wheatgrass
By: Alisa Escanlar

About

A food prepared from the cotyledons of the common wheat plant.
The juice from Wheatgrass is high in Chlorophyll, active enzymes, vitamins and other important nutrients. Wheatgrass is usually consumed in juice form. Wheatgrass juice is the pure juice that is extracted from the wheatgrass pulp that human bodies can not digest. The juice consist of 70%% chlorophyll and active Enzymes, vitamins and nutrients.

Information
Other names: agropyron, crouchgrass


Physical Description
Thin, elongated blades of grass.
Colors: Green


Tasting Notes
Flavors: earthy, floral
Food complements: Oranges
Beverage complements: Orange juice
Substitutes: Sprouted barley or alfalfa grass


Selecting and Buying
Choosing: Look for tall firm blades of grass that are standing upright. The tray should not smelly moldy or sour. 
Buying: Trays of wheatgrass are often sold in the produce dept at major grocery stores and health food stores. 
Procuring: Growing wheat grass indoors usually requires the grass to be grown in small trays with the wheat grains close together for a high yield. Not every wheat seed will sprout. Ungerminated seeds can develop mold which may spread to nearby sprouted plants. This may cause an unpalatable taste and, in extreme cases, an allergic reaction.


Preparation and Use
Wheatgrass is available planted in trays of soil and in tablets, capsules, liquid extracts, tinctures, and juices. Some people buy seeds or kits and grow it at home, either indoors or outside. It is most often made into juice (see Juicing), but can also be used to make tea.
Cleaning: Rinse thoroughly. 


Conserving and Storing
Wheatgrass is considered a "live" vegetable and the consumed part of it is often trimmed from the living plant just before consuming or juicing it. 


Social/Political
Wheat grass claims include include the following health benefits: Increases hemoglobin production
Rebuilds the blood stream
Helps prevent tooth decay
Improves the body's ability to heal wounds
Purifies the Blood
Creates an unfavorable environment for unfriendly bacteria growth
Washes drug deposits from the body
Neutralizes toxins, carsinogens in the body
Helps purify the liver
Improves blood sugar disorders
Keeps hair from graying
Improves digestion
Removes heavy metals from the body
Reduces high blood pressure
Aids in the prevention and curing of cancer
History: The consumption of wheatgrass in the Western world began in the 1930s as a result of experiments conducted by Charles F. Schnabel in his attempts to popularize the plant.
Schnabel, an agricultural chemist, conducted his first experiments with young grasses in 1930, when he used fresh cut grass in an attempt to nurse dying hens back to health. The hens not only recovered, but they produced eggs at a higher rate than healthy hens. Encouraged by his results, he began drying and powdering grass for his family and neighbors to supplement their diets. The following year, Schnabel reproduced his experiment and achieved the same results. Hens consuming rations supplemented with grass doubled their egg production. Schnabel started promoting his discovery to gristmills, chemists and the food industry. Two large corporations, Quaker Oats and American Dairies Inc. invested millions of dollars in further research, development, and production of grass products for animals and humans. By 1940, cans of Schnabel's powdered grass were on sale in major drug stores throughout the United States and Canada.

Comments:
wheatgrass tammy

Thanks for the great informative wheatgrass guide!
Regards,
Tammy