Ann Wigmore wrote in her book The Hippocrates Diet and Health Program that a virtual epidemic of chronic degenerative disease is afflicting our nation: from cancer to heart disease; from arthritis to schizophrenia; from diabetes to the common cold. These diseases and so many more, increasingly subjugate a people attuned more to affording sickness than enjoying the natural state of health which is our birthright.
Astounding success in the reversal of chronic degenerative diseases has been experienced through the application of a mainly vegetarian diet of living foods consisting of wheatgrass juice, immature greens, sprouts, fruit, vegetables, and sprouted and/or fermented seeds, nuts and grains.
The use of 70% chlorophyll extract of seven day old wheatgrass is central to the rejuvenation process and the reversal of disease.
The effects of this wheatgrass juice on the diseased organism are twofold, first it provides an optimal nutritional environment for the healing process and second, it catalyses a detoxification process which increases the elimination of accumulated internal waste which causes disease by autointoxication. Let us examine more closely each of these two processes.
Scientific analysis has demonstrated that grass grown from wheat is a perfectly complete food in itself, capable of sustaining life in a healthy way.
Dr. G.H Earp Thomas, a soil expert at the Bloomfield Laboratories in Massachusetts, isolated over 100 elements, including all the known minerals, from wheatgrass. His calculations indicate that 15lbs of fresh wheatgrass is equivalent in nutritional value to 350lbs of choicest vegetables.
Studies have shown that wheatgrass is an excellent source of vitamins A, B, C, E and K, as well as calcium, chlorine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulphur, cobalt and zinc. Further, the chemical structure of the chlorophyll molecule in wheatgrass reveals that it is remarkably adapted to utilization of the human blood stream, by virtue of its similarity to the hemin molecule of hemoglobin. (Hemoglobin is one of the major components of our blood).
These two molecules are essentially identical with the exception of the central atom which is magnesium in the case of chlorophyll and iron in the case of hemin. Thus we can see that within the context of this optimal and easily assimilated and utilize nourishment, the human body has the fundamental components with which to eliminate disease and regenerate itself.
This healing process occurs as the therapeutic chlorophyll in wheat grass juice catalyses the elimination of the stored toxins which cause disease. These toxins are present in the ailing organism in the form of hardened mucous, crystallized acids, fatty deposits, calcifications and solidified, decaying fecal matter.
As these toxins are eliminated, the body is cleansed and brought back to its natural state of health. Wheat grass juice has a very high enzyme content which helps to dissolve tumors. Imagine the astonished rejoicings of persons labeled terminal who watch visible tumors disintegrate and disappear before their very eyes.
The following data on the nutrients contained by the first joint wheatgrass (7-10" tall) is taken from a report Dr. C.F. Schnabel made to the American Chemical Society. NUTRIENT MILLIGRAMS PER POUND (453.59G) Chlorophyll 5,000 mg, Choline 4,000 mg, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 2,000 mg, Vitamin A (carotene) 360 mg, Vitamin E 120 mg, Vitamin F 120 mg, Vitamin K 120 mg, Niacin (B group vit) 120 mg, Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 24 mg, Vitamin B1 (thiamine 12 mg, Pantothenic acid (B group vit) Vitamin B6 4 mg, It may seem that wheat grass contains relatively small amounts of the B vitamins, but in actuality the amounts compare favorably with latest research on vitamin B needs as compared to C and A. All in all, wheatgrass juice is a potent food/medicine that has many uses.
Dr. Norman Walker, a centenarian health researcher, had been living primarily on fruit and vegetables for over 60 years. He felt his longevity was due in large part of the liquid oxygen, enzymes and chlorophyll contained in fresh juices.
Chlorophyll is the "blood" of the plant. It is the protein in plant life that gives it its distinctive green or purple color. When compared to a molecule of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrier in human blood, chlorophyll is almost identical.
One of chlorophylls more important functions is to oxygenate the blood stream, tests have shown that a high fat, high protein diet will reduce the oxygen supply in our blood. We than develop symptoms of low energy, sluggish digestion, and metabolism.
Unable to digest, assimilate and eliminate thoroughly its old fuel, with a weakened immune system and reduced blood oxygen level, the body becomes ripe for cancer.
In his book, The Cause And Prevention Of Cancer, Dr. Otto Warburg, winner of a Nobel prize for physiology and medicine (1931) concluded that oxygen deprivation was a major cause of cancer and and that with a steady blood supply of oxygen to all the cells, cancer could be prevented indefinitely.
