Wheatgrass, is commonly known as Couch grass, Dog grass, Durfa grass Quack grass and scientifically known as Triticum aestivium. It is a particularly rich source of nutrients and can be added to your daily meals either as a juice or as a vegetable. If you consider taking wheatgrass for a medical condition such as heart disease you should first talk to your health care provider.
About Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass contains significant amounts of vitamins A, C and E; minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium; chlorophyll; and several amino acids. It has been used to treat bacterial infections, diabetes, digestive problems and skin conditions among other things. You can consume wheatgrass to improve your daily servings of nutrients from vegetable sources; however, its benefit as a medicinal herb has not been yet established, according to Mayo Clinic.
Safety
When used as part of your diet, wheatgrass is generally considered safe and well tolerated. Rare side effects include nausea, loss of appetite, headaches and constipation. Wheatgrass may cause allergic reactions in susceptible individuals. Do not consume wheatgrass if you are pregnant or breastfeeding warns RxList.com. Since it is consumed raw, you should choose carefully the source that provides wheatgrass, as it can be contaminated with toxic chemicals and pesticides.
Research
Limited research has assessed the benefits of wheatgrass for heart diseases. A study published in May 2010 issue of "Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology" found that supplementation with wheatgrass in subjects consuming high-fat diets resulted in improving blood cholesterol levels. This study involved 30 animal subjects and authors noted that the antioxidant effects of wheatgrass appeared to be responsible for the decreasing of total blood cholesterol levels and increasing good or HDL cholesterol as well as the vitamin C blood levels.
In "The Wheatgrass Book," author Ann Wigmore explains the myriad health benefits of wheatgrass. She suggests that a major reason for wheatgrass's effectiveness is its significant amount of chlorophyll, which helps increase the oxygen supply to the heart.
Considerations
Consult a qualified health care provider to learn more about wheatgrass and other natural herbs or nutrients that may help your condition. A healthy diet and daily exercises will also help keep your heart healthy. Wheatgrass is not approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat heart diseases and therefore should not be used to replace any conventional drugs prescribed for heart disease.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Wheatgrass
- RxList.com: Wheatgrass
- "Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology"; Antioxidant Effect of Triticum Aestivium (wheat grass) in High-fat Diet-induced Oxidative Stress in Rabbits; J. Sethi et al; May, 2010
- The Wheatgrass Book: How to Grow and Use Wheatgrass to Maximize Your Health and Vitality; Ann Wigmore; 1985
