Wheatgrass (also known by its English name wheatgrass or as wheatgrass in some areas) refers to the tender wheat leaves. It is common to find it in powder form, obtained by pulverizing the dehydrated wheat plant, which is sold as dietary supplement. It can also be consumed fresh or blended as wheatgrass juice. It has a high content of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamins and minerals and is given some beneficial properties for health.
How and with what is it made?
When we talk about grass or wheatgrass, we generally refer to the bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). Commercial wheatgrass powder and tablets are made from the leaves of plants that are about three months old. It is collected, dehydrated, and ground into a fine powder that is sold as is or used to make capsules, tablets, and other products.
This species of wheat can also be easily grown at home, even indoors in small pots, and is usually consumed 10 days after germination in the form of a smoothie (wheat grass juice).
How is it taken?
Powdered wheatgrass is taken by mixing it with water to make a drink that is drunk directly. The powder can also be added to other foods. It can also be taken in the form of tablets and capsules. The fresh grass is taken liquefied. The frequency and amount may vary depending on the objective pursued; At this point it is advisable to follow the recommendations of a professional.
What nutrients does it provide and what benefits does it have?
Wheat grass has a high nutritional value. It contains almost all the B vitamins plus vitamins C, E, H and K, high amounts of beta-carotene, minerals and essential amino acids. Some texts claim that 3.5 grams of powdered wheatgrass is nutritionally equivalent to 50 grams of spinach. This amount of nutrients can be obtained in the powder preparation due to the dehydration process that preserves most of the nutrients of the fresh herb, significantly reducing its weight and volume.
Among the health benefits attributed to wheatgrass are:
- Restore the natural pH of the body: Among the minerals that wheat grass provides, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium stand out, all of them with an alkalizing effect (increase in pH). Stress and current eating habits, with a high consumption of refined carbohydrates, tend to acidify the environment (lower the pH) and the consumption of wheatgrass would help counteract this.
- Improves digestion and helps in slimming dietsDue to its content of enzymes, such as protease (involved in protein digestion), amylase (carbohydrate digestion), lipase (fat digestion) and cytochrome oxidase (powerful antioxidant), it improves digestion in general and can be useful in diets of slimming.
- Improves the elasticity and appearance of the skin: its high content of vitamin C and vitamin A (twice that of carrots, in the form of its precursors, beta-carotene) improves the elasticity of the skin, which has a wrinkle-reducing effect. It also helps fight acne.
- Increased oxygenation: chlorophyll promotes the formation of hemoglobin, increasing the oxygen transport capacity in the blood and thus resistance during physical exercise. Chlorophyll also, for some authors, helps in the treatment of some diseases such as gout, rheumatism and is even beneficial against cancer.
- detoxifying effect: the vitamin and antioxidant content of wheatgrass promotes the elimination of toxins, especially free radicals.
The debate
Many of the health benefits of wheatgrass are attributed to the high content of chlorophyll, a substance that is said to promote the production of hemoglobin, improve fertility or prevent the formation of gray hair. All these benefits were publicized and defended for the first time by Ann Wigmore (1909 – 1994), famous holistic nutritionist, author of numerous books with millions of copies sold. However, scientific studies supporting such benefits are scarce and inconclusive.
The debate about whether wheatgrass has the benefits it is claimed to have has been going on for a long time and is far from over. Wigmore represented himself as a medical professional with the title of Doctor of Divinity. Wigmore went so far as to claim that wheatgrass could replace insulin given to diabetics, prompting the Massachusetts Attorney General in 1982 to bar her from representing herself as a medical professional. She later retracted these claims but began advocating wheatgrass as a treatment for AIDS, which in 1988 caused her to be barred from calling herself a medical professional again.
Some claims about wheatgrass can be rejected out of hand. For example, chlorophyll is not absorbed in the intestine so it can hardly have a detoxifying effect. Of course, it could exert its effect on intestinal health. Another of the statements that are not supported is that related to vitamin B12. This vitamin is not found naturally in wheatgrass or any other plant, but is produced as a waste product from the metabolism of some bacteria found on the surface of the plant. This is exactly the same reason that vegetables in general are considered an inadequate source of vitamin B12. The USDA National Nutrient Database reports zero vitamin B12 content in wheatgrass..
Leaving the controversy aside, there are some studies that show possible beneficial effects. For example, a 2002 study of colitis patients showed that those who supplemented conventional treatment with wheatgrass juice experienced less pain, diarrhea, and intestinal bleeding than those who drank a placebo juice (Ben-Arye E, Goldin E , Wengrower D, Stamper A, Kohn R, Berry E. Wheat grass juice in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2002;37:444-449). Wheatgrass is also a valid source of high amounts of vitamin C and iron, although not more than other vegetables.