But without first eliminating causes of oxygen deprivation (such as smoking, high fat and high protein cooked foods, alcohol, drugs, poor breathing, and sedentary habits) any attempt to oxygenate the blood will fail, so we must put renewed oxygen into the blood stream to effect regeneration.
Breathing exercises, walking and diet are the safest ways to do this.
As for diet, all fresh raw vegetables, fruits, sprouts and greens, especially wheatgrass, have oxygen contained in the liquid.
When we eat, or drink or juice and drink these foods, our blood supply of oxygen increases.
By taking a percentage of green foods and juices every day, especially wheatgrass, you can add vital nutrients such as minerals, enzymes, vitamins, oxygen, and protein to your blood. Wheatgrass is baby wheat, it can be grown at home and is fast becoming a highly effective way of eliminating internal waste from the body. This cleansing allows the proper absorption of nutritious foods.
Pollution and processed and cooked foods have destroyed many of our digestive enzymes, which now can be supplemented by juicing, while at the same time providing concentrated selenium, which helps eliminate toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic.
Most wheat allergies are due to the gluten found in the wheatberry, but wheatgrass is cut before the plant forms a grain (berry) and therefore has no gluten.
It is an excellent addition to the diet of a person with allergies.
Healthier blood can lead only to a healthier, more vital body, better able to with stand stress without injury. It is most important to use a good quality juicer to extract these juices, as the normal high speed centrifugal types destroy much of the goodness in juices.
We recommend Low Speed Juicers (or hand juicers) that turn at the slowest speed to give the maximum of antioxidants.
According to most businesses that sell wheatgrass products, this green liquid extracted from sprouted grain is high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, as well as many amino acids, such as lysine, tryptophane, and phenylalanine. And wheatgrass is 70% chlorophyll (the stuff that makes plants green).
Wheatgrass distributors and health-food advocates claim that it is practically a fountain of youth and has numerous health benefits, such as:
neutralizing toxins and carcinogens in the body
improving blood sugar disorders
helping prevent tooth decay
increasing hemoglobin production
keeping hair from graying
improving digestion
reducing high blood pressure
aiding in the prevention and curing of cancer
These sources also propose that one ounce of wheatgrass juice is equivalent in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to two and a half pounds of green vegetables.
However, holistic health expert Dr. Andrew Weil points out that there's no evidence to support the claims. Says Dr. Weil:
I don't recommend its use other than as a source of minerals and vitamins. If you like wheatgrass and it appeals to you, fine. Drink it. But I don't think it's a substitute for 2.5 pounds of vegetables. Besides, I don't like the way it tastes.
In our experience, a straight shot of wheatgrass juice tastes like lawn clippings. For a tastier vitamin drink, try mixing it into a smoothie.
Wheatgrass juice. That little cup of dark green juice pressed from young wheat plants can be found at virtually any heath store and juice bar. In recent years, wheatgrass juice has become one of the more popular diet foods available.
However, many people cringe at the thought of consuming one ounce of this "miracle food" and will instead turn to their coffee and pastries. Whether it’s because of its pungent taste, or its seemingly undesirable color, chances are most of you have never consumed wheatgrass juice. I’m here to tell you that whether you’ve never thought of sampling it, you just flat out refuse to give it a try, wheatgrass juice is extremely beneficial not only as food, but as an overall tonic for various ailments.
Wheatgrass is grown through a process known as sprouting. Sprouts are "complete foods" because they contain all other essential dietary nutrients, along with the enzymes to help assimilate them. They are easily digested and enter the bloodstream quickly. The nutrients in wheatgrass juice are completely assimilated by the human body in 20 minutes. For this reason sprouts are "quick energy" foods. Wheat sprouts contain four times more folic acid, and six times more Vitamin C, than unsprouted wheat or ordinary grass.
Humans can’t eat straight wheatgrass because the strong cellulose makes it too woody and fibrous for the long and complex intestines in humans. Grass eating animals, however, ( cows, horses, goats, etc.) have short intestines.
Wheatgrass juice benefits the blood cells, bones, glands, hair, kidneys, liver, muscles, spleen, teeth, and other body parts. Wheatgrass juice protects the lungs and blood from air and water pollution, cigarette smoke, toxins, and heavy metals.
Wheatgrass juice is a safe, effective, and an extremely potent aid to weight loss. It works by suppressing appetite, and by stimulating metabolism and circulation.
