Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass is the freshly sprouted first leaves of the common wheat plant, used as a food, drink, or dietary supplement. Wheatgrass is served freeze dried or fresh, and so it differs from wheat malt, which is convectively dried. Wheatgrass is allowed to grow longer and taller than wheat malt.

Description

Like most plants, wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Claims about the health benefits of wheatgrass range from providing supplemental nutrition to having unique curative properties, though few, if any, have been scientifically proven.

Cultivation

Wheatgrass can be grown indoors or outdoors. A common method for sprout production indoors is often on trays in a growth medium such as a potting mix. Leaves are harvested when they develop a "split" as another leaf emerges. These can then be cut off with scissors and allowed to regrow.

Uses

Wheatgrass is often used for juicing, or added to smoothies or tea. It is also available in many health food stores as fresh produce, tablets, frozen juice and powder.

Health claims

Proponents of wheatgrass make many claims about its health benefits. These claims are largely unsubstantiated by the medical community, and wheatgrass is considered by most experts to be a healthy addition to the diet, rather than a replacement for more traditional treatments.

See also

• List of vegetables
• List of culinary herbs and spices
• List of leaf vegetables

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