Often used as ingredient in vegetable juices and smoothies, wheatgrass has a well-earned reputation for healthfulness. The leaves of this young grass pack a hefty nutritional punch, offering a spectrum of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and chlorophyll, according to MayoClinic.com. Although wheat-related foods are typically off the menu when you're gluten intolerant, you may still be able to enjoy wheatgrass on a gluten-free diet if you take proper precautions.
Gluten
Gluten is a type of protein found in mature grains such as wheat, spelt, rye and barley. For people with celiac disease or other forms of gluten intolerance, consuming these grains can lead to symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, arthritis, fatigue, seizures and rashes. When you have celiac disease, continuing to eat gluten-containing foods eventually damages your small intestine and makes it more difficult to absorb nutrients. Because there isn't a cure for celiac disease, following a gluten-free diet is necessary for managing symptoms and preventing problems related to malnutrition.
Safety
Although wheatgrass is technically a form of wheat, wheatgrass blades do not contain any gluten. This is because wheatgrass is harvested before the wheat plant goes through its "jointing" stage and develops grain kernels, which are the part of the plant that contain gluten. In addition, some commercial wheatgrass growers test for gluten to ensure their products are safe for celiacs and others on gluten-free diets.
Contamination
Although the leafy part of wheatgrass is gluten-free, wheatgrass is grown from mature kernels that do contain gluten. As a result, certain processing and harvesting methods may cause cross-contamination between wheatgrass and wheat grain, making the end product unsuitable for gluten-free diets. If you want to eat commercially-sold wheatgrass drinks or powders, contact the company to see if they take precautions to avoid gluten contamination.
Warning
As the Celiac Sprue Association notes, there is currently no research measuring the levels of gluten in wheatgrass or wheatgrass-based juices and powders. According to MayoClinic.com, gluten doesn't always cause overt symptoms when you're gluten-intolerant, so it's possible your wheatgrass contains gluten even if you feel fine after consuming it. If you're severely intolerant or allergic to gluten, consult your physician before trying wheatgrass, and consume this food with extreme caution.
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