Benefits of Wheatgrass Juice - What, How, and Why!

by Ross Bridgeford

Since the late 1960's, wheatgrass has become frequently discussed in health and medical circles as one of natures greatest gifts. Classified as one of the most abundant superfoods known to man, wheat (and more recently barley) grass has been celebrated for its nutritional content, cleansing and cell regeneration capabilities as well as being in a form that is easily and effortlessly assimilated and digested by our bodies.

The chlorophyll content of wheatgrass alone has been enough to prompt many individuals to consume either fresh or powdered wheatgrass on a daily basis. Being approximately 70% crude chlorophyll, this can have a highly energising effect and a real boost to those looking to alkalise their body.

A discussion on the benefits of wheatgrass juice or powder could be endless - so for the purposes of brevity I have categorised these benefits into four areas. These are the areas that I have found that wheatgrass has benefitted both myself and those around me (family, friends, clients and colleagues).

1. Wheatgrass Builds Blood!

Many health experts including Dr Young (pH Miracle) and Steve Meyerowitz (Nature's Finest Medicine) have highlighted that the chlorophyll molecule in wheatgrass is almost identical to the haemoglobin molecule in human blood. The only difference is that the central element in chlorophyll is magnesium and in haemoglobin it is iron.

Due to this inherent similarity the human body can easily transform chlorophyll into hemoglobin increasing the red blood cell count as well as the blood's capacity to deliver oxygen and other nutrients to the body's cells (Hagiwara, 1985).

Chlorophyll has been shown to build red blood cells quickly, normalise blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways though out the body, destroy poisonous carbon dioxide, release free oxygen and promote higher metabolism and stimulated enzyme systems. On top of all of these benefits, consuming chlorophyll from wheatgrass is a highly effective way to alkalise the blood and energise the body!

2. Wheatgrass Cleanses the Body

Wheatgrass is an extremely beneficial food in terms of both its cleansing capabilities. The contents of wheatgrass juice and powder (green drink) are reported to be within the region of approximately 100 separate elements with scientists dubbing it a 'complete food'. According to 'The Wheatgrass Book' (Wigmore, 1985), just 140g of fresh wheatgrass offers the same nutritional value as over 3kg's of fress green vegetables!

Wheatgrass is a great source of vitamins B, C, E and carotene which are hugely effective in destroying and eliminating free radicals and cleansing the body. Wheatgrass is also highly regarded for its ability to cleanse the blood, organs and gastrointestinal tract.

Because it is also high in saponin, wheatgrass offers excellent support to the lymphatic system, helping to carry away hundreds and thousands of toxins from the cells of the body. Kulvinskas (Survival into the 21st Century, 1975) wheatgrass helps to 'detoxify the body by increasing the elimination of hardened mucous, crystallised acids and solidified, decaying faecal matter...It is the fastest, surest way to eliminate internal waste and provide an optimum nutritional environment'.

These are just some of the cleansing benefits of wheatgrass, and I have barely scratched the surface with regards to listing its nutritional content. Put most simply, whether you are looking to undertake a formal cleanse, or simply try to add more nutrition to your diet - these reasons alone are enough to consider adding wheatgrass to your daily lifestyle.

3. High Amino Acid Content

You may have heard the expression before that - amino acids are the building blocks of protein. They are absolutely essential to our growth and cell regeneration. It is the astonishingly high amino acid content in wheatgrass that is leading to many bodybuilders and gym-goers incorporating fresh or powdered wheatgrass juice into their daily routine.

Wheatgrass juice is a complete protein and contains, amongst others, the following amino acids: arginine, serine, absenisic, lysine, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, methionine, leucine, tryptophane, phenylalanine, and valine.

