Wheatgrass????

[catmogg]

So whats the crack with wheatgrass... they were selling the juice at a juice bar in york....is it fabulously nutritious?? Do tell.

[nmvegan]

It's amazingly nutritious...I think something like the equivalent of eating 2.5 lbs of veggies. I think it's an aquired taste though...a lot of people I know don't like it, but I love it. It kind of tastes like freshly mowed grass smells if that makes sense.
Here's info from a kevajuice.com:


As more people are focusing on juicing as a way to optimize health, more attention is being given to this little known super food. The vital components of Wheat grass are highly concentrated that it is estimated that one ounce of Wheat grass has the same nutritional value as 2.5 pounds of garden vegetables.

There are other benefits to be found in wheat grass besides vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. these include:

Chlorophyll, which is know for its ability to nourish the blood and detoxify poisons
Enzymes, which help in the digestion and metabolization of nutrients
Abscisic acid, which is known for its anti-tumor activity


One ounce of Wheatgrass juice contains the following:[/b][/b][/color][/font]


protein

6480 mg

crude fiber

4860 mg

calories

81

chlorophyll

153.9 mg

carbohydrates

10.53 mg


lysine

234.9 mg

histidine

129.6 mg

arginine

315.9 mg

aspartic acid

631.8 mg

threonine

299.7 mg

lutamic acid

688.5 mg

proline

267.3 mg

glycine

332.1 mg

alanine

388.8 mg

valine

356.4 mg

isoleucin

251.1 mg

leucine

461.7 mg

tyrosine

145.8 mg

phenylalinine

307.8 mg

methionnine

121.5 mg

cystine

64.8 mg

tryptophan

32.4 mg

amide

81 mg

purines

16.2 mg

seene

688.5 mg

VITAMINS

14175 IU

K

2268 mcg

C

89.1 mg

E

8.91 mg

thiamine

81 mcg

choline

8.1 mg

riboflavin

575.1 mcg

pyroxidine

364.5 mcg

vitamin b12

8.1 mcg

niacin

2130.3 mcg

pantothenic

680.4 mcg

biotin

32.4 mcg

folic acid

307.8 mcg


MINERALS

calcium

145.8 mg

phosphorus

145.8 mg

potassium

907.2 mg

magnesium

29.16 mg

iron

16.2 mg

mangnesium

2.835 mg

selenium

28.35 mcg

sodium

8.1 mg

zinc

141.75 mcg

iodine

56.7 mcg

copper

0.162 mg

cobalt

14.175 mcg

sulfer

56.7 mg

[maya]

I have my wheat grass every morning in power form. Strawberry/Kiwi flavor. Yum! Just add water.

It also has...
barley grass (950 mg), alfalfa sprouts (810 mg), broccoli sprouts (810 mg), radish sprouts (786 mg), oat grass (250 mg), wheat grass (100 mg), alfalfa juice (25 mg) 3.73g Vegetable Blend: broccoli flower (66 mg), cabbage leaf (66 mg), carrot root (66 mg), collard greens (66 mg), tomato fruit (66 mg), mustard greens (50 mg), kale leaf (33 mg), spinach leaf (33 mg)

[nmvegan]

ooh, I've never seen the powdered stuff...that sounds good! The grocery store by our house has the wheat grass frozen in little 1 oz containers but it's expensive...I just usually get it when we go to a smoothie place...

[gertvegan]

Big Banana sell wheatgrass. Theres more info about it on there.

[speedylemons]

I have my wheat grass every morning in power form. Strawberry/Kiwi flavor. Yum! Just add water.

It also has...
barley grass (950 mg), alfalfa sprouts (810 mg), broccoli sprouts (810 mg), radish sprouts (786 mg), oat grass (250 mg), wheat grass (100 mg), alfalfa juice (25 mg) 3.73g Vegetable Blend: broccoli flower (66 mg), cabbage leaf (66 mg), carrot root (66 mg), collard greens (66 mg), tomato fruit (66 mg), mustard greens (50 mg), kale leaf (33 mg), spinach leaf (33 mg)

What's the name of that product? All of those things are in the powder? You just drink some each morning? Sounds very interesting. I need to buy some wheatgrass something but don't know what.

[gertvegan]

And more info about Wheatgrass on the Tonic Attack website, who were at the Bristol Vegan Fayre 2005.

[Roxy]

I used to drink it once a week, but now only occaisionally.

Some people think it tastes disgusting, but I think it tastes a bit like raw green peas.

