Until about 5 years ago, I had never heard of wheatgrass. Then it seemed to pop up everywhere (if you’ll pardon the pun). It was a couple of years before he really started looking into it and found some interesting information.

First of all, what is wheatgrass? It is simply sprouted or sprouted wheat, preferably organic. Once germination occurs, valuable enzymes in the grain are activated. The sprouts can be eaten and the enzymes work in the body to aid digestion, provide energy, neutralize toxins and cleanse the blood. Wheatgrass can also be pressed and the juice consumed to provide water, oxygen, enzymes, protein, phytochemicals, chlorophyll, carotenoids, fatty acids, and trace elements.

Wheatgrass has a history dating back more than 5,000 years, but it was really in the 1930s that it became popular in the West. An American agricultural chemist, Dr. Charles F Schnabel, noted that sick hens fed fresh, young wheat grass recovered quickly. They also grew faster and had twice the fertility compared to healthy hens fed standard diets. This discovery became the impetus for a lifetime of research into the reason for this surprising result. Others have researched wheatgrass and published studies to prove its tremendous benefit in maintaining health and vitality.

Wheatgrass juice is high in fresh chlorophyll which has been shown to support liver function, flush out toxins and boost the immune system. One of the benefits of chlorophyll is that it is similar to hemin, which is a component of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein that in humans carries oxygen to cells. The main difference between chlorophyll and hemin is that while hemin is based on iron, chlorophyll is based on magnesium. Experiments carried out on severely anemic rabbits showed that when given chlorophyll, they quickly returned to a normal blood count.

In addition to anemia, chlorophyll has been shown to benefit the heart, lymphatic systems, vascular system, intestines, lungs, and glands. It can also help lower blood pressure and blood sugar, reduce acidity, and help treat and prevent cancer. And chlorophyll is just one component of wheatgrass.

Because it contains 8 essential amino acids, 80 identified enzymes, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, wheatgrass is often considered a complete food. Research studies have shown that it contains powerful anti-cancer agents: chlorophyll, antioxidants, abscisic acid, and enzyme 80. Its alkalizing action helps balance the body’s pH and steer it away from the cancer-inducing acidic state caused by our consumption of so many processed, sugary and fatty foods.

While fresh is best, most of us probably don’t have time to grow and juice wheatgrass, so it’s available in injection, powder, and tablet form from a variety of vendors. Wheatgrass is certainly a valuable addition to your diet.