Why Is Wheatgrass Good for You? Nutritional Facts and Health Benefits

Wheatgrass is the name for a wheat plant's juvenile grass. It's a thick, dry grass with a bright green appearance that resembles hay or straw.

It's made with the nutrient-dense sprouting leaves of the wheat species Triticum aestivum. It's available in two forms: powder and juice. Wheatgrass is naturally high in vitamins A, C, and E, as well as other minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium, and has numerous health benefits.

While many farmers cultivate wheatgrass for animal feed, more people are buying it or growing it themselves to add to their diets. It's collected when it's still young, usually 7 to 10 days after it's been harvested.

The majority of people drink it as juice, taking a 1 to 2-ounce shot of it alone or mixing it into a smoothie or juice concoction.

Wheatgrass Nutrition Fact File

Wheatgrass provides a lot of nutritious value. One tablespoon (8g) of wheatgrass powder contains 25 calories, 1 gram of protein, 6 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of fat.

Carbs

Wheatgrass is mostly constituted of carbs, however it has no sugar and a significant amount of fiber (4 grams per tablespoon of wheatgrass powder). As a result, it has an extremely low glycemic index.

Protein

Wheatgrass has a small quantity of protein, but not nearly enough to be considered an excellent supply of this essential macronutrient.

Vitamins and Minerals

Wheatgrass is high in beta carotene and B vitamins, as well as vitamins E, C, and K. Wheatgrass containing iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and copper, among other minerals.

Various health benefits of wheatgrass

It's not too late to join the wheatgrass bandwagon if you haven't already. People are wheatgrass obsessed, it's for a good reason: wheatgrass juice is perhaps the healthiest food on the planet, and wheatgrass benefits range from increased energy to improved overall health to total body beauty.

Check out this list of health benefits offered by Wheatgrass:

1) Aids in weight loss

Wheatgrass is extremely low in calories, making it an excellent choice for those trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.

That's not all, though. Wheatgrass has proteins and antioxidants that are known to increase metabolism, so it could benefit your overall efforts to eat healthily and exercise. To put it another way, it may assist you in burning a few additional calories.

2) Immunity booster

Wheatgrass phytochemicals may aid in enhancing your immune system.

Phytochemicals are plant-made molecules that give our fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains their various colors, tastes, and odors.

Many phytochemicals operate as antioxidants by preventing cell damage caused by natural cell processes as well as some additional damage caused by lifestyle factors such as smoking or poor diet.

3) Keeps cholesterol levels in check

Cholesterol is a waxy molecule that can be found all over the body. While some cholesterol is required for the production of hormones and bile, too much cholesterol in the blood can obstruct blood flow and increase your risk of heart disease.

Wheatgrass has also been shown in animal studies to help decrease cholesterol levels. Wheatgrass juice helps lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in rats with excessively high cholesterol levels, according to a 2011 study.

Despite these encouraging findings, more research is needed to see how wheatgrass supplements alter cholesterol levels in people.

4) Could kill cancer cells

Wheatgrass has been proven to help kill cancer cells in test tubes due to its high antioxidant content.

Wheatgrass drinks, when paired with standard cancer treatment, may help to reduce side effects, according to some research.

Wheatgrass juice was reported to reduce the likelihood of reduced bone marrow function, a typical side effect of chemotherapy, in one study.

5) Good for gut

Wheatgrass has long been used to treat diarrhea and other digestive problems.

Wheatgrass juice has been shown to aid with the symptoms of more serious gastrointestinal problems like ulcerative colitis.

Patients who drank wheatgrass shots every day for a month had a significant reduction in disease activity and rectal bleeding, according to a small 2002 study.

6) Wound healing

Wheatgrass has long been used topically to heal burns, ulcers, and other skin lesions, and there's reason to believe it works: Wheatgrass contains antibacterial chlorophyll, which may aid in the prevention of illnesses.

Furthermore, chlorophyll has been found to encourage the synthesis of red blood cells, which are necessary for the formation of healthy new tissue.

Bottomline

Wheatgrass and its components have been linked to weight loss, reduced inflammation, lower cholesterol, and better blood sugar control, among other health advantages.

Animal studies have proven to be effective and promising. However, more studies on humans are needed.