Wheatgrass

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Extracting wheatgrass juice with a manual juicing machine.

Wheatgrass is a young plant of the genus Agropyron, (especially Agropyron cristatum, a relative of wheat). Fresh leaf buds of this plant can be crushed to create a juice or dried to make a powder; the unprocessed plant contains high levels of cellulose which makes it indigestible. It possesses chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes.

Some wheatgrass products are made from Triticum aestivum (common wheat).

1 History
2 Usage
3 Health claims
4 Popular culture
5 External links
6 References
7 Notes

[edit] History

The utilization of wheatgrass as a foodstuff has been linked to Edmund Bordeaux Szekely. Szekely claimed, in the early 1900s, to have translated an ancient manuscript found in the Vatican's secret archives which presented a certain way of eating by a people called the Essenes. This manuscript is alleged to have stated that wheatgrass is a good food for man. This led him to form the Biogenic Society and teach this method. Today, Szekely's books can be found in health food stores, though none of his claims were ever verified and most modern scholars reject his claims regarding the manuscript.

The consumption of wheatgrass in the Western world began in the 1930s with the attempts of Charles F Schnabel to popularize the plant ^[1]. Ann Wigmore continued to contribute to the popularization of wheatgrass in the 1940s. Believing that it contributed to the remission of her cancer, Wigmore wrote several books on the subject.

Wheatgrass is commonly found in health food stores and can be grown in the home.

[edit] Usage

The average dosage for maintenance of health is 2-4 oz of the juice per day taken 1-2 times per day on an empty stomach and before meals. For detoxification, it may be useful to increase usage up to 3-4 times per day. However, it is important not to up the dosage as it will cause nausea due to the high concentration of enzymes, and the cleansing and detoxification effect. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Health claims

Proponents of wheatgrass use claim that regular ingestion of the plant can improve the digestive system, prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease, cure constipation, detoxify heavy metals from the bloodstream, cleanse the liver, prevent hair loss and help to make menopause more manageable ^[2]. There is, however, no scientific evidence to support many of these claims, although there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to that effect ^[3].

One of the most popular claims about wheatgrass, and one that is frequently made by both supporters and retailers, is that a 30 ml shot of wheatgrass is as nutritionally valuable as a kilogram of green vegetables ^[4]. This claim most likely originates from a statement commonly attributed to the "father of wheatgrass", Charles F Schnabel, who is alleged to have said that "Fifteen pounds of wheatgrass is equivalent to 350 pounds of the choicest vegetables" ^[1]. However, 30 grams of cooked spinach and broccoli contains more of certain vitamins and minerals (including vitamin C, calcium and folic acid) than the equivalent amount of wheatgrass.^[3] Spinach and broccoli also contain fibre. A garden salad of the size commonly sold in fast food outlets contains vastly more of a range of nutrients than a 30 ml shot of wheatgrass; a kilogram of such vegetables is said to be beyond comparison.^[3]

The chlorophyll molecule is similar in structure to hemoglobin, leading some to believe that wheatgrass helps blood flow, digestion and general detoxification of the body. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Popular culture

In the FX Networks television series Nip/Tuck, Dr. Christian Troy grows and drinks wheatgrass in numerous episodes.

The North-American health drink franchise "Booster Juice" also advertises Wheatgrass drinks. Some stores often have displays of wheatgrass growing in flower pots.