Wheatgrass is a source of living chlorophyll with more health benefits than you can imagine. It is a natural healer that will keep you healthy and happy all day long. This liquid nutrient boasts a plethora of vitamins, including vitamin A, C and a variety of essential B vitamins for your health. Wheatgrass increases the production of red blood cells, is great for thyroid health, detoxifies your liver, and is an excellent natural supplier of oxygen to the blood.
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Functional Foods in Health and Disease notes wheatgrass as a superfood, rich in nutrients, which offers up a healthy energy boost. The study states, “This plant is believed to have many nutritional values; it has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, laxative, astringent, diuretic, antibacterial and anti-aging properties.”
There are clearly a wide variety of reasons to add wheatgrass to your daily regimen. Research has also noted, “100 g of wheatgrass powder is equal to 23 kg of fresh vegetables.” If you need more nutrient-rich vegetables in your diet, wheatgrass is most certainly your answer!
Here are 30 great reasons to add wheatgrass to your day:
- Wheatgrass is an excellent source of living chlorophyll and contains the minerals, vitamins and antioxidants you need to stay healthy and happy. This little gift from nature boasts vitamins A, B, C and K coupled with a handful of amino acids.
- Wheatgrass boasts chlorophyll levels of up to 70 percent. Chlorophyll has a similar structure to hemoglobin. It is theorized that chlorophyll can therefore help increase the production red blood cells. Research conducted in India (2004) by Dr. R.K. Marwaha, professor of pediatrics at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, discusses the positive effects of wheatgrass for transfusion patients. Wheatgrass is a natural blood builder for sure!
- Wheatgrass will enhance your mind, body and soul. Wheatgrass, due to its high nutrient level, may increase your strength, endurance and overall well-being.
- Want to take up gardening? Well, wheatgrass is a great place to start. Wheatgrass can grow in a matter of weeks, which means you can be enjoying a healthy daily juice that you grew with your very own hands and heart.
- Wheatgrass detoxifies your liver. Liver disease is no joke and affects millions every year. A 2010 study published in the Chronicles of Young Scientists discusses wheatgrass as an excellent detoxifying agent.
- Wheatgrass is a perfect secret agent for preventing and managing blood disorders.
- Wheatgrass fights hypertension. Research has found wheatgrass to be a cardiovascular helper. This could keep you out of the woods for stroke and heart disease.
- Wheatgrass is a dermatological wonder. It can be applied topically for itching, rashes, and acne. It can also be applied to your hands and face to make your skin smoother.
- You may be carrying around a little extra heavy metal in your blood that you’re not even aware of. Wheatgrass can help remove heavy metals from the body.
- Wheatgrass is illuminating. Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, and chlorophyll is the beginning part of light. You are receiving one of nature’s gifts from its beginning stages of development.
- The chlorophyll in wheatgrass is an antibacterial agent. A study published in The American Journal of Surgery found a 25 to 70 percent increase in healing when chlorophyll was used to treat over 200 induced lesions on guinea pigs.
- The minerals in wheatgrass are essential to our health. Over 70 of the minerals contained in wheatgrass can be useful for human growth and life.
- Wheatgrass is beneficial in treating eczema. “A Study on Wheat Grass and its Nutritional Value” authored by Dr. Rajesh Mujoriya, an assistant professor at Nagpur University, India and Dr. Ramesh Babu Bodla of the Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and Research discusses wheatgrass as a cure for eczema.
- Wheatgrass has been found to be a good treatment for mosquito and insect bites.
- Wheatgrass and chlorophyll can cleanse drugs from your body.
- Chlorophyll can rid your body of any toxins that may be lurking undetected.
- Research has found that wheatgrass juice can decrease blood sugar and help maintain a healthy blood sugar. This may come as no surprise when pondering the amount of nutrients wheatgrass provides.
- Chlorophyll is a natural antiseptic. Research conducted by Dr. Benjamin Gruskin, director of experimental pathology and oncology at Temple University, Philadelphia, published in the American Journal of Surgery, (1940) found chlorophyll to be beneficial in treating ulcers, inflammation, typhoid fever and vaginal infections.
- Chlorophyll can help knock out odors your body may be emitting.
- The chlorophyll in wheatgrass can help heal your lungs. Research has found chlorophyll increases hemoglobin and may keep your lungs protected from certain chemicals you breathe in.
- Wheatgrass and chlorophyll increase your oxygen levels, which can help you feel and perform better.
- Wheatgrass is considered a superfood — it offers the healing benefits that superfoods provide.
- Rubbing wheatgrass into the scalp can help alleviate dandruff.
- Wheatgrass is nature’s energy drink. If you need a quick energy boost, wheatgrass provides. The time it takes to kick in is approximately 20 minutes, and the best part, it is way better for you than any other energy drink on the market.
- Wheatgrass is a natural hunger suppressant. The amount of nutrients you get from 100 grams of wheatgrass juice far surpasses your Daily Value (DV) for vegetables. Your brain will shut off its appestat and you may feel a few pounds lighter in a few short weeks.
- Guys, wheatgrass may increase your sperm count and sex drive. Wheatgrass contains magnesium, and this mineral has been found to have positive effects on erectile dysfunction.
- Wheatgrass improves digestion. Just one ounce of wheatgrass juice provides 32 percent of your recommended DV of dietary fiber. This will help your digestion and also assist with regularity.
- Wheatgrass will pump up your blood and bone marrow production. A 2011 study published in Nutrients discusses the beneficial effects of consuming wheatgrass postchemotherapy. Cancer patients who consumed wheatgrass after chemotherapy were found to need less intervention from blood and bone marrow drugs.
- Wheatgrass contains essential free-radical-fighting antioxidants. Just one ounce of wheatgrass juice provides your body with a whole army of antioxidant nutrients ready to seek and destroy any free radicals looking for cells to kill.
Are you getting enough veggies? Is your diet providing you with the essential nutrients you need to stay healthy and happy? If you are on the fence about either of these questions, then it’s time to look at drinking wheatgrass as a means of achieving a healthier you.
Adding wheatgrass to your daily regimen can give you the energy boost you need, while fighting off diseases and illnesses you may be susceptible to if your diet is off-balance. Just a shot of wheatgrass per day can increase your vitamin and mineral DVs exponentially.
—Stephen Seifert
Stephen Seifert is a writer, professor, adventurer and a health & fitness guru. His flair for travel and outdoor adventure allows him to enjoy culture and traditions different than his own. A healthy diet, routine fitness and constant mental development is the cornerstone to Stephen’s life.
Sources:
http://ffhdj.com/index.php/ffhd/article/view/112
http://luzvida.com/articuloscientificos/El_jugo_de_wheatgrass_reduce_la_necesidad_de_transfusion_en_pacientes_con_Talasemia_Mayor.pdf
http://www.cysonline.org/article.asp?issn=2229-5186;year=2010;volume=1;issue=2;spage=23;epage=28;aulast=Padalia
http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20103207369.html;jsessionid=89E896F2D5E0EA8BEC2805870FCB309B
http://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/0002-9610(45)90322-9/abstract
http://www.iiste.org/Journals/index.php/FSQM/article/view/1053
http://www.nature.com/scientificamerican/journal/v299/n2/full/scientificamerican0808-42.html
http://www.prostate.net/prostate-health-supplements-a-z/wheat-grass-health-benefits
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257729
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/900675/2