Most people can safely drink one to three cups of lemongrass tea per day. That range, roughly 2 to 4 grams of dried lemongrass leaf, is where clinical research shows diuretic benefits without measurable harm to kidney function. Going beyond that, particularly to 8 grams or more daily, starts to stress the kidneys and may cause unwanted side effects.
What the Research Says About Daily Amounts
There are no official dosing guidelines from major health organizations for lemongrass tea, largely because clinical trial data is limited. The best evidence comes from a study published in the Journal of Renal Nutrition, which tested infusions made from 2, 4, or 8 grams of dried lemongrass leaf powder taken once daily for 30 days.
At the 2-gram and 4-gram doses (roughly one to two standard cups of tea), participants showed increased urine output and urination frequency after 10 days, with no change in kidney filtration markers. That’s the diuretic effect many people drink lemongrass tea for, working as expected without causing problems. At 8 grams daily, however, kidney filtration rates dropped significantly in both men and women. Even at the lower doses, markers of kidney stress (serum creatinine and urea levels) crept up after 30 continuous days of use.
The practical takeaway: one to two cups daily appears well tolerated in the short term. If you enjoy lemongrass tea regularly, staying at or below 4 grams of dried leaf per day gives you the widest safety margin. Taking occasional breaks from daily consumption is also reasonable given the 30-day kidney data.
Side Effects of Drinking Too Much
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center lists several side effects associated with oral lemongrass consumption: dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth, increased urination, and increased appetite. These are more likely at higher intakes and with prolonged daily use. If you notice any of these after adding lemongrass tea to your routine, cutting back to one cup or skipping a day is a straightforward fix.
The more serious concerns involve the kidneys and liver. Excessive lemongrass tea intake can affect kidney function, as the clinical data above confirms. In high concentrations, lemongrass essential oil (which is far more potent than brewed tea) can damage the liver and stomach lining. You’re unlikely to reach those concentrations from tea alone, but stacking lemongrass tea with lemongrass supplements or essential oil capsules could push your total intake into risky territory.
Who Should Be More Cautious
If you have existing kidney disease or reduced kidney function, lemongrass tea’s diuretic properties and its effect on creatinine clearance make it worth discussing with your care team before drinking it daily. The 30-day study showed kidney filtration declines across all dose groups over time, meaning even moderate amounts could matter when your kidneys are already compromised.
The concern about lemongrass during pregnancy is more nuanced than many websites suggest. Older warnings were based on a 2006 animal study that gave mice very high doses of citral, the primary compound in lemongrass essential oil. To match that dose from tea, a person weighing about 130 pounds would need to drink roughly 12 cups per day. A 2016 study in Brazil found lemongrass was the only herb among several tested that showed no toxic effects on pregnancy. Still, because the research is thin, many practitioners recommend keeping intake modest during pregnancy, around one cup or less.
Lemongrass tea can also interact with certain medications. Its diuretic effect may amplify the action of prescription diuretics or blood pressure medications, potentially causing excessive fluid loss or drops in blood pressure. If you take either, keep your lemongrass intake on the lower end.
How to Brew It for the Best Results
Use boiling or near-boiling water (100°C / 212°F). Research on tea antioxidant extraction shows that higher water temperatures pull significantly more beneficial compounds from the leaves compared to cooler water. Steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Antioxidant yield increases with longer brewing times, but extraction beyond about two hours actually degrades those same compounds, so there’s no benefit to letting it sit for hours. A 10-minute steep in hot water hits the sweet spot for flavor and antioxidant content without turning bitter.
A standard cup uses about 1 to 2 grams of dried lemongrass, or one to two tablespoons of fresh-cut stalks. If you’re using fresh lemongrass, you can be a bit more generous since the water content means less active compound per volume. Two cups brewed this way lands you right in the 2 to 4 gram range that the clinical evidence supports as safe for daily use.