Wheat Grass

Wheat Grass

Wheat grass (Triticum aestivum) is a common grass grown in temperate climates; it also goes by the name couchgrass. Wheat grass has been touted as a health food since it was first juiced, packaged and sold in the 1930s. Proponents claim that wheat grass juice offers powerful enzymes that aid digestion, neutralize toxins, and improve overall health. Now considered to be a “superfood,” wheatgrass is widely available as juice, capsules, powder, pills and tablets in many health food stores.

Benefits of Wheat Grass

This nutrient-rich type of young grass has a lot of health benefits to offer, including:

Potential Treatment for Cancer

Wheatgrass demonstrates anti-cancer potential, and that it seems to do so by inducing programmed cell death of malignant cells.[1] Aside from being a natural remedy for cancer, one study found that wheatgrass can also help reduce chemotherapy-related side effects. [2] The study included sixty breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and were divided into two groups, with one the control group receiving no wheat grass juice and the other drinking 60 cc of wheat grass juice during their first three cycles of chemotherapy. Researchers found that the group that drank wheat grass juice demonstrated reduced toxicity and need for additional medication.

Relief from Ulcerative Colitis

A 2012 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology found that wheat grass juice consumption can help alleviate debilitating symptoms of ulcerative colitis.[3] The study included 21 patients with ulcerative colitis which were given 100 cc of wheat grass juice daily for 1 month. After the treatment, researchers observed that the patients showed improvements in all symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis with no apparent side effects.

Detoxification of Body Toxins

Recent studies show that the many active compounds of wheatgrass juice have a powerful ability to cleanse the blood by neutralizing and digesting toxins in the body.[4-5] This effect can be attributed to the potent antioxidant properties of wheat grass.

Strong Immune System

Taking wheat grass supplements can help boost the immune function and prevent a wide array of diseases. According to a 2013 study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, wheat grass contains compounds that modulate the activities of monocytes, natural killer cells, and other cells of the immune system.[6]

Thalassemia Prevention

Thalassemia is a blood disorder characterized by less hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells. Affected individuals often undergo frequent blood transfusion, possibly every few weeks, as a form of treatment. Interestingly, one study revealed that wheat grass supplementation in patients with thalassemia can help reduce blood transfusion requirement.[7] Researchers observed that patients who consumed about 100 ml of wheat grass juice daily decreased their requirement of packed red blood cells transfusion by 25% or more.

Reduced Cholesterol Levels and Menopausal Symptoms

A 2017 study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements found that women with abnormally high cholesterol levels who consumed 3.5 g of freeze-dried wheat grass powder in encapsulated form daily for 10 weeks, experienced a reduction of 5.4% in total cholesterol (TC), 4.4% in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 9.5% in triacylglycerols (TAG) following the treatment period.[8] Aside from these beneficial effects, the researchers also observed a reduction in menopausal symptoms.

References:

1. Bar-Sela G, Cohen M, Ben-Arye E, Epelbaum R. The Medical Use of Wheatgrass: Review of the Gap Between Basic and Clinical Applications. Mini reviews in medicinal chemistry. 2015; 15(12):1002-10.
2. Bar-Sela G, Tsalic M, Fried G, Goldberg H. Wheat grass juice may improve hematological toxicity related to chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: a pilot study. Nutrition and cancer. 2007; 58(1):43-8.
3. Ben-Arye E, Goldin E, Wengrower D, Stamper A, Kohn R, Berry E. Wheat grass juice in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology. 2002; 37(4):444-9.
4. Healthy benefits of wheat grass (online available) http://www.ph.ion.com.
5. Jarvis, W.T2001. Wheatgrass Therapy. National Council Against Health Fraud Resource Documents. National Council Against Health Fraud, Accessed from http://www.ncahf.org/articles/sz/wheatgrass.html.
6. Tsai C-C, Lin C-R, Tsai H-Y, et al. The Immunologically Active Oligosaccharides Isolated from Wheatgrass Modulate Monocytes via Toll-like Receptor-2 Signaling. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2013;288(24):17689-17697. doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.448381.
7. Marawaha RK, Bansal D, Kaur S, Trehan A. Wheat grass juice reduces transfusion requirement in patients with thalassemia major: a pilot study. Indian pediatrics. 2004; 41(7):716-20.
8. Kumar N, Iyer U. Impact of Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) Supplementation on Atherogenic Lipoproteins and Menopausal Symptoms in Hyperlipidemic South Asian Women – A Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of dietary supplements. 2017; 14(5):503-513.