Wheat Grass 101: Hot Trend or Highly Beneficial Supplement?
For the last few years, we have heard people mention about taking wheat grass shots and heading to their local smoothie joint or juice bar to get their wheat grass drinks and smoothies. Some people swear by wheat grass, while others just the thought turns their stomach. Is this a hot trend and will fizzle out, or is wheat grass actually highly beneficial and something you should consider?
This article will showcase five benefits of wheat grass and why this ingredient may be something you should consider adding to your supplement regimen to help improve your overall health and physique.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
Table of contents
What is Wheat Grass?
Wheat grass is the young, freshly sprouted leaves of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum. It is typically harvested and consumed at an early growth stage, before the plant matures and forms grains. Wheatgrass is renowned for its dense nutrient profile and is often used as a health supplement. Here are some key points about wheat grass:
- Nutrient Content: Wheat grass is rich in vitamins (such as A, C, E, and several B vitamins), minerals (including iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium), amino acids, and enzymes. It is particularly noted for its high chlorophyll content, which gives it a vibrant green color and is believed to have various health benefits.
- Consumption Forms: It can be consumed in various forms, including fresh juice, powder, tablets, or capsules. Fresh wheatgrass juice is highly perishable and often consumed immediately after juicing.
- Health Benefits: Proponents of wheatgrass claim it can help detoxify the body, boost the immune system, improve digestion, increase energy levels, and promote overall well-being. Some research suggests that wheat grass may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.
- Usage: Wheatgrass is often incorporated into smoothies, juices, and other health drinks. Some people grow their own wheatgrass at home for fresh consumption.
- Precautions: While many people consume wheatgrass without any issues, it can cause allergic reactions or gastrointestinal discomfort in some individuals. It is recommended to start with small amounts to assess tolerance.
Overall, wheat grass is valued for its concentrated nutrients and potential health benefits, making it a popular supplement in the wellness community.
5 Benefits of Wheat Grass
Check out the handful of health benefits you can experience through wheat grass.
1. Lower Blood Sugar Levels
A major health concern today is high blood sugar. Let’s face it, the American diet is horrendous. Processed foods, sugar, high calories, excessive carbs — it’s no wonder why over 100 million people in the US suffer from diabetes or prediabetes. For the majority of the population, blood sugar issues stem from their diet and not their genetics (despite what they tell you).
When blood sugar is elevated for long periods of time, several negative things could happen. You could suffer a heart attack or stroke and could severely damage your eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
Your blood sugar levels also play a role in how and if your body shuttles nutrients into fat cells and increases body fat levels or if it is shuttled into the muscles to be used as energy. This leads nicely into the second benefit.
Wheat grass comes into play with its natural ability to help manage and lower blood sugar levels. Whether consumed as a pill, powder, or liquid, supplementing with wheat grass is a great idea regardless of whether you eat a well-balanced diet or not. This leads nicely into the second benefit.
2. Promote Weight Loss
Speaking of a well-balanced diet or not, another concern for Americans is their weight. Our nation’s population is now officially heavier than it’s ever been, with more than 40% of Americans being considered obese. The hard pill to swallow is that the number continues to increase over time with no signs of slowing down in sight.
While wheat grass does not directly improve weight loss itself, its benefits can help promote weight loss when used as a dietary supplement. When wheat grass has been used as a supplement alongside a proper diet, it was shown that it could help improve satiety, which then can aid in supporting weight loss. This has been looked into closely due to the thylakoids found in wheat grass.
With the ability for people to feel satiated throughout the day, it can help lower the chances of overeating during meals as well as excessively snacking throughout the day.
3. Reduce Inflammation
Damage to the body from either pathogens or stress can cause harmful inflammation. While the body is constantly fighting inflammation, when it becomes chronic and uncontrollable is when you are put at risk for health issues such as heart disease, various forms of cancer, joint pain, and even autoimmune disorders.
Wheat grass contains helpful anti-inflammatory properties in the form of chlorophyll that have the ability to reduce and minimize the effects of inflammation. To be more specific, wheat grass contains powerful chlorophyll that can inhibit the expression of a particular pro-inflammatory cytokine called TNF-α.
In addition to adding wheat grass to your supplement regimen, it would be wise to remove foods and various ingredients from your diet that can trigger inflammation and cause it to spiral out of control. Some of these foods include sugar, gluten, MSG, refined carbohydrates, and trans fats, to name a few.
4. Reduce LDL Cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol you are probably aware of — LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). To put it as simple as possible and without going super deep, LDL is considered a “bad” cholesterol while HDL is regarded as a “good” cholesterol. When people get blood work done, they want to see high levels of HDL (40mg/dL or higher) and low levels of LDL (less than 100mg/dL).
If you are found to have elevated levels of LDL, this could lead to the buildup of plaque in your arteries, and ultimately a condition called atherosclerosis. LDL levels can increase in the body due to eating too much trans and saturated fat, which is why it’s important to not just look at supplements for a quick fix but look at nutrition as the foundation to improve upon.
While cleaning up your nutrition can drastically improve your LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, by including a wheat grass supplement into your regimen can further help keep your cholesterol levels under control and aid in reducing harmful LDL cholesterol from causing heart disease and even sudden heart attacks.
Wheat grass has been shown to be able to not only lower LDL cholesterol but also raise HDL cholesterol levels. Consumption of a liquid, powder, or capsule form of wheat grass would be advised.
5. Fights Free Radicals
If you were to take a deep dive into your body and see what goes on (from the inside), you’d be amazed at how many different pathogens and free radicals are trying to do harm to you, your cells, and create oxidative stress on a daily basis — including down at the DNA level. Should your body’s immune system weaken, and these pathogens and free radicals have the ability to damage, mutate, or kill healthy cells, it can cause various diseases and illnesses.
In the case of wheat grass, it not only contains a ton of helpful nutrients, but it also provides you with powerful antioxidants such as glutathione, vitamin C, and vitamin E to help fight off free radicals. Adding wheat grass to your supplement regimen could provide you with the antioxidants you need to help protect your cells, boost immunity, and prevent illnesses and disease from creeping in.
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