Wheatgrass
Benefits, Nutritional Profile and How to!
Wheat grass is the young grass of the common wheat plant – Triticum aestivum, a sub-species of the Proaceae family. As such, it is treated as a food. The plant is usually harvested before it reaches full size, then freshly juiced or dried into powder for both animals and human’s consumption.
Wheat grass is prized for its many nutrients, particularly chlorophyll, which it has in abundance. In fact, chlorophyll makes up about Seventy (70%) percent of its chemical constituents, hence its infamous name – ‘Green blood’ (Chauhan and Chauhan, 2014). Simply put, chlorophyll is that green substance that gives plants their green colour and is considered the basis of all plant life .
According to research, chlorophyll provides a range of benefits to the body, the major one being, neutralizing infections. Other denoted benefits of chlorophyll include healing of wounds, reducing inflammation as well as helping the body to get rid of parasites.
You can read more on Wheatgrass in this detailed article here.
Wheatgrass Nutritional Profile
1 Tbsp – (8 grams) of wheatgrass powder:
- Calories: 25 Kcal
- Protein: 1
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 4g
- Fat: 0
- Calcium: 24 mg
- Iron: 1 mg
- Vitamin K: 86 µg
Ref: (Fdc.nal.usda.gov, 2019).
Here are some Health Benefits of Consuming Wheatgrass
- Purportedly high in Chlorophyll, and as such, able to alkalize the body.
- May help to heal wounds.
- May help to reduce inflammation in the body.
- May help to purify the blood.
- May help the body get rid of parasites.
Remember, You can read the detailed article on Wheatgrass here
Here are some ways You can include Wheatgrass in your diet
- Add to water and drink (A Shot).
- Add to smoothies, yogurts, oatmeal, and cereal.
- Sprinkle on Salads.
- Baked goods.
Note: Wheatgrass is also said to have Seventeen (17) amino acids, Vitamin C, A, E, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, zinc and copper among other nutrients. However, I was not able to find the full details of its nutrients as per daily consumption in preferred, trustworthy databases. As such, the nutritional profile listed above will be updated periodically.
How will you add this nutrient-dense Food to your diet?
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