Indoor grown wheatgrass grows from 8-14 days before it is harvested.

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. Common wheat, Triticum aestivum, (also known as bread wheat) is a cultivated wheat species Both provide chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Chlorophyll is a green Pigment found in most Plants Algae and Cyanobacteria. In Chemistry, an amino acid is a Molecule containing both Amine and Carboxyl Functional groups In Biochemistry, this A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific A vitamin is an Organic compound required as a Nutrient in tiny amounts by an Organism. Enzymes are Biomolecules that catalyze ( ie increase the rates of Chemical reactions Almost all enzymes are Proteins 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. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Charles Francis Schnabel (1895-1974 was an American agricultural chemist who discovered in 1931 that wheat and barley grasses reached their nutritional peak at or just prior ^[1]

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, chemist and the food industry. Two large corporations, Quaker Oats and American Diaries 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. ^[2]

Extracting wheatgrass juice with a manual juicing machine.

Ann Wigmore continued to contribute to the popularization of wheatgrass in the 1940s. Ann Wigmore (1909-1994 was a Holistic health practitioner nutritionist Whole foods advocate and a doctor of Divinity When Wigmore was a child, she watched her grandmother help WWI soldiers heal their wounds using herbs and weeds.

Cultivation

Outdoor grown wheat grass grows slowly through the winter in a climate like that of Kansas in the United States.

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. [1] 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 claim regular ingestion of the plant can

• improve the digestive system
• prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease
• cure constipation
• detoxify heavy metals from the bloodstream
• help make menopause more manageable
• promote general wellbeing. Menopause is the permanent shutting down of the female Reproductive system, a considerable length of time before the end of the lifespan

While none of these claims have been substantiated in the scientific literature,^[1] there is limited evidence in support of some of these claims. ^[4][5][6]

Wheatgrass Juice vs. Common Vegetables

One of the most popular claims about wheatgrass, and one that is frequently made by both supporters and retailers, is that 1 ounce of wheatgrass juice is as nutritionally valuable as 1 kg (2. 2 lb) of green vegetables, a ratio of 1:35. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however The available vitamin and mineral data of wheatgrass juice, broccoli and spinach does not support this claim (see table 1). In fact, the vitamin and mineral content of 1 ounce of wheatgrass juice is roughly equivalent to the vitamin and mineral content of 1 ounce of fresh vegetables. This conclusion does not include phyto-nutrient comparisons of these foods. Phytochemicals are plant-derived chemical compounds under scientific research for their potential health-promoting properties but with unproved benefits

Another commonly repeated claim, originally made by Schnabel in the 1940's, is that "fifteen pounds of wheatgrass is equal in overall nutritional value to 350 pounds of ordinary garden vegetables",^[2] a ratio of 1:23. Charles Francis Schnabel (1895-1974 was an American agricultural chemist who discovered in 1931 that wheat and barley grasses reached their nutritional peak at or just prior Schnabel statement doesn't specify the form of wheatgrass, however, Schnabel used dried wheatgrass for his own consumption, in his research and later in his nutritional supplements;[2] a comparison of currently available vitamin and mineral data on dried wheatgrass and fresh vegetables support Schnabel's claim. (see table 2) The vitamin and mineral content of dried grass is equivalent to roughly 20 times that of fresh vegetables.

One area in which wheatgrass is clearly superior to other vegetables is in its content of Vitamin B₁₂, a vital nutrient absent in vegetables. Cyanocobalamin is an especially common Vitamer of the B-12 vitamin family. (see table 2) ^[2][3]

Detoxification

Another common claim for wheatgrass is that it promotes detoxification. The limited data in support of that claim applies to most green vegetables. ^[7]

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. Chlorophyll is a green Pigment found in most Plants Algae and Cyanobacteria. Hemoglobin ( also spelled haemoglobin and abbreviated Hb or Hgb) is the Iron -containing Oxygen -transport Metalloprotein Detoxification, or detox for short is the removal of Toxic substances from the body These claims have not been substantiated. Some research however exists that relates diets high in chlorophyll, present in green leafy vegetables, with lower rates of colon cancer. ^[5]

References

External links

• Wheat Grass Juice May Improve Hematological Toxicity Related to Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study Nutrition and Cancer 2007, Vol. 58, No. 1, Pages 43-48
• Wheat grass juice reduces transfusion requirement in patients with thalassemia major: a pilot study. Indian Pediatr. 2004 Jul;41(7):716-20.
• Wheat grass juice in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2002 Apr;37(4):444-9.
• A Skeptical Analysis of Wheatgrass Juice. Brian Dunning. November 09, 2006