Superfoods made from wheat, barley, and blue-green algea are available in every healthfood store, supplement website and many multi-level marketing schemes. Each claims that the chlorophyll in the product has a beneficial effect on cholesterol, blood pressure, immune response and cancer prevention. Reputable research has found that each has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant components as well as proteins and essential fatty acids. Any of the green superfoods can be considered as a general tonic for the body and will be helpful to some extent when recovering from an illness.
The History of Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass was the first superfood introduced to the American market. Since 1940 the grass has been sold commercially for human and animal consumption throughout the country. It began when an agricultural chemist named Charles Schnabel fed the grass of the ordinary wheat plant, Triticum aestivum, to some sick chickens and found that not only did the chickens get well but their egg production was double what he would have expected from healthy chickens. He then dried and powdered the grass for his own family who seemed to thrive on it, so he made some for his friends.
Wheat grass is certainly an excellent food; it contains amino acids, minerals, vitamins and enzymes. People soon wondered if it could cure human diseases as well as those of chickens. They began using it as a tonic and anecdotal reports of various cures began to be attributed to wheat grass. These reports included cures of digestive problems, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease; of detoxifying the body from heavy metals, providing liver cleansing and regrowing lost hair. From the 1940s to the present, alternative health proponents like Ann Wigmore have popularized wheat grass as a general tonic. Wigmore ran afoul of the law on several occasions when her claims aroused the concern of the medical profession.
Health Claims
A common nutritional claim is that the green superfoods contain 20 to 35 times more nutrients per weight than fresh vegetables. This is disputed but it has been found that each of the green superfoods is nutrient-dense, containing at least several times the vitamins and minerals of fresh vegetables. The actual nutrient content of the foods can vary widely depending on the timing of the harvest and the quality of the processing.
Behind the Science
As with almost all non-pharmaceutical treatments, science has had its usual problems confirming the benefits of green foods, but there have been some studies that show a definite effect in some areas. A 2007 study performed at the Department of Oncology at the Technion-Israel Institute in Haifa found that wheat grass juice definitely reduced the toxicity of the blood in cancer patients who were receiving chemotherapy. A 2002 study by the same organization found that wheat grass juice is an effective cure for ulcerative colitis.
Availability
All green superfoods are available in tablets and loose powders. These are the safest and most convenient forms but they lack some beneficial enzymes. Live wheatgrass has the enzymes but may have mold and may not have the highest nutrient levels if the grass has passed its optimal date for harvesting. Kits are available for people who want to grow wheat grass at home.
