5 Reasons to Give Wheatgrass a Try

5 Reasons to Give Wheatgrass a Try

By Solay Wellness Guest Writer Daniela Baker

Does the thought of drinking grass make you cringe? Well, it’s not something most of us do often!

However, drinking a little plant known as wheatgrass is becoming popular because of its nutritional power and possible health benefits. Keep reading to find out the 5 reasons to give wheatgrass a try.

1. Wheatgrass contains healthy nutrients.

According to Brent A. Bauer, M.D., an internist at the Mayo Clinic, wheatgrass provides “a concentrated amount of nutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C and E.”

Of course, drinking wheatgrass shouldn’t be substitute for a “healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables,” says Dr. Bauer. However, wheatgrass can be an excellent addition to a great diet.

2. Wheatgrass may promote a healthy digestive system.

Wheatgrass is often used as an herbal treatment for digestive problems ranging from mild to severe.

In 2002, a small study on patients with ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the large intestine, showed that wheatgrass seemed to keep their symptoms under control.

All patients who took part in the study kept getting normal medical care, but half were given 3 ounces of wheatgrass juice per day, while half were given a fake drink instead. Most of the patients who drank the wheatgrass juice daily for a month had less diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and pain than the group who were given the placebo.

While this is the only double-blind study that tested wheatgrass for this type of condition, it does give reason to think that wheatgrass might be good for digestive health.

3. According to wheatgrass fans, it can promote healthy blood flow.

Sometimes called "the green blood,” wheatgrass is often promoted as a supplement that can help conditions like anemia. While not enough studies are out there to be sure about this, wheatgrass has been shown to help with thalassaemia and myelodysplastic syndrome in a few small studies.

Thalassaemia is a genetic condition that causes the body to make abnormal red blood cells. Similarly, patients with myelodysplastic syndrome cannot make blood the way a healthy person’s body does.

People with thalassaemia and transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndrome need blood transfusions throughout their lives, often each month. They also need drugs to stop their iron levels from becoming too high.

However, when these patients drank wheatgrass as part of the studies they took part in, they could go longer periods in between transfusions. The wheatgrass also seemed to help remove extra iron from the blood of these patients.

In another small study, patients with breast cancer who drank wheatgrass juice every day didn’t need as many medications to build their blood and bone marrow up during chemotherapy.

Again, while these are just a few studies, they give reason to hope that wheatgrass can help with these and similar problems.

4. Wheatgrass is safe for most people to drink or swallow in capsule form.

“Wheatgrass is generally considered safe,” says Dr. Bauer.

However, he adds that it “is usually grown in soil or water and consumed raw, which means it could be contaminated with bacteria or mold.” This is part of the reason wheatgrass may, according to Dr. Bauer, “cause nausea, headaches, hives or swelling of your throat.”

He advises pregnant or breastfeeding women to avoid using wheatgrass products. He also suggests that anyone with a grass or wheat allergy, gluten intolerance, or celiac disease talk to a doctor before trying it.

Dr. Chris Reynolds of the company Wheatgrass Pty., which sells health products made from wheatgrass, says wheatgrass is safe, but nausea or diarrhea can come from drinking too much, so users should stick to the dosage on the product they are using.

5. Wheatgrass is cheap and easy to find.

Like most herbal treatments, wheatgrass is cheap and easy to get.

At VitaminShoppe.com, for example, you can get a dozen 11.8 fluid ounce bottles of a wheatgrass and aloe drink for $20. You can also get 120 capsules of wheatgrass for just under $11, although most scientific studies seem to have used wheatgrass in "juiced" form instead.

That’s a lot for just one little plant! So, if you’ve been persuaded by these 5 reasons to give wheatgrass a try, go ahead and buy some online or from your local health food store. It’s certainly an original way to get your nutrients for the day.

Bottoms up!

Daniela Baker is a social media advocate at CreditDonkey, where she helps families compare family credit card rewards. As a mother of two, she's passionate about eco-living and natural health.