Wheatgrass is an energizer. The vitality obtained from wheatgrass juice is remarkable. Two ounces of fresh juice equals 3 pounds of organic vegetables in vitamins and minerals, or the equivalent of two cups of coffee. You’ll feel refreshed and energized throughout the day.
Wheat grass has only about 10-15 calories per teaspoon. It has no fat or cholesterol. It has nearly a gram of protein per teaspoon, and includes all eight of the essential amino acids, as well as 13 of the remaining 16. The amino acids it doesn’t contain are easily made within the body.
It contains Vitamins A, B1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 12; C, E and K. A teaspoon of wheat grass contains around 15mg of Calcium, 8mcg Iodine, 3.5mcg Selenium, 870mcg Iron, 62mcg Zinc, and many other minerals. There are four other special components of wheat grass, which make it particularly valuable. These - not in any particular order - are:
• Superoxide Dismutase (SOD)
• P4D1
• Muco-polysaccharides
• Chlorophyll.
SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE (SOD), (an anti-cancer factor): There are three enzymes known to have significant anti-oxidant activity. One of these is Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), which is present in wheat grass.
It has been found that cancerous cells have a deficiency or a complete lack of SOD. So, if you supplement your diet with wheat grass you will almost certainly be helping your body to avoid, or deal with, cancerous conditions. Anti-oxidants have the ability to mop up free radicals and so reduce or avoid cell mutation. Mutation is part of the first stage of cancer formation. Part two continues next week Just what are these ‘anti-oxidants’ we hear so much about these days - such as Superoxide Dismutase? During normal metabolism (i.e. activity of the cells) our body produces waste products with active atoms attached - looking for something to combine with. These are ‘free radicals.’
Free radicals do not stay in existence for long - because they are so active. In other words, they want to combine with something - fast. In fact, unchecked, they can cause havoc - and they produce degenerative changes.
These degenerative changes include:
• Cell mutations - which can lead to cancer, and
• Aging processes - such as the dreaded wrinkles!
And can include illnesses such as:
• Parkinson’s disease.
The more anti-oxidants we have in our system, the faster the free radicals can be safely de-activated. So, anti-oxidants are an ‘anti-aging’ and health-promoting influence. They reduce cell mutations, artery damage, skin wrinkles, and other changes indicative of aging.
P4D1
This is a ‘gluco-protein’ present in wheat grass, which has three main properties:
Firstly, it appears to act in a way similar to anti-oxidants as far as cell mutations are concerned. It stimulates the renewal of RNA and DNA - the creative matter of the body. This means that cell deterioration and mutation will be slowed down or avoided. Therefore, there will probably be benefits from using wheat grass to avoid - or even during - degenerative diseases.
Secondly, it appears to reduce inflammation - some say in a more powerful way than cortisone (and without the side-effects, of course). Some remarkable cures have been observed with wheat grass for people with inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.
A third property of P4D1, is that it is also thought to be able to help the body attack cancer cells, by helping to make the walls of the cancerous cells more open to attack by the body’s white blood cells. This adds to the anti-cancer properties of SOD (see above).
MUCO-POLYSACCHARIDES
These are a combination of complex and simple sugars which appear to stimulate the body’s repair mechanisms. Enhancing these mechanisms is important, because the body is constantly repairing and replacing damaged cells. If you can do this better, it means you will ‘age’ better. Muco-polysaccharides appear to have a particular affinity to help repair damaged heart and artery tissue.
Spirulina also contains muco-polysaccharides, by the way; it is these, which form the cell walls of spirulina, rather than the much tougher cellulose, which normally forms the cell walls of plants.
CHLOROPHYLL
Chlorophyll is the remarkable substance to which we all owe our lives. This is because chlorophyll has the ability to capture the sun’s energy and lock it into plants in such a way that we can use it to sustain our own lives.
Chemically, chlorophyll is almost identical to hemoglobin - the substance which transports oxygen from the Lungs to the tissues of the body. Out of about 50 atoms in the compound, only two are different. The main difference is that at the centre of chlorophyll there is a magnesium ion; whereas hemoglobin has iron in the same place.
The action of chlorophyll is so important, that two Nobel prizes were awarded for research on the compound.
Chlorophyll’s health properties were observed as early as 1950, when Offen Krantz reported the healing of long standing peptic ulcers after the application of chlorophyll.
The benefits of chlorophyll fall into three main categories, purifying, anti-inflammatory, and nourishing.