4. Wheatgrass Fights and Protects Against Illness

Organic wheatgrass powders and juices are an extremely effective way of boosting the body's immune system to fight against and recover from illnesses and ailments. Wheatgrass is a great source of beta carotene, contains most of the B vitamins and vitamins C, E, H and K, and also contains over 90 different minerals and 19 amino acids. It also contains several active enzymes which play a major role in breaking down fats, undertaking biological functions and assist hugely in weight loss.Of the 90 minerals found, many of these are very alkalising and include calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Many of the health benefits of wheatgrass stem from the faact that it is a living food. Being highly anti-bacterial, consuming wheatgrass will help to alkalise and detoxify the lymph and blood cells, helping the body to rebuild and transport toxins out of the body quickly and effectively.

Again, coming back to the chlorophyll content of wheatgrass - this can protect the body from carcinogens more effectively than any other food. Studies conducted on animals have shown that wheatgrass consumption has reduced the absorption of a number of very serious carcinogens whilst strengthening cells, detoxifying the liver and neutrailsing polluting elements within the blood.

Conclusion - Incorporating Wheatgrass into Your Lifestyle

Wheat and a number of other grasses are clearly very beneficial to the body and there is a very strong case for making them a part of our daily health routines. There are two principle ways to do so:

• buy a growing kit/ freshly grown grass and juice at home
• purchase an organic grass (green drink) supplement

Both have their pro's and con's, however, you do not have to do one to get the benefits of the other. Many juice bars are also now selling wheatgrass shots and are including wheatgrass as an ingredient in their other juices.

If you are looking to purchase a powdered wheatgrass supplement, please be sure to check that the ingredients are organic and 100% pure (no fillers!).

If you have any questions regarding wheatgrass juice, juicers or powdered grasses/greens, please do not hesitate to contact us at Energise for Life

Our Aim - To provide you with every health and nutrition resource you need to achieve optimal health and energy. We aim to provide a one-stop-shop for all of your health and vitality needs within a 100% customer focused environment. What We Do - We provide a fantastic range of health products from suppliers such as Innerlight, Udo Erasmus and Bioforce. Our commitment to offer you the greatest possible choice ensures that you are able to reach your health goals regardless of budget or taste. Why We're Different - At Energise for Life we bring you all of the nutrition advice you need to make the most informed decisions about your diet and lifestyle - as well as all of the benefits you would associate with the ideal online shopping experience: exceptional choice, effortless ordering, speedy delivery and excellent customer service. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ross_Bridgeford

Benefit of Wheatgrass - Why People are so Crazy over Wheatgrass Despite its Nasty Taste

By Ruth Tan

What is the Benefit of Wheatgrass?

Wheatgrass is a plant grown from the Red Wheatberry that is moving to the top of the nutritional tree. It's an incredible health elixir. Some people call wheatgrass juice "beer before it's beer"; technically, it is young wheat, but non-alcoholic. Commercials describe the benefit of wheatgrass very vividly - "a shot glass of chlorophyll-laden wheat grass juice is like drinking one day's worth of sunshine".

In recent years, wheatgrass juice has become one of the more popular health beverages and can be found at virtually any fresh juice shop and health store in where I live. Sales of wheatgrass products are booming worldwide. However, a glass of chlorophyll is not easy to go down, many people cringe at the thought of consuming one ounce of this "miracle food" because of its raw pungent taste. Nowadays, it's common to find honey, and lemon, being added to wheatgrass juice to make it more palatable. And the latest concoction I found at the shops was wheatgrass juice with apple juice, which really tasted fantastic!

Now, let's look at each of the benefit of wheatgrass and understand why it's so popularly consumed despite its nasty taste.

