Wheatgrass health benefits, uses and side effects

What is wheatgrass?

Before we talk about the wealth of ways that wheatgrass benefits your wellbeing, let’s go over what it actually is. As the name implies, wheatgrass refers to the young leaves of the common wheat plant, or Triticum aestivum. Producers normally harvest the shoots just 7-10 days after sprouting, when they’re bursting with nutrients.

Similar to the grass in your garden, wheatgrass is long and narrow in shape and bright green in colour. While you can get it fresh, most people find it more convenient to obtain their wheatgrass benefits in powder form. Wheatgrass powder is also a vibrant shade of jade, with a mildly earthy, vegetal taste. As such, it’s easy to add this functional food to a range of different drinks and dishes. We’ll explore some of the best ways to include it in your diet towards the end of this post.

Thanks to its impressive nutritional profile, wheatgrass has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years. Juice bars often offer wheatgrass shots as a quick pick-me-up, and you can also buy it as a supplement. So, does this ingredient live up to the hype? Evidence indicates that the answer is yes. Time to take a closer look at the potential ways that wheatgrass benefits your health.

The health benefits of wheatgrass

One thing we love about wheatgrass is just how many nutrients are packed into its leaves. So perhaps the most obvious way that wheatgrass benefits us is by topping up our levels of several key vitamins and minerals.

Starting with the vitamins, the plant is a fabulous source of vitamins A, C, and E.(1) All three are vital for our overall wellbeing. Vitamin A is crucial for healthy vision, cell growth, and the production of white blood cells. Meanwhile, vitamins C and E support the functioning of the immune system and skin health.

Turning to minerals, wheatgrass benefits from high levels of iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, and calcium.(1) To give a couple of examples of how these enhance your wellbeing, calcium helps to build strong teeth and bones. Meanwhile we need iron to make haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen around the body.

And it’s not only vitamins and minerals that you’ll find in this potent plant. Another way that wheatgrass benefits us is through its amino acid content. The leaves contain 17 amino acids, eight of which are essential (meaning that the body cannot make them by itself). These are molecules that combine to form protein, and we need them for everything from tissue repair to hormone production.

In addition, wheatgrass is rich in chlorophyll. This is the pigment that gives the leaves their vivid green colour and helps them photosynthesise. Chlorophyll also has potential therapeutic benefits for people, such as improving the quality of our red blood cells. Just one more incentive to eat your greens!

More wheatgrass benefits: fighting free radicals and inflammation

Another reason that wheatgrass benefits our wellbeing is because it’s bursting with antioxidants.(2) These include vitamins C and E, as well as compounds such as glutathione. Antioxidants work to protect our cells against the damage caused by free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. This is important because oxidative stress contributes to several chronic and degenerative health conditions, in addition to accelerating signs of ageing.

An additional form of damage that wheatgrass benefits us by fighting is inflammation. Although inflammation is a normal immune response to things like injury and infection, it can cause problems if it becomes chronic. Indeed, experts have linked chronic inflammation to a number of diseases, including obesity, asthma, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. Evidence shows that wheatgrass has anti-inflammatory properties, which is partly thanks to its high level of chlorophyll.(3) As such, taking it could assist in reducing the likelihood of us developing such chronic conditions.

Looking specifically at cancer, test tube studies indicate that wheatgrass may help to slow the spread of the disease and kill cancer cells. Moreover, one study found that wheatgrass juice benefits cancer patients by minimising the adverse effects of chemotherapy.(4) That being said, further exploration is required to confirm these findings.

Interestingly, research also suggests that wheatgrass benefits our brain. One animal study found that the plant has neuroprotective effects, and might even ward off neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.(5) However, once again, further investigation is necessary to clarify this.

The benefits of wheatgrass for metabolic health

Several of the ways that wheatgrass benefits us relate to our metabolic health. For instance, there’s evidence to suggest the plant could support weight management. This is thanks to tiny sacs it contains called thylakoids. Studies have revealed that thylakoids can increase feelings of satiety and boost the release of hormones that decrease hunger.(6) As such, adding wheatgrass to your diet could assist with weight loss.

What’s more, research suggests that wheatgrass benefits blood sugar regulation too. Animal studies have found that the plant can improve insulin production and significantly lower blood glucose levels.(7) While more investigation is necessary, this could be particularly useful for those with diabetes.

As well as lowering levels of sugar in the blood, wheatgrass may also reduce the amount of cholesterol. Evidence indicates that the plant could decrease levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while simultaneously increasing ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.(8) This is advantageous because LDL cholesterol can build up on the walls of your arteries. That narrows the blood vessels and restricts blood flow, raising the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.

Finally, wheatgrass is naturally high in fibre, which has a positive effect on the digestive system. It helps to nourish the good bacteria in your gut, plus increases the diversity of the gut microbiome. In turn, this supports everything from your immune system to the functions of your brain.

Wheatgrass powder vs wheatgrass juice powder

You might have noticed that there are two ways to obtain your wheatgrass benefits: wheatgrass powder and wheatgrass juice powder. These both come from the same plant, but their production methods differ.

In both cases, farmers harvest the grass while it’s still young. That’s because the leaves are at their nutritional peak at this stage, allowing you to get the maximum wheatgrass benefits. After picking the shoots, producers meticulously clean and dry the leaves as soon as possible to keep them fresh.

Here’s where things diverge. For wheatgrass powder, you simply mill the dried leaves. However, to create wheatgrass juice powder, you first make wheatgrass juice, then dry that and grind it into powder.

While both are effective ways to enjoy wheatgrass benefits, they do have unique nutritional profiles. For example, wheatgrass juice powder is richer in vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll, whereas whole wheatgrass powder is higher in fibre. As such, it’s not necessarily the case that one is better than the other. Rather, the right choice for you will depend on the specific wheatgrass benefits you’re hoping to get by taking it.