Lemongrass Tea Side Effects

Possible lemongrass tea side effects include stomach upset and allergic reactions, while interactions with medicines are an unconfirmed concern.

Is lemongrass tea safe? 3 possible side effects and concerns

Lemongrass tea has not been studied well enough to establish how often side effects occur or how much is safe to drink every day. Many people use lemongrass as a food ingredient, but that does not establish the safety of frequent tea use, concentrated preparations or use by everyone.

The three concerns below are practical reasons for caution, not a proven ranking by frequency. The available studies do not establish whether lemongrass tea causes these effects or how common they are. A medicine interaction is also a potential risk rather than a confirmed side effect of the tea itself.

Most safety concerns are different from claims about “detox.” The liver and kidneys do most of the body’s detoxification, while the lungs and gut also help eliminate waste. Lemongrass tea can contribute to hydration, but it has not been shown to cleanse the body or replace medical care.

Can lemongrass tea upset your stomach?

1. Stomach upset

Possible mechanism: Digestive discomfort can occur after consuming a food or drink that does not agree with you. It is not clear which components of lemongrass tea, if any, cause stomach symptoms or whether the tea itself was responsible in a particular case.

How to use it: If you notice nausea, stomach discomfort or loose stools after drinking lemongrass tea, stop drinking it and see whether the symptoms settle. Avoid trying a stronger preparation to check whether it happens again. A clinician can help assess symptoms that persist or have another possible cause.

Check what else was in the cup, too. Sweeteners and other ingredients in a blend may be more relevant to your symptoms than lemongrass, and the timing alone cannot prove the cause.

Strength of evidence: The studies we found do not establish how frequently brewed lemongrass tea causes digestive symptoms. This is a precaution based on the possibility of individual intolerance, not a measured rate of side effects.

Can lemongrass tea cause an allergic reaction?

2. Possible allergic reaction

Possible mechanism: An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system reacts to a substance. A reaction to a plant ingredient is possible, but the available evidence does not establish how often lemongrass tea causes allergy or identify a predictable amount that would trigger one.

How to use it: Do not drink lemongrass tea if you know you are allergic to lemongrass or have previously reacted to it. If you develop a rash, itching or swelling after drinking it, stop using it and contact a healthcare professional for advice. Do not deliberately drink it again to test the reaction.

Trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, fainting, or a rapidly worsening reaction needs emergency care. Tell the medical team what you drank and what other ingredients were in it, if known.

Strength of evidence: The studies available here do not provide a clinical rate for allergic reactions to lemongrass tea. Allergy is a reason to take symptoms seriously, not a reason to assume that every rash after tea is caused by lemongrass.

Can lemongrass tea interact with medicines?

3. Possible medicine interactions

Possible mechanism: Some plant products can affect how medicines work or add to their effects. Whether ordinary lemongrass tea does this, which medicines might be affected and what amount would matter are not established by the studies available here.

How to use it: If you take prescription medicines, ask a pharmacist or clinician before making lemongrass tea a regular habit, especially if you take medicines for diabetes or blood pressure, or a blood thinner. Tell them whether you plan to use an ordinary tea or a concentrated product, and bring the label if you have it.

Do not change or stop a prescribed medicine because you drink lemongrass tea. If you notice new symptoms after adding the tea, stop the tea and ask your healthcare professional whether the symptoms need assessment.

Strength of evidence: This is a precaution, not a confirmed list of interactions. There is not enough evidence in the studies provided to say that lemongrass tea changes blood sugar, blood pressure or the effect of a blood thinner in people.

Who should avoid lemongrass tea or ask for advice?

Avoid lemongrass tea if you have a known lemongrass allergy or have had a suspected allergic reaction to it. Seek medical advice before using it again if the cause of a previous reaction is uncertain.

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, avoid regular or concentrated lemongrass preparations unless your clinician says they are appropriate. There is not enough safety information here to recommend a daily amount for these groups. For children, ask a pediatric healthcare professional before offering lemongrass tea regularly or using it for a health purpose.

People with kidney or liver disease, those managing diabetes or blood pressure, and people who take regular medicines should also check with a clinician or pharmacist before frequent use. This advice reflects uncertainty and individual medical needs; it does not mean a specific interaction or harm has been proven for all of these groups.

Product quality matters as well. A 2022 analysis of herbal tea bags sold in Tacna, Peru found that some lemongrass samples exceeded the standards used in the study for cadmium or lead. The researchers estimated a low noncancer health risk under their assessment, but the findings concern tested tea bags, not a clinical study of side effects from brewed tea. They do not establish the contaminant level of every lemongrass product.

How much lemongrass tea is safe to drink daily?

There is no established safe number of cups of lemongrass tea per day. The ai detox recipe generator can suggest drink ideas, but it cannot determine an individually safe amount.

If you choose to drink lemongrass tea, use a product intended for drinking and follow its preparation instructions. Starting with a small serving rather than a concentrated preparation can help you notice whether it agrees with you, but this is a practical precaution—not a tested safe dose or a guarantee against an allergic reaction.

Do not substitute lemongrass essential oil for tea or swallow essential oil as a homemade concentrate. A laboratory study of lemongrass essential oil in human immune cells found cell damage at higher concentrations. That experiment did not test brewed tea in people and cannot establish a safe daily tea limit.

A longer steep, a larger serving or frequent use may change your exposure to plant compounds, but there is not enough evidence here to turn those variables into a reliable safety threshold. Ask your healthcare professional for individual advice if you want to drink the tea regularly.

When should you see a doctor?

Get emergency help immediately for breathing difficulty, swelling of the tongue or throat, fainting, or a rapidly worsening reaction after lemongrass tea. These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction, whatever the trigger.

Seek urgent medical assessment for severe abdominal pain, blood in vomit or stool, or persistent vomiting. Contact a healthcare professional if milder symptoms continue, recur or concern you, especially if you have a medical condition or take medicines.

If someone swallows lemongrass essential oil, contact your local poison control service or seek urgent medical advice. Do not induce vomiting unless a medical professional or poison control specialist instructs you to do so. Keep the product container available so you can identify what was taken.

For a less urgent appointment, note when you drank the tea, its ingredients, any symptoms and the medicines or supplements you take. That information can help a clinician assess possible causes without assuming the tea was responsible.