Growing up, you probably heard your parents insist, “Eat your vegetables!” in a quest to live a healthier life.
As an adult, you might still find it difficult to eat enough veggies every day—after all, how many greens can a person really eat?
Wouldn’t it be easier if you could pack all the benefits of those vegetables into one easy-to-consume form?
While it’s not a miracle solution, young shoots of a wheat plant, aka Wheatgrass, may help fulfil all your fibre, vitamins, and nutrient intake that greens and vegetables can provide you.
This superfood has become a buzz-worthy addition to many people’s daily diets. Here are the top 10 reasons you too should drink wheatgrass every day!
What is Wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass comes from the green leaves of a young wheat plant, Triticum aestivum. In its early growth stages, the leaves resemble regular grass. Typically within 7-10 days after planting these leaves are either juiced or dried and turned into powder for consumption.
The wheatgrass has a bright green colour which comes from chlorophyll, a green pigment used by plants during photosynthesis to make food. The structure of chlorophyll is almost the same as that of haemoglobin, the protein in blood that carries oxygen to different tissues. Thus, it is sometimes referred to as “green blood.” Chlorophyll is also found in leafy greens like spinach.
One of the reasons why people like drinking wheatgrass is its high chlorophyll content (70 percent) and its richness in amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins which also have immense health benefits.
You can grow and juice your own wheatgrass at home—it’s the freshest and ideal option. However, homegrown wheatgrass can sometimes be contaminated with bacteria or mould, depending on how it’s cultivated. To save you the hassle, we provide Wheatgrass Juice and Wheatgrass Powder made from fresh, 9th-day harvested wheatgrass leaves. These supplements do not have added sugar or artificial flavours, so their active nutrients and ingredients are very well maintained.
Why Everyone Loves Wheatgrass: 10 Amazing Benefits
Wheatgrass is a popular remedy in Ayurveda, commonly used for wound healing and treating issues like high acid levels, colon inflammation, and poor kidney function. Even in folk medicine, it is used as a health tonic to treat colds, coughs, throat infections, fevers, joint pain, chronic skin issues, constipation, etc.
Here are some amazing benefits of drinking wheatgrass that will definitely convince you to give it a try even if you have been sceptical about it.
1. It is a Nutrient-Packed Superfood
Wheatgrass is often called a “superfood” because of its impressive nutrient profile. A superfood is a food that is rich in beneficial compounds such as antioxidants and fibre.
Wheatgrass is packed with over 100 nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and 17 amino acids, eight of which are essential for your body.
Along with this, wheatgrass is rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium, and sodium, as well as vitamins A, B, C, and E as well as a complete range of B-complex vitamins, all of these have a lot of potential benefits. Research shows that just 60 grams of wheatgrass juice provides the same nutrients as 2.2 kilograms of raw vegetables. Which means, it offers more vitamin A than carrots and more vitamin C than oranges.
2. It Can Lower Your Risk of Chronic Diseases
Research shows that people who consume more antioxidant-rich foods generally have a lower risk of diseases. Like other green plant foods, wheatgrass is packed with antioxidants, including flavonoids, chlorophyll, and vitamin C, which help combat the harmful effects of free radicals and reduce inflammation.
3. It Helps Keep Your Weight in Check
Wheatgrass is very low in calories, making it a great choice if you’re aiming to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. But that’s not all—wheatgrass may also support your weight management efforts by boosting metabolism, thanks to its proteins and antioxidants. In other words, it could help you burn a few extra calories while eating healthfully and staying active.
4. It Helps Eliminates Toxins
Studies suggest that the enzymes, amino acids, and chlorophyll in wheatgrass may help neutralize stored toxins and heavy metals in your body. But, remember, to support this effect, it’s also important to follow a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet that includes lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and fibre.
5. Provides Energy
Wheatgrass is rich in B vitamins, which play a crucial role in converting food into usable energy. Also, the starch content of wheatgrass serves as stored energy, which, when broken down into simpler sugars, provides a quick energy boost. It is especially beneficial for athletes, as it is quickly absorbed—usually in 20 minutes or less—and requires minimal energy from the body to digest and absorb its nutrients.
6. Enhances Immune System
Wheatgrass may help strengthen your immune system, thanks to its phytochemicals. These are natural compounds produced by plants, responsible for the colours, flavours, and scents found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains. Many of these phytochemicals act as antioxidants, helping to protect cells from damage caused by normal cellular processes and other damage from lifestyle factors like smoking or poor diet. Wheatgrass is also rich in oligosaccharides, a type of carbohydrate with immune-boosting properties.
7. Aids Digestion
Wheatgrass is high in fibre, which can aid in digestion and regular bowel movements. It also contains threonine, an essential amino acid that helps produce digestive enzymes. These enzymes play a key role in breaking down food and improving nutrient absorption.
8. Lowers Bad Cholesterol
Studies on animals suggest that wheatgrass may help reduce cholesterol levels. In one study, a control group was given a high-fat diet, while the other group was given the same high-fat diet along with wheatgrass. The results showed that the animals given wheatgrass had lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol.
9. Augments Heart Health
Wheatgrass is rich in antioxidants, which may help protect DNA in various parts of your brain, particularly those linked to memory and learning. An animal study found that combining wheatgrass with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a compound found in green tea, along with engaging in mental and physical activities, offered greater protection against brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease than mental and physical activities alone.
10. Prevents Cancer
Due to its powerful antioxidant content, wheatgrass juice has been shown in several studies to potentially prevent cancer cells from multiplying and spreading. It may also help reduce myelotoxicity, a side effect of chemotherapy that weakens bone marrow function and raises the risk of infections.
How to Maximise The Benefits of Wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass can be consumed in the form of juice or powder, but its strong, earthy flavour can be overpowering for some. To make it more palatable, try mixing it with fruit juice, or coconut water, or adding it to your smoothies.
Wheatgrass shots are also a popular option if you are looking for a quick, concentrated dose. You can even include wheatgrass in your salad dressings, green tea, and detox drinks, for an extra nutrient boost.
Things to Consider Before Adding Wheatgrass to Your Diet
Wheatgrass is generally safe for most people, but it can sometimes cause mild side effects such as nausea, appetite loss, or constipation. So, be smart when adding a new supplement to your diet. This means starting with taking a small portion first to see how your body reacts. Then once you know how it affects your body you can gradually increase the dose. Also, never start taking any kind of natural supplement without consulting a doctor first.
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