What Happens When You Drink Wheatgrass Every Day?
If you drink wheatgrass every day, you will be benefiting from its anti-inflammatory properties, as well as its antioxidants and antibacterial components. This superfood can help boost your immune system, help treat certain health conditions, and eliminate toxins.
Wheatgrass has become increasingly popular in recent years, with wheatgrass shots making their way into juices and smoothies across the world. Supercharged with many nutrients, it’s no wonder so many people are turning to it to see what it can do for them. Let’s look at how it’s so nutritious and what the benefits are, then how you can include this in your daily diet and what dose you need.
Medicinal Benefits Of Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass contains amino acids, large doses of chlorophyll, plus a range of vitamins and essential minerals. Here are some of the most important components of wheatgrass:
- Amino Acids – it contains all nine of the essential amino acids and 13 nonessential amino acids. Essential amino acids can only be derived from the food that we eat and they are important because they are considered the building blocks of life. Their benefits are numerous including helping the body synthesize protein, preventing muscle loss, and repairing body tissue.
- Chlorophyll – it is very high in chlorophyll which helps to detox the liver and clean the intestines. It can also help protect the body from carcinogens and support the immune system. As well as cleaning and protecting, it provides an abundance of energy too.
- Vitamins – it contains vitamins A, B, C, E, and K. Vitamin A is useful in protecting the kidneys and eyes, as well as promoting healthy skin. Vitamin B is great for aiding good digestion and supporting the creation of new blood cells. Vitamin C helps with the production of collagen, plays a role in maintaining a healthy immune system, and increases antioxidant levels. Vitamin E is important for eye health and helps cells to regenerate. Vitamin K is used by the body for blood clotting and supporting strong bones. If you take blood thinners, you should be careful not to increase your Vitamin K levels too much and should talk to your doctor before taking wheatgrass and other foods with this vitamin.
- Minerals – it contains iron, calcium, and magnesium. Among other functions, the body uses iron to produce hemoglobin which helps carry oxygen around the body. Calcium is important for maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Magnesium has many important roles in the body including supporting muscle and nerve function.
Wheatgrass can help treat and/or prevent a number of health conditions including:
- Cholesterol – it can lower bad LDL cholesterol levels due to its phytosterols and phytostanols, as well as Vitamins B3 and B5.
- Arthritis – the anti-inflammatory properties in wheatgrass can help counteract symptoms associated with arthritis.
- Diabetes – wheatgrass has certain components that provide a similar effect to insulin. This means it can lower the glycemic index of foods and have a beneficial effect on blood sugar levels.
- Blood pressure – the nutrients help to expand capillaries by protecting nitric oxide in the blood, which in turn lowers blood pressure.
- Liver disease – protects the liver by decreasing levels of phospholipids and increasing the breakdown of fats.
- Cancer – some of the enzymes found in wheatgrass help protect against oxidative damage and slow cancer cells down.
- Alzheimer’s – the B vitamins can improve cognition and improve memory for people who have Alzheimer’s and even protect against the development of the disease.
Filled with powerful antioxidants it’s also excellent at decreasing inflammation, which is a key predecessor to many chronic diseases so has many more wonderful health benefits. On top of this, it is often touted as a good weight loss agent. This is because it can boost your metabolism while being low in calories and fat-free.
How Often Should You Take Wheatgrass And How Much?
The standard recommendation is usually one or two servings per day of one teaspoon of wheatgrass powder. Read the label on your packaging to check the recommended amount.
Some people experience mild side effects while their body is adjusting to wheatgrass. These symptoms include an upset stomach, nausea, headache, and constipation (although some people that experience constipation claim that wheatgrass relieves it). For that reason, I would recommend starting with one portion a day for the first week or two and follow your wheatgrass drink with a glass of plain water, even if you have wheatgrass in water (as opposed to juice). Please don’t be put off, most people don’t experience any issues and they’re usually very mild symptoms.
How To Take Wheatgrass
It’s known for having a strong earthy flavor which some people find strange or unappealing when they first start taking it. It won’t take long to get used to it or perhaps you’ll be someone who doesn’t mind it from the start. I find the flavor quite pleasant and interesting, and if you’ve had ashwagandha and other stronger-flavored powdered herbs you probably will too.
Either way, there are a few ways that you can take it in a drink. You can drink it as a shot with water, with a glass of water (any size of your choosing), in a juice or smoothie, or mix it with milk. I will run through the quickest way to make a wheatgrass drink which is combining wheatgrass and water.
Ingredients
- 1 x Teaspoon of wheatgrass powder
- Water
These are the only ingredients you need but you can also add ginger, honey, lemon, or mint to your wheatgrass water, or any other healthy additive you prefer.
Method
Simply take a teaspoon of wheatgrass powder and place it in the glass you want to drink it from. You can add anywhere from a splash of water to a large glass of water.
It usually mixes very easily so just give it a stir and drink it straight away. If you use a small amount of water, you might want to chase it with a glass of plain water to help digest it.
You can also add it to any juice that you like or smoothie, just remember to stick to one teaspoon (or whatever the recommended dosage is on your packaging) regardless of how much liquid you mix with it. Some people like to take it with their favorite milk and you just do the same as you would for water, plus you could add a sweetener like honey or stevia if you like.
I hope you really enjoy your wheatgrass drink every day and all of the benefits it brings. Some people notice a positive difference right away, usually, a burst of energy, while others note it takes a couple of weeks. Either way, you can be sure that it’s silently working away and providing you with an abundance of nutrients that your body will lap up.
