What is Wheatgrass? – Plus Its Top 9 Most Powerful Benefits

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What is wheatgrass?

Wheatgrass is a chlorophyll rich superfood and is a close relative of wheat (although totally gluten free). It  is well known in the health industry for its health boosting and cleansing effects.

This grass is harvested just 7 to 10 days after initial sprouting and is abundant in life giving nutrients. It’s pretty tasteless and real easy to add into your every day diet by, either juicing the fresh grass yourself or simply taking a shot of the dried powder mixed into water or juice.

Let’s take a closer look at these top 9 most powerful wheatgrass benefits so you can see for yourself why it is so popular among the health conscious.

wheatgrass shot

1. CHLOROPHYLL

Wheatgrass is one of the best known sources of chlorophyll. In fact, 70% of the wheatgrass plant is made up of this powerful blood building nutrient.

In the plant world, chlorophyll is needed for the absorption of light in a process called photosynthesis. This creates the energy for a plant to grow and repair itself, so you can only imagine how healthy this must can be for our insides too!

2. ANTIOXIDANTS

Chlorophyll is high in the antioxidants needed to fight free radical damage in the body. These free radicals are harmful unpaired electrons that wreak havoc on your health, but fortunately antioxidants can actually neutralise them before they cause us harm.

Antioxidant rich foods also help to stave off the aging process in general, which is great in helping to protect you from degenerative diseases.

3. PROTEIN

Wheatgrass is especially high in protein and contains 17 amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are extremely important to a healthy diet, especially vegan or plant based diets where you will need to be mindful of obtaining enough protein.

The amino acids in wheatgrass are highly alkaline. So, great for building lean muscle tissue and helping with the repair of torn and inflamed muscles after hard exercise.

4. DETOXIFIER

Because of wheatgrass’ ability to neutralise toxins, remove heavy metals and purify the liver it is great for keeping the body in a good state of detoxification.

Keeping the body detoxifying to the best of its abilities is crucial in today’s world where we are continually exposed to exhaust fumes, chemicals, pesticides, fertilisers, household cleaning products, air fresheners and chemical laden toiletries. that’s not to mention the junk foods, refined sugars and trans fats that are abundant in Western diets.

Our poor bodies need to process all these toxins, then either eliminate them, or store them into fat cells where they can do no harm.

But, all this can lead to problems such as weight gain, brain fog, lethargy and eventually even disease.

5. ENERGY

Wheatgrass is proven to give you a zing of energy within 20 minutes, mainly due to the fact its nutrients can be absorbed very quickly.

Another amazing green supplement for this is Dr. Schulze’s Superfood, which has an array of different greens.

This makes it a fantastic supplement for athletes, those in training, OR anybody really. Who couldn’t do with more energy to live their lives to the fullest?

6. MAY HELP PREVENT DIABETES

Wheatgrass have been shown in studies to have similar compounds to insulin, in turn helping in the lowering of blood glucose.

Wheatgrass can also help to lessen the GI of the foods you eat, so could be a great idea to take a shot before some meals (your highest carb meals will work best for this). Obviously, all these great benefits makes it a supplement that could be of help to diabetics along with their regular treatment.

7. LOW GI

Wheatgrass has a very low GI value (GI is the shortened term for glycemic index and is the measurement of how fast the sugars in a food hit the bloodstream). Low gIycemic foods, and a low GI diet in general not only help keep blood sugar stable, but may also slash your risk of diabetes, some cancers, inflammatory diseases and obesity.

The low GI diet will also help keep you in shape by lowering your body fat percentage, along with regular exercise.

Low GI foods are unrefined, whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds. These should all be eaten as the main part of your diet along with your green superfood shots if you want to feel the true benefits of health.

Doing just one thing, such as wheatgrass shots is good, but for true long term health and higher protection from disease, you will need to be hitting your health from all angles with all these lifestyle changes too.

Wheatgrass is low Carb!

Not only is wheatgrass low GI, but it’s also low in carbohydrates which gives it a double whammy effect in the weight loss stakes. Eating a low GI, low carbohydrate plant based diet, along with physical exercise, is the best way to get you that well toned and healthy body for life.

8. GASTROENTERITIS

stomach ache

Wheatgrass has been traditionally been used for many years in the treatment of stomach ache and diarrhea. But, is also found to be particularly good in the treatment of symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis.

Despite its name, wheatgrass is totally gluten free, making a great addition to the diet of those who are gluten intolerant.

9. ANTI INFLAMMATORY

Chronic inflammation is now thought to be behind a lot of modern day diseases and is mainly due to acidic diets and environment.

Inflammation under normal circumstances is the body’s response to a knock, injury or infection and is vital to protect and heal the wound.

But, sometimes this response goes into overdrive, leaving you with chronic, low grade inflammation that you’re more than likely not even aware of. This is the kind of inflammation that can lead to disease in the long term, making it vital to eat lots of alkaline plant foods such as fruits, veggies and green superfood powders to help negate this.

Wheatgrass, along with many other alkaline foods, can help negate this and put the body into a more alkaline state, thus making it less susceptible to illness and disease.

Superfood Blends

green supefoods

Along with wheatgrass, there are other green super food powders that can help when it comes to making the body more alkaline. My personal favorite being Dr. Schulzes green super food powder. This only contains wheatgrass, but a mix of lots of other green healthful plants such as spirulina, barley grass, chlorella, blue-green algae and other fruits and vegetables that all help with the absorption of the green nutrients.

