During the 1930s, the chemist Charles Schnabel discovered that wheatgrass contained healing properties when he was able to restore the health of expiring chickens by feeding the birds wheatgrass. It was not long before Mr. Schnabel was promoting wheatgrass to strengthen our body. While seemingly forgotten for decades, wheatgrass juice is making a comeback as awareness of its healing properties becomes more widely known.
Made simply from the type of wheat that would be used for bread if allowed to mature, wheatgrass is harvested when it is approximately 8 to 10 inches high, just before the first joint in the stem forms. This is when the nutrient value of the wheatgrass is at its highest. Once jointing begins, the nutritional content of the wheatgrass plummets. After harvesting, the wheatgrass must be processed to extract the juice. Wheatgrass juice is packed with chlorophyll, the green pigment that transfers sunlight into energy for the plant. This phytochemical holds a some health benefits that can transform the life of nearly anyone who drinks wheatgrass juice.
To get the maximum ‘punch’ from wheatgrass juice, it is best to drink it fresh, as the nutritional content deteriorates quickly. It is possible to purchase bottles of wheatgrass juice, express your own juice from wheatgrass you grow yourself, visit a juice bar, or use powdered wheatgrass juice. This last is probably the most convenient way for most of us to get wheatgrass juice. After the wheatgrass is juiced, the liquid is freeze dried, a process that quickly removes the water content, leaving the nutrients intact. Generally, a tablespoon of wheatgrass powder is mixed with a glass of water, although many people enjoy it more when the powder is blended with apple, orange, or cranberry juice.
It has been proven that one of the most important qualities of wheatgrass juice is its ability to strengthen the hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin makes up our red blood cells, which carry oxygen from the lungs to every part of our body – oxygen is the fuel that keeps our cells and tissues functioning. The chlorophyll in wheatgrass juice actually stimulates the production of more red blood cells, meaning that more oxygen and nutrients will be available for our bodily functions. A serving of wheatgrass juice also contains 10% of our daily requirement of iron, another boost for our hemoglobin.
Dieting has almost become a national pastime as those who need to lose a few pounds bounce from diet to diet in search of weight loss. One of the biggest reasons why diets fail is because they are so restrictive that the dieter feels starved and will eventually return to their old eating habits. Wheatgrass juice can help anyone who is dieting to make their efforts more successful; wheatgrass juice helps to suppress the appetite, making it more likely that the program will be followed. Besides helping with hunger pangs, wheatgrass juice contains so many vitamins and nutrients that it will keep the dieter well-nourished while on restricted calories.
Like many juices, wheatgrass juice is also packed with antioxidants. When our bodies undergo their normal physiological functions or when we are exposed to stress or pollution, free radicals are the result. These are unstable oxygen atoms that search for electrons to complete them. Unfortunately, when they take electrons from other atoms, they cause these to become unstable as well, setting up a chain reaction that ultimately causes damage to cells, sometimes preventing new cells from forming at all or causing them to become malignant. Antioxidants bond with these free radicals, making them complete and neutralizing them. A glass of wheatgrass juice is an excellent way to getting needed antioxidants into your body.
It is also effective when applied externally for treating burns, bruises and wounds. If you had an allergic reaction from skin contact with poison ivy and poison oak , an effective method to stop the allergic reaction is by applying a poultice of freshly crushed wheatgrass on the affected area.
Whether mixed with other juices or simply with water, wheatgrass juice can provide you with a wide range of healthy and life enhancing phytonutrients.
References
Health Psychology
The Easiest Way to Eat ALL the Veggies You Need Every Day
5 Super Micro-Plants to Include in Your Diet
Juice fasting is a form of detox diet where the practitioner consumes fruit and vegetable juices. Learn more about its safety, proper practices, and some of the health benefits of common fruit juices.