Purifying: Chlorophyll has an anti-bacterial effect on wounds, and an anti-yeast effect in the digestive tract. It appears to counteract many toxins in the body.
Inflammation: It has the effect of reducing inflammation. Thus it can be used to help counteract the effects of arthritis, stomach ulcers, colitis, sore throats, and other inflammatory conditions.
Nourishing: It builds blood - after all, it is almost identical to hemoglobin (see above); it helps promote intestinal flora, and assists Liver cleansing.
The benefits of wheatgrass juice could possibly be rhetorically summarized by Ben Franklin’s quote of "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". So, as you read this article, optimistically you will start to see that wheatgrass isn’t all bad. The properties of wheatgrass juice, combined with a sensible diet and exercise, can be advantageous in the improvement of your health, along with the prevention of illness.
Wheatgrass is the young wheat plant. It is one of the most widely used supplemental health foods today. It is a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, and enzymes.
Drinking fresh wheatgrass juice is an exceptional way to increase dark green leafy vegetables in the diet. (At this early stage of the plant's life it is considered a vegetable rather than a grain and is safe for gluten-sensitive individuals.)
Fifteen pounds of wheatgrass is equivalent to 350 pounds of choice vegetables! Juicing unlocks the nutrients in vegetables and fruits, concentrating them and making them more bioavailable to the cells of the body.
A 16 x16 tray of wheatgrass yields about 15 to 22 ounces of juice, depending on its length. Tablets and powder are a good second choice to fresh wheatgrass juice.
Ann Wigmore introduced wheatgrass juice to America more than thirty years ago. In her books, Wigmore says it is an ideal food to nourish the body and rid it of toxins. It is especially important to anyone who suffers from pain or illness.
The high chlorophyll content of wheatgrass acts as a "magnet" in drawing out toxins from the body. Chlorophyll is an internal deodorant which cleanses tissues and is soothing and healing.
Chlorophyll, the "blood of plants", is very similar to our own blood. Its molecular structure closely resembles hemin, the pigment that combines with protein to form hemoglobin.
Start with just one ounce of wheatgrass juice per day. A therapeutic program may include as much as two or three ounces.
Wheatgrass juice has many other benefits. It can be used externally as:
1. a scalp treatment for lusterless hair;
2. a cleanser and astringent for all types of skin;
3. a treatment for blocked sinuses (place several drops in each
nostril);
4. a stimulant for circulation (add a few ounces to bath water of rub into the skin);
5. a treatment to help heal cuts and bruises faster.
Wheatgrass is widely acknowledged as one of nature’s existing super foods. When grown in organic soil wheatgrass retains 82 out of the 92 minerals that are present in soil and 1oz of wheatgrass juice is said to contain the same amount of nutrients as 2.5 lbs of green vegetables. The following wheatgrass information will inform you of the various reasons why people swear by wheatgrass.
Wheatgrass is grown from the Red Wheatberry which is a special strain that contains high concentrations of chlorophyll, amino acids, enzymes, minerals and vitamins.
Wheatgrass must be juiced to obtain the maximum nutritional value from it. In its non-juiced form wheatgrass is non-digestible due to the high levels of cellulose and its fibrous nature. Wheatgrass juice makes all the high levels of nutrients the wheatgrass contains available for digestion.
Wheatgrass can be bought in health food shops or it can be grown at home. Wheatgrass kits are available which enable you to grow your own wheatgrass which can be more economical than buying it from a shop. Wheatgrass can be grown indoors if you have a window that receives sunlight daily. The added benefit of growing your own wheatgrass is the fact that it is fresher when it gets to your juicer – not damaged in transportation or hanging around on shop shelves. Because of this your home grown wheatgrass retains more of its nutrient content when it gets to your wheatgrass capable juicer.
Wheatgrass should be cut when it reaches around 7 to 8 inches as this is when it reaches its nutritional peak.
The taste of wheatgrass juice may seem a little strange to some and you may prefer to make juice from a combination of wheatgrass and other fruit / vegetables.
Because of the strong taste and high nutrient content many people start off drinking around an ounce of wheatgrass juice a day (with/without other juices) and then gradually increase the amount to around 4oz of wheatgrass juice a day. One handful of wheatgrass will produce approximately an ounce of juice.
Another great feature of wheatgrass is that it is gluten-free (despite having wheat in its name) and so is suitable for anyone who has a gluten intolerance.
NOW! A healthy alternative to daily juicing. Freeze Dried Wheatgrass Juice Powder
