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.