[puffin]

After reading all the above information i was thinking of trying it but after you have just told me it tastes like peas there is no way i am touching the stuff

[Kumem]

That's put me off then lol I hate peas. Still I have powdered spirulina and that has a weird taste, kind of earthy and metallic, but I quite like it.

[speedylemons]

I just purchased like 2500 wheatgrass seeds on ebay. [must.overcome.addiction...] I'm going to start taking a shot of wheatgrass every morning. I've read quite a bit about it today, and it sounds like a very good idea. Can't wait to start.

[eve]

I refuse to eat or drink anything that I don't like the taste of. Went through that as a child, now I eat/drink what I like, and there's plenty to choose from. I did have a wheat grass drink once, but it did nothing for me. Hope you like it theashleybeyer, because your purchase of 2500 wheatgrass seeds on ebay sounds like you're set up for life!

[eve]

Just remembered, I once had a wonderful foot treatment, placing my feet in a bowl of c-c-c-cold water, with plenty of ice cubes in it, and heaps of wheat grass on the bottom of the bowl. I hesitated at first, but then agreed to it, and frankly I didn't want to take my feet out of the bowl, the sensation was great.

[cedarblue]

I refuse to eat or drink anything that I don't like the taste of.

too right eve, why do that? no point...enjoy the stuff you consume

[speedylemons]

Yeah, that's a lot of seeds. I also read up on cats liking it though, so if i decide i don't like it i'll just give it to my kitty when i get him. The foot soak sounds neat.. i bet i could find other uses for wheatgrass too. anyone know of some other ones?

[Vegit-8]

Few people 'like' wheatgrass when they initially drink it. It is most definitely an aquired taste, and it can actually make a person feel quite unsettled when they first start using it (see the linked articles from the earlier posts for why this is).
However, most people really like what it does for them over the long term, and the taste grows on you, and some of us begin to really enjoy it after awhile.
As I type this I am swirling my morning shot of wheatgrass around in my mouth and I can assure you, it packs more get-up-and-go than coffee ever did.

May peace and joy be with you.
Vegit-8

[maya]

Earths promise.

www.earthspromise.com

What's the name of that product? All of those things are in the powder? You just drink some each morning? Sounds very interesting. I need to buy some wheatgrass something but don't know what.

[speedylemons]

That stuff would be soooo cool maya if it didn't have silicon dioxide!!! I'm afraid of that stuff.

Fiber Blend: inulin from chicory root (3 g), guar gum seed extract (1 g) 4 g
Greens Blend: barley grass (950 mg), alfalfa sprouts (810 mg), broccoli sprouts (810 mg), radish sprouts (786 mg), oat grass (250 mg), wheat grass (100 mg), alfalfa juice conc. (25 mg) 3.73 g
Fruit Blend: mango fruit (1.2 g), kiwi fruit (625 mg), strawberry fruit (525 mg) 2.4 g
Vegetable Blend: broccoli flower (66 mg), cabbage leaf (66 mg), carrot root (66 mg), collard greens (66 mg), tomato fruit (66 mg), mustard greens (50 mg), kale leaf (33 mg), spinach leaf (33 mg) 446 mg
Green Tea Leaf Extract 200 mg
Seaweed Blend: dulse (60 mg), blue-green algae (60 mg), kelp leaf and stem (5 mg) 125 mg
Stevia Leaf Extract 110 mg

Other Ingredients: natural flavors, malic acid, citric acid, and silicon dioxide.

[maya]

Please tell me what that is. I thought I was doing something healthy here.

[speedylemons]

I read somewhere about it.. it's used a lot to preserve color on dried fruits, especially banana chips, mango, etc etc.. there were some weird side effects but i can't remember them.. lol. i cant find the site though! I'll keep looking. i thought i had the site saved or something. When i find it i'll post it asap.

[Geoff]

The definitive book on wheatgrass is 'The Wheatgass Book' by Dr Ann Wigmore. It tells you how to grow and juice wheatgrass. It's dead easy.

[Troub]

a shot of wheatgrass a day, keeps the doctor away.

[cafejane]

what happens if you dont juice it & you just cut some little stalks & eat it raw???

[Tigerlily]

I don't think that's possible. I think you have to juice it in order to properly digest it.

[Vegit-8]

I love to chew wheatgrass.
Providing a person has good teeth, and providing they do not mind having to floss a bit as the grass can get stuck between their teeth, wheatgrass is wonderful for chewing.
I even carry a tray in my car when I am traveling and just cut off a handful and enjoy it. I do not swollow the 'gum' but rather just chew it until all the juice is out and then throw the fibre away.
It is wonderful for the teeth and is a wonderful way to get a shot of green power on the fly. No special equipment needed.
I would advise against swollowing the fibre.

