Wheatgrass one of nature’s super foods
Wheatgrass has grown in notoriety over the past few years as a healthy “superfood”. You are now likely to see it in your local deli or independent health food store, but (unfortunately) it hasn’t yet made it into many mainstream supermarkets. Most people have yet to even hear of it, although it is a favourite with many raw foodists, sprouting enthusiasts, and the health-conscious.
You may be sceptical about its so-called superfood properties, when you see it, because it strongly resembles ordinary grass from the lawn in your garden. You may think it’s one of those new fads; that it is just for the super-healthy and work-out fanatics? You would be wrong!
What is so special about wheatgrass?
Chlorophyll content
The main reason for wheatgrass’s high nutritional value is its chlorophyll content – it contains up to 70% of this powerful phyto-nutrient!
Chlorophyll is a green pigment, which gives plants their colour, and is found in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. It’s formed in the presence of sunlight by the process of photosynthesis. This is important, because it allows the plant to convert the minerals from the earth into a form that can be absorbed and used by the human body.
It’s thought that chlorophyll is particularly beneficial from a health perspective because it so closely resembles the chemical make-up of ‘haem’, part of the haemoglobin of human blood. The Japanese food scientist, Dr Yoshide Hagiwara, has suggested that chlorophyll can be absorbed directly into the blood because it is fat-soluble – fat particles pass directly into the blood via the lymphatic system.
Vitamin and mineral content
But there is yet more to chlorophyll! It is nutrient-dense and contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including:
- vitamins A, C, E, K and the full spectrum of B vitamins
- a host of minerals, including iron, phosphate, boron, copper, selenium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc and more!
Protein and amino acid content
Wheatgrass (as with so many fresh leafy greens) also has a surprisingly high level of protein. In fact, wheatgrass offers a complete protein – it contains all of the essential amino acids that the body cannot produce itself, but are required for its proper function and must therefore be obtained from the diet. These include aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, glycine, histidine, arginine, tryosine and others.
Enzyme content
Wheatgrass is a good source of exogenous enzymes (i.e. those not produced by the human digestive system). These include oxidase, lipase, protease, amylase, superoxydismutase (SOD) and more!
Juicing
This incredible combination of nutrients makes wheatgrass a popular ingredient for juicing. You will often see it offered as a juice “booster” (i.e. to enhance the nutritional value of the juice as a whole) or as a single wheatgrass shot. It’s popular because of its sweet, earthy taste. Plus, of all the grasses – and many others have been tried for juicing, including oats, rye, barley and spelt – wheatgrass is generally acknowledged to be the best source of chlorophyll.
Wheatgrass powders and supplements
Although extremely popular as a juicing ingredient, its not always that easy to source wheatgrass, it can be a hassle to juice on a regular basis and you need an awful lot of it to make it worthwhile.
Organic wheatgrass powders and organic wheatgrass multivitamins can provide a quick and easy alternative!
Our Green’n’More Superfood Combo, for example, is a 100% organic superfood meal replacement and protein powder that contains not only wheatgrass. It contains 35 green foods, vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, seeds, sprouts and mushrooms, plus bioactive enzymes. It includes such ingredients as alfalfa, pre-sprouted barley, barley grass, quinoa, spinach leaf, flaxseed, turmeric (and more), and with 20 natural enzymes, 70 beneficial nutrients it is the ideal daily green shake for the whole family.