicious raw vegetable. So it is completely possible to eat lemon basil leaves raw.

In lemon basil there is a substance called colein and a little aromatic essential oil with a lemon taste, the cool so it is easy to eat. According to many oriental medicine doctors, each day should be used fresh with a dosage of about 10-16g. In addition to eating raw you can steam, pound, drink water, decoction to prevent and treat diseases. 

Can lemongrass be eaten raw? The answer is yes and they are also effective for coughs

So, specifically, what are the health benefits of eating lemon basil?

• Reduces sore throat: The active ingredient in lemon basil is an antibiotic with a good antiseptic effect, removing mucus, phlegm and pathogens that cause inflammation of the throat. 
• Reduce fever: As mentioned above, basil leaves can effectively reduce fever, they help the body sweat more thereby eliminating toxins through the skin and speeding up the body's recovery process. 
• Cure bad breath: Because of the aroma like lemon plus the cool taste, lemon basil leaves can  effectively treat bad breath .
• Reduce stress and anxiety: Can you eat raw lemon basil when stressed? The answer is yes. Because some organic compounds and minerals in lemon balm have sedative effects, reduce anxiety, help the body relax and sleep better.
• Reduces Arthritis: The content of omega-6 fatty acids found in basil leaves can reduce arthritis. 
• Improves kidney function: Lemon basil has a diuretic effect from which they help the body eliminate toxins by stimulating urination. 
• Reduce irritable bowel syndrome: If you experience symptoms such as stomach pain, discomfort in the abdomen, drink lemon basil juice to reduce  irritable bowel syndrome. 

Cough remedies made from lemon basil

In Eastern medicine, lemon basil leaves are often used to create remedies to help relieve phlegm, cough, flu, asthma, and fever. After answering the question of whether lemon basil can be eaten raw, we need to learn about remedies that can be self-decorated at home to prevent and treat diseases effectively:

Remedies made from lemon basil are very easy to make

• Remedy for cough with phlegm: First, you need to wash about 15 leaves of lemon basil and 5 blueberries. Then put them in a blender with a blender. The mixture is pureed, add rock sugar to steam, steam them for about 20 minutes. This is a benign remedy that can be used for both children and adults, when sick should take 1-2 times a day until the cough is gone.
• Remedy for sore throat: This remedy is similar to the one above, but faster. After washing the basil leaves and chopping them into small pieces, pound them with rock sugar. Next, mix with boiling water to infuse the mixture and then decant the drinking water. 
• Steam remedy for colds and flu: Cook fresh lemon basil with ginger and onions and then steam your body to increase sweating. When steaming, be careful because the water is still hot and only needs to be steamed for about 10 minutes. 

However, if after a period of use, the disease still does not improve, the patient needs to see a doctor for examination and treatment.

Above are the sharing of questions about whether lemon basil can be eaten raw . Hopefully after reading the article, you can understand more about this herb and have an effective, easy-to-follow remedy with lemon basil.