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wheatgrass is SO easy to grow and juice and you get all those nice enzymes if you drink them within 15 minutes of juicing. Somrting we all lack these days
I make a green juice every morning. It’s green tea, baby kale, baby spinach and lemon. I grow my own kale and spinach. If I grow my own wheatgrass, can I just harvest it and blend it in my green juice?
I used to put it in the blender every day. Then I would strain it..give the grass to my cat and I would drink the juice. Yum!
I have tried many times to grow my own but for some reason mine keeps molding. Do you have any tips to keep it from molding?
the mould is mycelium growth. Mix bi-carb soda with some water and water your grass. This changes the pH and removes the “mould”
Yes, add one teaspoon of baking soda to the water you spray your wheat grass with.
What is the recommended amount if I use fresh wheatgrass and after how many days are they best for harvesting?
2 oz is the normal amount for fresh juice. The low speed masticating juicers work best for me and allows me to juice an amazing amount of other veg as well, but I prefer not to mix my wheatgrass. I will never tell anyone that it tastes good. Best to just down it and chase it with a nice veg and fruit juice. LOL
I blend any amount (say 2 cups – I have never actually measured it) with a cup of water in an ordinary blender. You will be left with pulp and juice after you strain it. Put the pulp back into your compost. Freeze the juice in small containers or ice cube trays so you can easily pop out a cube or defrost a container to drink. The freezing takes all the bitterness away and actually makes it drinkable without that foul taste. I discovered this by accident. Vicki b
What if you take it in pill or tablet form?
Hi He ry, any tips for growing it in a arid dry/very (our seasons variety) tropical conditions?
where can i find seeds to grow wheatgrass?
Usually health food store sell wheat grain. That is all wheat grass comes from. If you know a farmer who grows wheat you can get some grain from him.
Hello there, I really enjoy reading your emails and doing some of your recipes and tinctures. I was looking at your rose dog where do I get it I looked on Amazon but it’s not on there.
Some sources say our bodies are not designed to digest grass, hence the upset stomach, etc. Cows need to chew it, rechew it many times to break it down for their use.
I grow wheatgrass and don’t bother juicing it. I just clip some off (it grows back) and chew on it till I have a little wad like a chaw of tobacco that I tuck in my lip and let it soak and release the goodness.
Hi Henry Trott, may I ask for your guide on how to grow the wheatgrass? I appreciate your kindness with me… excited!
(Currently, a Brightcore product, I take 3 capsules sweet wheat with 2 capsules Black Seed Oil with 1 capsule oregano oil capsule)…. Thank you
Where does one purchase wheatgrass?
I have read that humans cannot digest grass and so wheat grass is not good for the body. If you think about it, you will understand. We aren’t cows, or any other animal that eats grass. They have to eat it all day to get enough nourishment to sustain themselves. I have agreed with almost everything on this site and I think it’s wonderful. But I had to speak out on this subject. Before blowing your top, do some research. Thank you.
By chewing it down to a wad and then letting the wad soak in the saliva inside your lip and then spitting the wad out, you get the goodness without the fiber.
I totally agree with you Ma’am, I grew up doing long walks and when I got hungry I would pick up a bit of grass and chew it for a while. my hunger would go away and I just had to finish off with water.
My cattle eat grass, not me. You’re not telling people the entire contents of grass. It tastes like crap and you can’t digest it unless you have the constitution of a ruminant. No thanks.
I’m not a scientist so I can’t comment on the actual goodness of wheat grass but I do know that if you blend it up with water, strain out the fiber, and freeze the rest into small ice cube trays, or small plastic containers, it will actually taste palatable the next day. The freezing seems to remove all the bitterness. This is what I discovered in my wheat grass drinking days. Don’t have time to do it anymore. I am sure there is some scientific evidence out there somewhere of the benefits of wheatgrass. Victoria Boutenko would know something about this. She is the queen of green, and I believe has done many tests on eating and consuming green weeds and things we would normally consider inedible.
Humans did eat grass. That is why you have a appendix. I eat different grasses in the wild all my life. I mostly just chew it up and swallow the juice. Some or the sour grasses I blend up and add to other greens such as sour dock and Polk salad. If we ever have a bad depression there is two things you better know. How to eat in the wild like when I was a child. We learned from our grand parents and on down. It was just what we were suppose to know. The second thing is to be able to protect what you have from those who only take and have no need to learn. It is the difference between starving and surviving. It is coming folks. The past always repeats itself. Politicians never learn or at least most. Survival should be taught in school. When your children are crying with hunger, you as parents would and will do anything to save them. So learn now before you are forced to. It will be to late then. I have my survival foods and other survival books in my bug out bags. Those who laugh it off end up regretting it
I’ve tried to do wheatgrass several times and each time as soon as it hits my stomach (?) I get saliva in my mouth like I’m about to upchoke. Those times I made myself do it but it is definitely not a pleasant experience. Any notions why my tummy hates it?
Then try freezing it. I am sure the freezing process takes out some horrid ingredient. It is really easy to drink after you freeze it. Completely different flavour. When it is fresh it is completely unpalatable (in my opinion) and would make most people gag. That is why they call them shots. So you technically don’t have time to get the horrid taste in your mouth. But freezing removes that horrid taste. Though, like I said, I am not a scientist so whether freezing it or not is better I can’t say. I just know it tastes better.
Thanks, I’ll try that