Posted by Caroline Collard on Jun.24, 2010

©iStockphoto.com - borchee

A lot of information is available today about superfoods and specifically about wheatgrass. However, supplements can be expensive, and I know that I am not the only one who would rather feel that they are eating a food rather than swallowing a supplement. It is possible to buy trays with the wheatgrass already grown, but it is cheaper to do it yourself.

I decided that even though I was not the world’s best gardener, I would try growing my own. I was amazed how cheap and easy it is to grow. Within 10 days I had a good crop ready for the juicer. Admittedly the juice itself wasn’t particularly appetizing, but I juiced with a couple of carrots which made the juicing easier and the drink more palatable. A 500g bag of organic wheat grain cost me about the same amount as a bar of chocolate. Other grains can be used such as spelt wheat or barley; however I found these a bit harder to grow.

Apparently, when wheatgrass is grown in organic soil it contains 82 of the 92 minerals from the soil. The standard starting point of 1 ounce of wheatgrass juice a day is believed to have as much nutritional value as the juice 2.5 pounds of green vegetables. Interestingly, it is also gluten free, the grain itself has gluten, but the green leaves do not. About 70% of the plant is chlorophyll which is very similar in structure to hemoglobin in the human body. The main function of hemoglobin is to transport oxygen around the body in the red blood cells and to detoxify the cells. Taking chlorophyll seems to aid this significantly. Other nutrients contained in wheatgrass are amino acids which are converted into proteins and many vitamins and minerals.

Many people take wheatgrass to protect against cancer, improve digestion, reduce blood pressure, improve wound healing, prevent tooth decay and greying hair and to improve skin.

Unfortunately, although young wheatgrass (up to about 4 days old) can be chopped and put into salads, wheatgrass older than this cannot be eaten without being juiced because the cellulose in it makes it indigestible. Some people, however, chew it to remove the nutrients and then spit out the pulp. Also, the most common type of juicer, the centrifugal juicer is unable to juice it. You would need the more expensive masticating juicer or a specialized wheatgrass juicer which can be bought quite cheaply if you shop around.

For more information

Growing Wheatgrass

Growing Wheatgrass - A Beginner’s Guide

How to Grow Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass Benefits

Excerpts from The Wheatgrass Book by Ann Wigmore

Health Benefits of Wheatgrass Juice

Wheatgrass Supplies

Grow Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass-Kits.co.uk

Sprout.net.au

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Posted under Drinks, Juices.