Wheatgrass refers to the young grass of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum, that is freshly juiced or dried into powder for animal and human consumption. Both provide chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Claims about wheatgrass' health benefits range from providing supplemental nutrition to having unique curative properties. Some consumers grow and juice wheatgrass in their homes. It is often available in juice bars, alone or in mixed fruit and/or vegetable drinks. It is also available in many health food stores as fresh produce, tablets, frozen juice and powder.
History
The consumption of wheatgrass in the Western world began in the 1930s as a result of experiments by Charles F. Schnabel and his attempts to popularize the plant.
Schnabel, an agricultural chemist, conducted his first experiments with young grasses in 1930, when he used fresh cut grass in an attempt to nurse dying hens back to health. The hens not only recovered, but they produced eggs at a higher rate than healthy hens. Encouraged by his results, he began drying and powdering grass for his family and neighbors to supplement their diets. The following year, Schnabel reproduced his experiment and achieved the same results. Hens consuming rations supplemented with grass doubled their egg production. Schnabel started promoting his discovery to feed mills, chemists and the food industry. Two large corporations, Quaker Oats and American Dairies Inc., invested millions of dollars in further research, development and production of products for animals and humans. By 1940, cans of Schnabel's powdered grass were on sale in major drug stores throughout the United States and Canada.
Cultivation
Schnabel's research was conducted with wheatgrass grown outdoors in Kansas. His wheatgrass required 200 days of slow growth, through the winter and early spring, when it was harvested at the jointing or reproductive stage. It was at this stage that the plant reached its peak nutritional potential; after jointing, concentrations of chlorophyll, protein, and vitamin decline sharply. Harvested grass was dehydrated and made into powders and tablets for human and animal consumption. Wheatgrass grown indoors in trays for ten days contains similar nutritional content. Wheatgrass grown outdoors is harvested, dehydrated at a low temperature and sold in tablet and powdered forms. Wheat grass juice powder (fresh squeezed with the water removed) is also available either spray-dried or freeze-dried.
Usage
The average dosage taken by consumers of wheatgrass is 3.5 grams (powder or tablets). Some also have a fresh-squeezed 30 ml shot once daily or for more therapeutic benefits a higher dose up to 2–4 oz taken 1-3 times per day on an empty stomach and before meals. For detoxification, some users may increase their intake to 3–4 times per day. It should be noted that consumers with a poor diet may experience nausea on high dosages of wheatgrass. Outdoor wheatgrass is harvested for a few days each year from plants grown in the "bread basket" regions of the US and Canada. Winter wheat requires more than 200 days of slow growth in cold temperatures to reach the peak nutritional content. Even after that length of time, the plant is only 7 to 10 inches high.
Health claims
Proponents of wheatgrass make many claims for its health properties, ranging from promotion of general well-being to cancer prevention and heavy-metal detoxification. None of these claims has been substantiated in the scientific literature, though there is some evidence in support of the beneficial effects of chlorophyll in the human diet.
Wheatgrass vs. common vegetables
Wheatgrass proponent Schnabel claimed in the 1940s that "fifteen pounds of wheatgrass is equal in overall nutritional value to 350 pounds of ordinary garden vegetables", a ratio of 1:23. Despite claims of vitamin and mineral content disproportional to other vegetables, the nutrient content of wheatgrass juice is roughly equivalent to that of fresh vegetables (see table 1).
Wheatgrass is thought to be superior to other vegetables is in its content of Vitamin B12, a vital nutrient, though the vitamin is not contained within wheatgrass but is a byproduct of the microorganisms living on it.
Detoxification
Another common claim for wheatgrass is that it promotes detoxification. The limited data in support of that claim applies to most green vegetables.
Chlorophyll
As the chlorophyll molecule is structurally similar to hemoglobin, it has been argued that wheatgrass helps blood flow, digestion and general detoxification of the body. These claims have not been substantiated. However, some research exists that relates diets high in chlorophyll, present in higher concentrations in green leafy vegetables, with lower rates of colon cancer.
Wheatgrass juice recipes:
Of course, there's still the problem of taste. For some people, it's an acquired one. For others, they never quite learn to like it. Still others can barely choke it down. If one of these last two is you, never fear. Wheatgrass juice can be blended into other juices in such a way as to leave even the most skeptical of drinkers licking his or her lips. Of course, experimentation is key, as you'll have to discover for yourself what tickles your personal palate, but here are a few ideas to get you started.
For each of the juices, all you need is the fresh, whole fruit or vegetable indicated, your wheatgrass crop (measured in inch rounds), and your juicer. For smoothies, you will also need a blender or food processor. Wheatgrass can also be added to any of your favorite smoothie recipes.
Green Juice
3 stalks celery
2 medium cucumbers
5 fresh spinach leaves
½ cup fresh parsley
3-inch round wheatgrass
water as needed
Cut up celery and cucumber into chunks small enough to fit through your juicer. Juice and dilute with water as necessary for texture and/or taste.
Veggie Delight
3 stalks celery
2 large carrots
1/2 red beet
5 fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
1/2 cup parsley
3-inch round wheatgrass
water as needed
Cut up vegetables into chunks small enough to fit through your juicer. Juice and dilute with water as necessary for texture and/or taste.
Applegrass
3 medium apples
3-inch round wheatgrass
water as needed
Chop apples to fit through juicer. Juice and dilute as needed.
Orange-grass
2 oranges
2 large carrots
3-inch round wheatgrass
Chop carrots to fit through juicer. Juice and serve.
Wheatgrass Whirl
2 oranges
1 banana
½ cup fresh berries
2-inch round wheatgrass
1-2 cups ice cubes
Juice orange and wheatgrass, then add with all other ingredients to blender and process until smoothie texture.
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