Dr. Schulze’s superfood and makes you glow from the inside out. And, as with wheatgrass, you can literally feel that energy boost kicking in within 20 minutes – but even MORE so. This unique blend of dried super food powders combine together to make an explosive and potent mix. I’m aware I’m raving, but it really is that good!

How to source wheatgrass

Always buy where possible Organic Wheatgrass Powder to avoid pesticide and fertilizer residue which may detract from the wheatgrass’ potential health benefits.

Be sure to buy your wheatgrass from a respected brand that uses no pesticides or other chemicals on their product. Check labels and do your homework!

How To Grow Your Own Wheatgrass

fresh wheatgrass

If you fancy yourself as green fingered, you may want to have a go at growing your own fresh wheatgrass. It’s pretty easy and will taste fresher than the powdered versions.

  • Buy a packet of wheat berries from your local health food store or supermarket and follow these sprouting instructions.
  • Add one inch of soil to a growing tray with holes for drainage (you want the tray to be at least 3-4 inches high to allow for growth.
  • Moisten with water, but do not over-do it.
  • Sprinkle your sprouted wheatberries over the soil.
  • Sprinkle a little more lose soil over to cover.
  • Cover with a holey plastic lid, or cling film with holes punctured into it to create a greenhouse atmosphere.
  • Water every day, but not too much. A plastic spray bottle will be fine at this point until you start getting some proper growth.
  • When your grass is roughly 1-2 inches high (usually around the forth day) you can remove your plastic cover.
  • Continue to water every day being careful not to damage the grass.
  • When your wheatgrass is 5-6 inches tall you can carefully cut it with scissors and juice immediately.
  • You can leave your grass to carry on for a second growing, but be aware that the nutrition will be less. This is why it may be a good idea to have a couple of grow trays on the go at all times if you like a fresh juice every day, or you are juicing for your whole family.

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9 thoughts on “What is Wheatgrass? – Plus Its Top 9 Most Powerful Benefits”

  1. Wow… I hadn’t realized all of the benefits of adding wheatgrass to my diet! I will definitely be incorporating this into my daily routine! Thank you for this valuable information!

    I do have one question/concern. I am not a juicer! But… I read that you sometimes take a shot of the dry powder. Do you mix this with anything and does it have a taste? This would definitely be the route that I would be ingesting wheatgrass and I am just curious about taste. I have very sensitive taste buds and am a VERY picky eater!

    Thanks again for this information. I am thrilled that I ran across your post!

    1. Hi Misty, I’m glad you ran across my post also as I love to help people. Yes, wheatgrass is great and I have it every day as it is already mixed in with the Dr. Schulzes super food that I already take (it is mentioned at the bottom of the article, with a link to more in information).

      In reply to your question, you don’t need to juice fresh wheatgrass, you can just buy the powder and mix it with a little water or juice if you don’t like the taste. It’s pretty mild tasting but if you don’t like it you can just add a small amount of water and down it like a shot. Hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any more questions.

  2. Great article about wheatgrass. It is a very famous plant and I knew a lot of the benefits that you have mentioned. I thank you a lot, as I didn’t know it has got protein in it, that even makes it more beneficial to health. Superb article, I always love reading your articles. Looking forward to the others to read as well.

    1. Hi Sarah, yes, wheatgrass is something I always have every day as it is in with my super food powder mix anyway. I honestly don’t think I could live without my living green food now as it just makes such a massive difference to my health, both mental and physical. It’s amazing! And I don’t remember the last time I was sick, even though literally everybody around me has had a dose of that Ozzy flu that we’ve had over here in Britain, it hasn’t got to me…not yet anyway. I definitely put my hardened immune system down to the super food powder 100%.

  3. You know, I just was in a hippy grocery store yesterday and saw that they had wheatgrass for sale. It looked so green and vibrant…I’ve never included it in my diet as a regular thing but after reading more about its benefits, I may just do that. thanks for the great info!

    1. Yes, this stuff is great! I have a shot of it every day. I don’t grow my own or use the fresh wheatgrass as that would just be way too much bother, but I do buy the powder which is freeze dried as soon as it’s harvested, which has got to be just as good, if not better, than the fresh stuff. It is also relatively inexpensive compared to some other green super food powders so it’s a win win!

  4. I found this information extremely interesting as I also am looking especially for improvements for my digestive system. But beyond me I have three little dogs that love to eat grass outside. Is this something I can buy and grow for my little shorkies to eat? And will it benefit them also?

    1. Hi Darla, interesting question and one that I have never been asked before. I presume you are talking about the wheatgrass here? And I can’t actually see a reason why you couldn’t feed it to your dogs, but I would try with just a little bit first, like literally 1/4 teaspoon to see how their tummies react. You don’t want a explosion!

      I actually give my little French bulldog pretty much all the things I eat and he is thriving (a little too much if you ask me, the little scamp). He definitely has his 5 veggies a day, I often give him raw whole carrots, courgettes, bell peppers, broccoli cauliflower, apples, bananas, coconut oil, and he eats lots of high protein green peas. All this he has alongside his raw food and bones form the pet shop. He’s a lucky boy!

      As for improving your own digestive system you will find that when you start changing your diet to more fiber rich and nutrient dense foods, you will naturally be eating more probiotc and prebiotic foods in with that, and these in themselves will start improving your digestion. You could also make sure you add to your diet lots of digestive spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, turmeric, star anise, and most importantly what works well is apple cider vinegar. In fact, it works so well that I have written a whole post on the benefits of this wonderful vinegar. Please check it out

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