A Powerhouse of Nutrients and Vitamins: Nourishes and Strengths the Body

In the form of fresh juice, wheatgrass contains 70% of chlorophyll with high concentrations of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K, a huge spectrum of minerals such as calcium and magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur, cobalt, zinc, and protein, and other nutrients needed for our health and well-being. It properties are important for cardiovascular and immune system function, strengthening heart and arterial tissue, lowering blood fat, and useful in the treatment of degenerative disease and reducing inflammation. Each teaspoon of wheatgrass juice has only about 10-15 calories per and no fat or cholesterol. A benefit of wheatgrass is that it provides a remarkable whop of energy. A 1-oz shot glass of it's juice is equivalent in food-vitamin value to two and a half pounds of leafy green vegetables! On an empty stomach, it is assimilated into the blood in just 20 minutes! Humans can't eat wheatgrass directly as the strong cellulose is too woody and fibrous for the long and complex intestines in humans. Grass-eating animals like cows and horses, goats have short intestines.

A Natural Detergent and Detox: Removes Build-up of Body Toxics

Our diets consist much cooked, highly processed foods that contain chemical additives, sugar, artificial sweetener, salt and empty calories that can clog our system and cheat our bodies of real nourishment. The chlorophyll in wheatgrass has strong antioxidant properties that can strip out free radicals, neutralize toxins, and allow the body to balance itself and operate at maximum efficiency. It drains the lymphatic system, flush out the toxins from the body cells. When an injury exists, there is a natural build-up of mucous in the lymph particular to that area. This mucous is encapsulated, helping to ensure the proper flow of lymphatic fluid. Wheatgrass juice helps breakdown the mucous and allow it to drain, relieving pressure to allow healing. Wheatgrass juice is helpful in dissolving scars that are formed in the lungs from breathing acid gasses such as carbon monoxide, and removing toxic metals stored in the body, e.g lead, cadmium, mercury, aluminium. Its chlorophyll has the ability to break down poisonous gases and release free oxygen.

Potent Source of Enzymes: Maintains Youthfulness

One big benefit of wheatgrass is that it's a complete protein with about 30 enzymes. Enzymes are important for every bodily function - breathing, thinking, vision, digestion, etc, and have been linked to the prevention and curing of cancer cells. Young people have a natural inheritance of enzyme concentration in the cells and friendly bacteria in the gastro-intestinal tract. As we get older the high demand for enzymes due to cooked foods, pathogenic microbes and chemicals, leads to more and more exhaustion of enzymes. For instance, a 70 year old has only about half the enzymes of the 20 year old. The pancreas, which produces our digestive enzymes, also becomes less efficient as we age due to the depletion of enzyme. This results in indigestion, reduced absorption of nutrients from food, and nutritional deficiency. And in many cases, this malfunction leads to weight gain. That's why obese people are usually malnourished. Wheatgrass can provide the additional enzyme intake that is required for overall good health.

Blood Builder: Stimulates Healing

Finally, another benefit of wheatgrass juice is that the chlorophyll molecule in wheatgrass is structurally very similar to the iron carrying component of haemoglobin in red blood cells. It's juice has shown to build red blood cells quickly after ingestion. It normalizes high blood pressure and stimulates healthy tissue-cell growth. The blood cleansing and building abilities of chlorophyll, its effect on the circulatory system and oxygen supply, and its role in detoxifying and regenerating the liver. It also has an alkalizing effect on the blood and has been used to treat ulcers, constipation, diarrhoea, and other complaints of the gastrointestinal tract. A glass of fresh wheatgrass juice on an empty stomach is also known to be an effective hangover cure.

A Word of Caution:

As wheatgrass is consumed raw, there is a concern about contamination when it's not grown organically. Consumers especially women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have to ensure that it's produced in soils or water that is free of heavy metals, pesticides, bacteria, moulds, or other substances. Such guarantee may not appear on the label and should be requested from the manufacturer.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Ben Franklin

Source: http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/benefit-of-wheatgrass.html

R. Tan is the owner of the website http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/ which is a rich honey resource community specially built for all the honey lovers and fans in this world. She has packed this website with a wide range of quality contents on honey based on her knowledge and experience with honey, so as to promote its invaluable benefits which she believes could bring many positive spin-offs in everyone's daily life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Tan