Health Benefits Of Wheat grass And Wheatgrass Juice

When wheat berries are grown in soil, each berry germinates to give rise to a single leaf initially. This is the grass from wheat and is called wheat grass. Wheatgrass resembles normal grass in the initial days of its growth though it is much softer to touch.

Chlorophyll is a naturally occurring pigment found in all green leaves and it is the basis of manufacture of food by the leaves in the presence of sunlight. Chlorophyll juice is obtained by crushing and squeezing the wheat grass leaves manually or by a juicer.

The chlorophyll juice thus obtained has beneficial uses in a variety of health conditions, from the simplest to the most advanced, like leukemia, cancers etc, as followers of this therapy claim.
The chlorophyll molecule resembles the hemoglobin molecule and hence it is believed that chlorophyll has blood building effects.

Wheatgrass chlorophyll is rapidly assimilated by the human body.

The following is the list of health conditions reportedly benefited by the intake of fresh wheatgrass juice.

- Arthritis.
- Skin Allergy.
- Grey and Falling hair.
- Weakness.
- Kidney Stone.
- Dental Diseases.
- Eye Diseases.
- Wounds, Burns etc.
- Heart Diseases.
- Diseases of Digestion.
- Respiratory Diseases like Asthma.
- Cancer, Leprosy, Parkinson's.
- Psoriasis.
- Sunstroke.
- Insomnia.



For a regular supply of wheatgrass, one needs to sow wheat berries every day and harvest the wheat grass from berries sown earlier, everyday.

Wheatgrass takes about 6 to 10 days to grow to a height of 5 to 7 inches, the right height to harvest, for maximum effect from wheatgrass or wheatgrass juice. The wheatgrass at this height has the maximum concentration of nutritional factors and enzymes.

One needs to sow wheat berries in pots or trays daily. Depending on the requirement, one can sow wheat berries in 1, 2 or 3 pots everyday. For a start, however, sow seeds in 1 pot or tray daily.

Spread the berries evenly in the pot and cover with a thin layer of soil. You can cover the pot with wet paper, not newspaper as it has a lot of chemicals, to prevent birds from picking out the seeds. Water the seeds just enough to avoid waterlogging or the seeds will rot. Better have porous soil so that the extra water seeps out fast.

Keep the pots in a covered but well lighted area so that the morning and evening sunlight is absorbed by the growing wheatgrass. This makes the leaves green and strong.

Avoid direct sunlight from 11 AM to 4 PM when it is very hot to prevent sapping out the strength from the grass. This timing is for mild summers. Adjust the timings in hot weather accordingly. By practice you will come to know which times are right.

Indirect sunlight is the best to prevent the wheat grass leaves from drying out.

When the Wheatgrass is 5 to 7 inches in height, cut the grass just above the soil with scissors or pull out the grass along with the roots, in small sections.

Wash the grass and stems with or without roots. Extract juice manually or by juicer.

When all the grass has been harvested from the pot and the soil has firmed up in a couple of days, upturn the pot to remove the soil with the stubble. This way pile the soil and stubble from other pots after harvesting.

If you have earthworms, you could leave some in this soil and stubble mound. Moisten the soil with some water and cover to keep the moisture in. The earthworms will make this soil ready for reuse in about 3 weeks.

Juice can be extracted by a juice extractor or alternatively one can chew 10 to 20 blades of wheatgrass and take in the juice so formed. Throw out the chaff or pulp, once it is juiced.

What is a Wheatgrass Shot

Once ounce or 30 ml of wheat grass juice is called a wheatgrass shot. It takes its name probably from a whiskey, rum, gin or vodka shot which is 1.5 ounces, close to a wheatgrass shot amount.

Wheatgrass juice contains 70% chlorophyll, the basis of all plant life.Without cholophyll, the plants turn yellow, weak and seem sick almost lifeless.

Wheatgrass chlorophyll is superior to all other chlorophyll, juiced from other plant leaves. It contains 100 elements needed by man. If wheatgrass is grown in organic soil, it absorbs 92 of the 102 known minerals from the soil.

30 ml of wheatgrass juice is equivalent in nutrient value to 1 kg of green leafy vegetables.

1 tsp of wheatgrass powder weighing just 3.5 gms is equal nutritionally to 50 gms of spinach salad.

Wheatgrass contains 19 amino acids- the buiding blocks of protein and over 90 minerals.

Wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice the vitamin A content than in carrots.

Wheatgrass has enzymes:

• Protease(which digests protein),
• Cytochrome Oxidase(a powerful antioxidant),
• Amylase( digests starch),
• Lipase(Breaks down fats for absorption), Transhydrogenase(strengthens the heart)
• Superoxide Dimutase( found in all body cells which lessens the effect of radiation and slows down cellular aging).

Health Benefits Of Wheatgrass

Chewing wheatgrass reduces the quantity of wheatgrass needed for the same effect by 75%.This means you need just 1/4 th the wheatgrass if you chew it for the same effect. This way you save on the wheatgrass quantity as well as make you teeth and gums strong by chewing. Chewing wheatgrass cures bad breath too.

Chewing the wheatgrass leaves does not produce the nausea and vomiting symptoms so frequently associated with drinking of juice because the quantity of juice taken in by chewing is far less. This is one more benefit of chewing wheatgrass.

Chew 20 grass blades at a time and throw the chaff or pulp out when you have extracted all its juice. For treatment purposes, chew from minimum 4 to a maximum of 10 times in a day.

If juice is extracted, the dose would be 30 ml of the wheatgrass juice 2 times a day.

Nausea, vomiting, bodyaches, pains, cold and fever can occur in the first few days due to the accumulated toxins being removed. This is no cause for alarm.

1. Direct sunlight should be avoided on the growing wheat grass especially between 11 AM and 4 PM and more in hot weather.

2. Wheatgrass juice once extracted should be consumed within 30 minutes. The nutritional benefits of the juice after 3 hours is practically nil.

3. Do not eat or drink anything 30 minutes before or after taking wheatgrass juice.

4. It would help a lot if junk food and fast food is stopped when on wheatgrass therapy to prevent introduction of fresh toxins into the body. Eat more of raw and live foods like sprouts.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this hub is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your physician, or health care provider before taking any home remedies or supplements.