May peace and joy be with you.
Vegit-8

[Tigerlily]

Good information, that's great. I don't have a juicer.

[VeganJohn]

I recently had an organic salad with a wheatgrass dressing at a restaurant. The dressing tasted very nice, a bit like balsamic vinegar in a way to my tastebuds!

[mowtown]

Hi, new here. I am really getting into wheatrass too. Amazed with the health benifits i have experienced. I have been getting my supply from a really cool health orientated juice bar in Bristol called the big banana juice bar. Amazingly, they manage to produce it all organicaly and themselves. I have had trouble getting hold of organic wheatgrass here in bristol. They do great juices too. They have a nice website, here. Check out their recepie for "green Bang" lime, wheatgrass and something else, really nice. I have had some poor attempts at sweetening up a shot of wheatgrass.
Question: has anybody had bad experiences with wheatgrass? have heard some pretty sceptical reviews on the web.

[insubordination]

I refuse to eat or drink anything that I don't like the taste of.

You know, it's weird but I don't mind the taste of anything. Anyone else like that? I find wheat grass quite delicious. I used to grow my own (right in the garden- not in trays). It's very easy but now I find it too annoying because I live in a flat.

Sometimes I just sprout the wheat in water and eat it when the green shoots start to grow I put it in the sun for a few hours just prior to eating. If you get it at just the right time, it's very sweet and far easier to eat and more delicious than the grass grown in soil. Is the powdered stuff nutritious?

[Wildflower]

Hi, new here. I am really getting into wheatrass too. Amazed with the health benifits i have experienced.

Can you share what your health benefits are please? I would love to hear what it can do...

Thanks!

[Wildflower]

I read somewhere about it.. it's used a lot to preserve color on dried fruits, especially banana chips, mango, etc etc.. there were some weird side effects but i can't remember them.. lol. i cant find the site though! I'll keep looking. i thought i had the site saved or something. When i find it i'll post it asap.

I know this is a really old post, but isn't this sulfar dioxide you are thinking of? I thought that was what was used to preserve dried fruits, and it sometimes gives people bloatin, cramping, diarreah, all that stuff.

I think silicon dioxide is used to prevent caking due to humidity - it absorbs up moisture.

I could be wrong, this is like off my memory, I should probably google. Sometimes I get all my dioxide/sulfur things mixed up and I may be using the name for mustard gas or something. LOL.

Hee Hee - OK, I wikipedia'ed it, and that is what it is. Sulfar dioxide does look nasty, and silicon dioxide looks quite harmless (unless inhaled) and occurs naturally in plants to help maintain cell wall structure.

[Stu]

Question: has anybody had bad experiences with wheatgrass? have heard some pretty sceptical reviews on the web.

Me and my friend both tried a shot of wheatgrass, and we both had a negative reaction. When I think about the stuff now, it makes me feel nauseous. I won't be having it again.

[catalina]

Stu, do you mind being a bit more specific? (Especially if it's really gross) What type of negative effects did you & your friend experience?

[Stu]

Just kind of nausea... Feeling ill, dizzy... Wanting to spew.

[insubordination]

Maybe it had gone mouldy?

[Geoff]

I just purchased like 2500 wheatgrass seeds on ebay. [must.overcome.addiction...] I'm going to start taking a shot of wheatgrass every morning. I've read quite a bit about it today, and it sounds like a very good idea. Can't wait to start.

When you say 'seeds' do you mean wheat grains / berries? If you do, 2500 won't go far in terms of growing wheat grass. I just checked and found that 50 weigh about a gram so you've only bought 50 gms or so and you'll need kilos of the stuff to plant up a few trays.

[catmogg]

Me and my friend both tried a shot of wheatgrass, and we both had a negative reaction. When I think about the stuff now, it makes me feel nauseous. I won't be having it again.

The friend was me and i confirm!! Herein ends my interest in wheatgrass, nutritious or not. It was so rancid tasting i could have thrown up.

[rantipole]

Just kind of nausea... Feeling ill, dizzy... Wanting to spew.

That can happen to me if I have wheatgrass juice on an empty stomach. If I eat something beforehand, I'm fine.

Cheers,
rant

[tabitha]

I had wheatgrass a couple of months ago and I had a stomach ache for quite a while. Someone told me I didnt give it a chance, but I was a bit put off after that. Shame, because Ive heard such wonderful things about it.

