Lemongrass and the GABA Connection: A Natural Route to Calm

There’s a kind of peace that comes not from escape, but from quiet restoration. Lemongrass essential oil, with its fresh citrus clarity and herbal grounding, offers just that—a gentle shift in state, a return to balance. And now, we’re beginning to understand how this calming effect may work deep within the brain.

A 2011 study published in The Journal of Ethnopharmacology explored how inhalation and exposure to lemongrass oil influenced anxiety-like behaviours. Their focus was on the GABAergic system—the intricate neural network responsible for regulating emotional calm and preventing overstimulation.

GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, acts as the brain’s “brake pedal,” helping to slow down nervous system activity when things feel too intense. The researchers found that lemongrass essential oil appears to engage this system, producing a measurable anxiolytic-like effect—that is, a calming influence without sedation or impairment.

This makes lemongrass uniquely suited for moments when the body feels keyed up but the mind needs to stay alert—before a difficult conversation, in the middle of an anxious day, or even during that quiet-but-tense time before sleep. The scent doesn’t numb—it gently shifts the chemistry of overwhelm toward clarity and composure.

Whether you’re diffusing it in the background of your workday, adding it to a calming massage blend, or simply inhaling it during a moment of emotional reset, lemongrass essential oil offers a bridge between your breath and your brain’s natural ability to soothe itself—light, fresh, and deeply grounding.

Source: The Journal of Ethnopharmacology