How to Enjoy Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is available in a variety of forms, and each has its own pros and cons. There are powdered or dried wheatgrass formulations that are meant to be mixed with water. There are pill supplements. Most advocates of wheatgrass, however, prefer to grow the grass themselves—either in their own backyards or lawns and nourished by the sun; or indoors in a tray and a special lamp. For those whom wheatgrass is now an important part of their diet or regimen, growing your own grass is by far more economical. Wheatgrass kits are available in centers such as the Hippocrates Health Centre (pioneered by Dr Ann Wigmore).

            However, the catch is growing your own grass requires effort and care—from the soil you use (should you grow it outside) to ensuring the grass in your tray get enough nutrients and are not over-watered. Wheatgrass is generally good for harvest after 10-14 days. One important note about wheatgrass is to cut it at its “jointing stage”—loosely defined, this would be the adolescent age of the grass. At this point, the grass will have absorbed all the nutrients it could from the sun and soil.

            Once grass is harvested it can be store in plastic or glass containers or sprout bags. This is to allow air circulation and avoid choking the grass. They can be stored in the refrigerator until they are needed. Grass is juiced by specially-crafted juicers, usually by grinding. These are different from regular juicers that fruit or soft vegetables are fed into. Wheatgrass—or any cereal grass for that matter—juicers are more durable and have more powerful motors because the grinding of grass to get the juice needs it. Juicing grass tends to be slower than an average juicer, because care must be taken so the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes stay intact. Like using wheatgrass itself, growing your own grass and juicing it requires some study, but its benefits of better health at a lesser cost more than makes up for it.

History of Wheatgrass

Before man roamed the earth, grass had sprouted and taken root, cloaking the land in lush fields. The earliest mentions of grass can be traced all the way back to the ancient Egyptians about 5,000 years ago; they raved about how the young, leafy blades of wheat gave them renewed vitality. Edmund Bordeaux Szekely, a Hungarian philosopher and natural living experimenter, discovered an ancient text dated from biblical times that outlined the various benefits of eating grasses. He founded a controversial gospel that stated Jesus was a vegetarian. In the meantime, farmers had long ago noticed the difference in their livestock’s health when they grazed on young grasses.

            It was in the 1930’s however, when agricultural chemist Charles Schnabel started research and ultimately, a movement in promoting the consumption of wheatgrass and other cereal grasses. He is often considered the “Father of Wheatgrass” and envisioned people integrating wheatgrass into their diets and living healthier lives. Due to his initiative, cans of his grass were sold in pharmacies and supermarkets. By the 1940’s, he had developed wheatgrass tablets and distribution of his products were on a large scale. More companies, such as Quaker Oats, funded research on wheatgrass. However, in the 1950’s one-a-day multivitamins had taken the public by storm, and many man-made health supplements which could handle the public’s bigger demands.

            It wasn’t until the 1970’s that wheatgrass once again gained attention, this time through the efforts of Dr Ann Wigmore. Her miraculous experience with grasses, where they healed her legs that were full of gangrene, prompted her to do her own research and development. She opened the Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston and treated terminally ill patients with fresh wheatgrass juice. She took her work abroad, visiting countries like India and Sweden and introducing the concept of living foods there. Today, the Health Institute is still in Boston, and many subscribe to her philosophy of using grasses to heal the body.

Wheatgrass: Nature’s Finest Medicine

Much has been said of the nutritious benefits of wheatgrass: it creates a more oxygenated body, detoxifies it of impurities, and boosts its immune system against disease. So, what happens when wheatgrass is introduced to an already compromised system?

            Wheatgrass is called “living food”—because all its nutrients are absorbed from the soil and powered by the sun. Scientists and researchers took note of how animals immediately took to chewing grass when they were ill. Studies of the various nutrients in wheatgrass led to discoveries of not only how they keep the body healthy but how it can heal it. Wheatgrass’s numerous vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and enzymes all work together in harmony with the human body.