[DianeVegan]

I drink wheatgrass on a fairly regular basis and will say that it is an acquired taste. If it didn't make me feel energetic I probably would never drink it. You should only have one ounce (30 ml) per day to start and either drink it VERY slowly by itself or in a juice drink. It's also important to swirl it in your mouth for a bit to get the enzymes in your saliva started on digesting it. It upsets my stomach if I drink it alone so I add it to other veggies when I juice.

[tipsy]

you guys are all whimps!!!

i love wheatgrass! and i have it a few (or more) times a week.

its better than drinking a shot of espresso in the morning!!

[Seaside]

I have to protect my wheatgrass from the cats. They will chew it all up before I get the chance to juice it. They have their own pot of it, of course, but they want it all!
I think the people who get the most sick from it are probably the ones who need it the most, unfortunately.

[Tigerlily]

Why do you say that, Seaside?

[Seaside]

Why do you say that, Seaside?

Because when people get nauseous from drinking wheatgrass juice, it means the wheatgrass juice has helped to release stored toxic material, and its the toxins that make people nauseous. People who get "sick" when they eat lots of fruit are having the same reaction, since fruit is also cleansing. Its impossible in our presently polluted world to be completely free of all artificial substances, but we can reduce the number of stored toxins in our livers by being as careful as we can of what we eat and drink. But its a sure sign that a person can benefit from wheatgrass juice if it is making them feel unwell, if they can get past the initial bad feelings it causes. The way DianeVegan takes hers is a good way to start.

[Tigerlily]

Ahh, that makes sense now.

[twinkle]

I've only tried wheatgrass once, when I was at Womad (music festival) - it didn't make me feel particularly bad but it didn't really pep me up noticeably either. I guess you have to take it regularly but there's nowhere around Leicester that seems to sell shots.

[DianeVegan]

While it is a compelling idea to blame an upset stomach on the release of toxins, I would caution that there is no physiological basis for an upset stomach being caused by the release of toxins from the liver. Especially since the reaction in the stomach happens rather quickly and the liver filters substances that have entered the bloodstream. I would suspect that the stomach upset people experience may by related to enzymatic reactions or acid-base balance.

If I can locate a sound explanation for the reason wheatgrass may cause stomach upset then I will post it.

For all you skeptics out there, here is an interesting link . Also keep in mind that Andrew Weil, MD thinks there is no benefit gained by drinking wheatgrass (if you really care about what he says).

Here is a book that looks to answer lots of questions.

[Seaside]

If I can locate a sound explanation for the reason wheatgrass may cause stomach upset then I will post it.

Good luck.

For all you skeptics out there, here is a great link.

Nice unbiased by the medical establishment opinions there.

Gabriel Cousins is a good source for learning of the value of natural foods including wheatgrass juice (not "liquified wheatgrass") in maintaining health and preventing illness. However, his opinions, and the opinions of other people in the natural health professions, are not backed by pharmaceutical companies and standard medical practitioners because there is no billion dollar profit to be made from keeping people healthy, and his reported success in healing people who visit his retreats is based on testimonials from healed patients rather than experimentation upon animals, so he may be considered "unsound" and ineligible for the certified registered nurse anesthetists' stamp of approval. It is always best to examine the motivations behind any recommendation, rather than allowing ourselves to be intimidated by the false authority of the modern medical establishment.

[DianeVegan]

While you have certainly stated your disdain for any opinion other than the "natural health professions," I fail to see where this explains nausea caused by wheatgrass ingestion. I did locate the wheatgrass book which I linked to and the author states that it is enzymatic reactions that cause the nausea. I believe that is a sound, physiological explanation. The same author also goes into the research that has been done with wheatgrass - interestingly, the first study used animals. There have not been many studies done on wheatgrass and none that specifically mentions nausea related to it's ingestion. He also mentions the reason that so little research has been done - mostly because pharmacuetical companies haven't figured out a way to make money off of it. (Although the supplement industry has with all the wheatgrass and barley grass extracts and powders out there. Actually, he does mention that all the research was done with powdered wheatgrass, not fresh juice.)

Here is a link to the American Cancer Society and their page on wheatgrass.

[Seaside]

I have read the information on wheatgrass and associated nausea in the books of Cousins, which is why I suggested his name to people interested in finding out. I cannot quote them directly as most of my books are in storage, and I do not wish to go by memory, nor do I wish to recommend online sources for this kind of info.