Wheat Grass

Every one is talking about the wheat grass health benefits these days, but it is very important to know the facts and evaluate the numerous health claims of wheat grass on the basis of scientific evidences.

Wheat grass is a young green plant whose leaf buds can be crushed to get juice or can be dried to make powder. In both the form wheat grass provides amino acids, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. It is also a fiber source (in the unprocessed plant) that is believed to be beneficial in colon health.

Wheat grass benefits

There are many health claims that wheat grass consumption can improve the digestive system, cancer remission, heart diseases, diabetes, hemoglobin production, detoxify the liver, cure constipation, detoxify heavy metals from the bloodstream, make menopause more manageable and prevent hair loss. However there is no scientific base for these health claims.

One of the most popular health claims is that an ounce of wheatgrass juice is equivalent to a kilogram of green vegetables. But this claim is very vague as it does not specify which vegetables, and on the contrary an ounce of cooked spinach or broccoli contains more vitamins, minerals and fiber than an ounce of wheat grass juice.

Some believe that the chlorophyll in wheatgrass helps to clean the blood, promote blood flow and help in digestion and general detoxification of the body. Although chlorophyll is similar in structure to hemoglobin no research proves its direct connection with blood building and detoxification process. Also there are claims that the enzymes present in wheat grass aids digestion, but we know the fact that living organisms produce enzymes specifically for their own particular purpose and plant enzymes are not same as the enzymes produced by humans in the body. Furthermore, when enzymes are ingested orally, they are broken down in the stomach by a persons own digestive enzymes. One way in which wheat grass juice may help the body is by giving instant energy as it is in the juice and powder form; the load on the digestive system is decreased.

The place where wheat grass is grown also plays a very important role in deciding its nutrient content. Wheat grass grown under natural conditions and outdoor have better nutritional content compared to wheatgrass that is grown under artificial conditions and indoors. Especially in winters wheat grass should be grown very slowly for over 200 days to get the maximum nutritional benefit. On the basis of a nutritional analysis 1/8 amount by weight of dehydrated wheat grass powder is nutritionally far superior to an ounce of fresh wheat grass juice that is grown under un-natural hot house conditions.

Submitted on January 16, 2014