The Philippine Online Chronicles

My first taste of wheatgrass was a shot glass of the freshly squeezed green juice from my cousin. I was quite nervous because, though I’ve seen those green trays of grass at the gym’s juice bar, I’ve never really attempted to try wheatgrass juice. I love to eat vegetables, but the thought of drinking juice squeezed from some grass just did not appeal to me.

So, one fine morning during a family vacation, my cousin Arvin sends me a text message, asking if I was awake, and if I’d like some wheatgrass juice for breakfast. How can I say no to a cousin I’ve not seen for a few years? “Sure”, I reply.

I was expecting it to be bitter.

And I wasn’t disappointed – bitter it was, though with a tinge of sweetness. “Intense” is the term that could aptly describe my first experience with wheatgrass juice.

So what’s with wheatgrass?

Why has it become a craze among health buffs like my cousin, who grows trays upon trays of wheatgrass? Let’s take a closer look at wheatgrass and see if it’s worth swallowing some bitterness.

Wheatgrass is grown from wheatgrass seeds or wheatberries, either on soil or in water (hydroponics). Wheatgrass is actually the young version of the mature wheat plant.

Tray-grown wheatgrass grows into 7- to 10-inch-high plants in one or two weeks and are kept indoors. On the other hand, soil-grown wheatgrass are grown outdoors on the ground and harvested every 200 days. Each method of growing wheatgrass has its own advantages and disadvantages.

The use of wheatgrass as a nutritional supplement was pioneered in the early 1900s by Dr. Charles Schnabel, an American agricultural chemist. Upon feeding some sick chickens with wheatgrass cuttings, he observed that the animals quickly recovered and began producing more eggs. It was then that he began experimenting with wheatgrass for its nutritional benefits. Shnabel was the first to produce canned wheatgrass for human and animal consumption.

Today, a slew of companies that market wheatgrass seeds, wheatgrass powder, wheatgrass juice, and even juicers abound.

What’s good in wheatgrass?

Wheatgrass is said to have a lot of nutritional benefits. It is claimed that one ounce of wheatgrass juice is packed with nutritional value equivalent to 2.5 pounds of vegetables.

The main buzz about wheatgrass is chlorophyll, that green pigment in plants which turns sunlight into plant food. Because chlorophyll’s molecular composition closely resembles that of hemoglobin, the blood component responsible for transporting oxygen to the entire body, wheatgrass advocates say that it improves oxygenation of the blood.

Wheatgrass is rich in amino acids, which are important for growth, muscle-building and repair of damaged tissues. Vitamins and minerals found in wheatgrass juice include Vitamins A and C, calcium, iron, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, cobalt, sulfur and zinc.

Fiber is a major component of wheatgrass, although minimal amounts (less than 0.1 gram per 100 grams of juice) are found in actual wheatgrass juice analysis.

Healing powers of wheatgrass

Believers claim wheatgrass to be a “superfood”, helping to improve several conditions and ailments.

Mang Teddy, my neighbor’s family driver, swears by the energy that one shot glass of wheatgrass brings. He gets his daily dose from an old lady-neighbor who grows wheatgrass and sells the juice at P50 per shot. A lot of drivers – jeepney, taxi and tricycle drivers alike – regularly stop by to get their wheatgrass dose from the lady. They’d rather have wheatgrass than those bottled energy drinks.

But more than being an energy booster, wheatgrass is also claimed to work against cancers and blood diseases.

Two years ago, my cousin Arvin was diagnosed with mild aplastic anemia, a blood disease where the bone marrow does not produce enough new blood cells. He was put on medication for three months, but his blood levels remained low. So medication was discontinued. With no further intervention recommended by the doctor, Arvin went on his own search for a cure, going for holistic healing and herbal supplements. During this time, he was introduced to wheatgrass.

In March 2009, five months after he started drinking wheatgrass juice, Arvin’s blood levels rose back to normal. And it has remained that way since. Arvin does not take any other medication, but supplements his wheatgrass intake with holistic healing treatment instead.

This is the reason why he grows trays upon trays of wheatgrass.

According to WebMD, though most curative claims are supported by anecdotal evidence only, two studies showed evidence of improvement after patients drank wheatgrass. One Israeli study, albeit small, demonstrated an improvement in patients with ulcerative colitis, a disease where there is inflammation of the large intestines. The study recommended using wheatgrass juice as a safe and effective treatment for ulcerative colitis, whether by itself or in conjunction with other treatments.

The other study involved investigation of the effects of drinking wheatgrass during chemotherapy of 60 breast cancer patients. The patients drank 60ml of wheatgrass juice during the first three cycles of chemotherapy. The study concluded that drinking wheatgrass juice reduced myelotoxicity, or destruction of the bone marrow, one of the dangerous side-effects of chemotherapy.

Here are a few more benefits from wheatgrass, although little information exists to support these claims:

• Promotes better digestion;
• Prevents Alzheimer’s Disease (by supposedly removing heavy metals from the nervous system);
• Cures athlete’s foot (by soaking in a foot bath with a few ounces of wheatgrass juice);
• Strengthens the immune system;
• Lowers blood pressure and blood sugar levels;
• Helps in weight control (by curbing cravings);
• Relieves gum bleeding and other oral conditions (by using the juice as a daily gargle);
• Hastens healing of wounds (by directly dabbing the juice on the wound);
• Anti-oxidant effect (which fights cancer);
• Anti-inflammatory effect that helps in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Skeptics and critics

Because of this seemingly cure-all superfood claim, and the fact that there are very few published medical literature supporting these claims, wheatgrass is often met with skepticism by critics. In an article at Skeptico.com, the discussion revolves around the improbability of deriving health benefits because humans cannot digest wheatgrass.

Dr. Andrew Weil, a well-known pioneer in integrative medicine, says chlorophyll has no nutritional role in the human body. He goes on to say that “Nutritionally speaking, wheatgrass simply doesn't deliver on the promoters' promises. I certainly wouldn't recommend substituting it for any of the fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet.”

The National Council against Health Fraud (NCAHF) also debunks curative claims of chlorophyll and of wheatgrass therapy as advocated by Ann Wigmore.

For critics, the wheatgrass buzz is all marketing ploy.

To drink or not to drink?

There are people like Arvin who got cured of their illnesses. Whether it was by placebo effect or by real benefits from wheatgrass juice, only definitive studies will tell. But their experiences cannot be diminished or denied.

Except for cases of allergy or sensitivity, there are no known dangers of wheatgrass juice intake. Besides, it does have good nutritional value as a vegetable. So you can go on drinking wheatgrass as you please. On the other hand, a lot of other superfoods are readily available in any fresh-produce section of the supermarket. And they taste a lot better too!

You certainly can't go wrong by sticking to the general rules of health - a well-balanced diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, having some form of physical activity at least three times a week, and doing away with vices and unhealthy habits.

So: to drink wheatgrass juice or not? The choice is yours to make. Read up, do your homework and compare. In the end, as long as you make an informed decision, no one can twist your arm into doing either a bottoms-up or a thumbs-down on wheatgrass.

Photos by the author. Some Rights Reserved.