            Chlorophyll, the main component in wheatgrass, harnesses the light power of the sun. This is how it helps heal and protect the body against disease. Chlorophyll stabilizes the blood sugar, making wheatgrass good for diabetics. Arginine and vanadium stimulate the pancreas to create more insulin. Chromium helps the insulin bind itself to cells, which allows for better sugar absorption in the blood. Chlorophyll also lowers cholesterol levels, which enzymes and fatty acids break down ingested fat. Arginine keeps blood vessels elastic for the easier passage of blood, lowering blood pressure.

            Much of wheatgrass’s striking healing powers, however, come from cases involving cancer. Chlorophyll’s high oxygen content can make a body inhospitable to cancer. The P4D1 enzyme destroys cancer cells and repairs any damaged DNA, while the enzyme 2-O-Glycosylisovitexin (2-O-GIV) prevents the multiplication of cancer cells. This is only the tip of the iceberg: wheatgrass also has nutrients that can target bacterial infections, arthritis, asthma, liver cirrhosis, anemia, and constipation. It can heal skin disorders and has side effects of lessened body odor and bad breath. Wheatgrass has proven to be nature’s finest medicine as it can target multiple ailing parts of the body. 

Benefits of Wheatgrass on the Body

There’s been much research and product development with wheatgrass. The creation of wheatgrass-based products and technology has created a million-dollar industry and inspired thousands to embrace a lifestyle filled with living foods. However, can wheatgrass trump the variety of one-a-day vitamins that stock many health store shelves today?

            According to its fans, it definitely can. Many claim that it’s possible to survive on a diet of wheatgrass (and other cereal grasses) alone. While that is still under contention, there are several benefits of wheatgrass that are well-documented. The primary nutrient in wheatgrass is chlorophyll. Yes that same substance described in high school biology as “what makes plants green.” However, chlorophyll’s power goes beyond simple physical color. Scientists and researchers discovered that upon closer scrutiny, a molecule of chlorophyll is almost identical to a molecule of human hemoglobin—or a red blood cell. This means the human body can easily absorb chlorophyll into the body, and that it creates more red blood cells. These cells are responsible for carrying oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body. Other cells in the body are strengthened and healthy. More oxygen and nutrients means increased energy, stamina, and alertness.

            Wheatgrass also has a high amount of amino acids—the building blocks of protein which is integral in cell regeneration. Body builders and fitness buffs incorporate wheatgrass into their diets because it allows their muscles to heal after workouts. Wheatgrass also contains most of the B vitamins, other vitamins such as C, K, E, and H; over 90 different minerals and active enzymes. This means wheatgrass can boost the body’s immune system, assist in several biological functions, and even help in weight loss. Chlorophyll also protects the body from carcinogens. Wheatgrass helps detoxify the liver, lymph and blood cells. Due to its being a “living food,” the nutrients within wheatgrass work synergistically with the body, aiding it, protecting it, and healing it.

Why wheatgrass

Grass is often considered the most ubiquitous form of vegetation. There are thousands of varieties. It grows most everywhere in the world and through all kinds of seasons—even after the bitterest of winters, come the spring, grass will invariably sprout up again. Many times grass is noticed for when it grows where it’s not “supposed to”—say, through the cracks of a sidewalk or fight in the middle of a city street. Grass comes from seeds such as wheat, oats, or barley.

            Wheatgrass is a variety of grass (under the domain of cereal grasses) and is an extremely popular and potent herbal medicine, known for its healing and nutritional properties. While there are many more cereal grasses, wheatgrass is the most popular as it is the most palatable to humans. Scientists and researchers have studied its properties and uses for decades, and many consider it “nature’s most complete food”—it’s been said that man can survive with eating grasses alone due to the range of nutrients available. Wheatgrass has been used to heal, to detoxify, and to enhance the health of its users. Wheatgrass is also considered a “living food” because of the existence not only of vitamins and minerals in it, but amino acids, fatty acids, and enzymes—all integral to living healthier and better. The varying products of wheatgrass all aim at aiding the body to flush out impurities, to heal itself, and to enhance its performance.

            What is exciting about integrating wheatgrass into one’s diet is none of its nutrients are processed or synthetically created. At the heart of wheatgrass’s power lies a substance only plants can provide—stored energy that comes directly from the sun. How it comes into play in the human body, together with the other nutrients contained in wheatgrass, is nothing short of a miracle. One that has been there all our lives, beneath our feet.