WheatGrass – Is It Really a Superfood?

Guest author Jane Deangelo, student in my Nutrition Class gave a wonderful presentation on wheatgrass. Please welcome her as a guest author.

Post a comment below if you’ve had experience with wheatgrass supplementation.

Now let’s hear from Jane:

We’ve all heard the hype about one so called “miracle” food or another, only to be disappointed when we find out that it was just a carefully crafted public relations ploy to draw in mass sales.

However, it would be unfair to paint all foods with the same brush. After all, all of us have heard over the years how important fruits and vegetables are to include in our diet and how whole grains need to be a daily part of our eating habits. Indeed, the benefits of avocados, blueberries and nuts and seeds are worth their weight in gold. Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – we all need these to stay healthy and strong.

What about wheatgrass? Can we also put this earthy tasting green liquid in the same category as other Superfoods? I believe the answer is yes! After all it’s not called liquid sunshine for nothing!

What is wheat grass? These vibrant blades of green are a nutrient rich young grass which comes from the wheat family. It is sold all over the world in tablets, powders and even in liquid form at health food stores and juice bars. It has earned itself a reputation for being a source of improving one’s health dramatically since it has far reaching properties which affect the body in many different ways.

So let’s look at its nutritional properties: not only does it contain vitamins A, C, E & K as well as B12 (as a by-product), but it also has 19 amino acids, which are the building blocks for proteins, 19 minerals and over 30 enzymes which are needed for digestion. Green wheatgrass juice has a percentage of 70% chlorophyll and health experts have discovered that this chlorophyll in the wheatgrass is almost identical to that of the hemoglobin in human blood. Why is that important you may ask? Well simply put: since these two are so similar, the body is able to make hemoglobin easily from the chlorophyll and that increases the red blood cells in the body which delivers more oxygen to the body. An oxygenated body is a healthy body – and cancer cannot survive in an oxygen rich environment! Not only that but the chlorophyll energizes the whole body, alkalizing and cleansing it at the same time.

Wheatgrass contains large amounts of naturally occurring saponin which are compounds that are found in green plants and have anti bacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.   Saponin gives a boost to the lymphatic system – the body’s waste disposal system which gets rid of the toxins in the cells and keeps the body healthy and strong. Who doesn’t want a body that is being consistently spring cleaned?

Wheatgrass is a great immune system booster which strengthens the body and keeps disease away. It contains more vitamin C than oranges and more vitamin A than carrots. If that wasn’t impressive enough, some health experts say that almost two ounces of organic green wheatgrass juice is equivalent nutritionally to 2.5 lbs of veggies!

There are weight loss benefits to taking wheatgrass as well. Since it stimulates the thyroid gland, this revs up your metabolism fighting obesity. Not only does your metabolism get a boost, but the detoxifying properties of wheatgrass help to keep the liver strong so that it can kill toxins and neutralize environmental and chemical pollutants that we are exposed to on a daily basis.

Wheatgrass has been used to help with skin conditions like eczema as well as dandruff and tooth pain. Ann Wigmore, the founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute claims that wheatgrass was responsible for her gray hair turning back to its original color! It has been used to help gastrointestinal problems as well as blood conditions and high blood pressure.

Dr. Joseph Mercola points out that as with all things, quality is better than quantity and that certainly applies to wheatgrass. High quality, freshly grown organic wheatgrass will obviously contain the most beneficial nutrients. Growing your own wheatgrass can be fun and extremely cost effective but it requires time and patience. Reading up on the subject and watching several good YouTube videos can really help avoid the pitfalls. Since wheatgrass can have an earthy, bitter taste and is highly detoxifying, Dr. Mercola suggests that you should only drink one or two ounces per day and then gradually work up to two ounces.

In conclusion, wheatgrass is an excellent food source that has multiple benefits and should be integrated into a healthy diet of whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean proteins and good oils.

                                                Works Cited

—  Wonderful Wheatgrass, 21 facts you need to know. www.liquidnutrition.com

—  Better than Wheatgrass – Raw veggie juice & sprouts, Dr. Joseph Mercola

—  Benefits of wheatgrass, Hippocrates Health Institute, www.hippocratesinst.org

—  Web MD – Wheatgrass, www.webmd.com

—  Herbal Wisdom, Wheatgrass benefits & Information, www.herbalwisdom.com

—  Miraculous Health Benefits of Green Wheat Grass, www.dietandi.com/green-wheat-grass-miraculous-health-benefits/

—  Wikipedia – Wheatgrass