Wheatgrass is the young green shoot of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum. It is harvested during the grass stage, before the plant develops the mature grain commonly used to make flour, bread, cereal, and pasta.
Fresh wheatgrass has a strong grassy flavor. It may be juiced, blended into drinks, or used in small amounts with other foods. It can also be dried and ground into a powder for convenient storage and use.
Although wheatgrass is frequently marketed as a “superfood,” “detox,” or natural treatment, the strongest evidence supports presenting it as a young green plant that contributes dietary variety and naturally occurring plant compounds.
What Nutrients and Plant Compounds Are Found in Wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass may naturally contain a mixture of nutrients and plant compounds, including:
- Chlorophyll
- Carotenoids
- Vitamin K
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Phenolic compounds
- Flavonoids
- Minerals
- Dietary fiber in whole or powdered forms
Fresh juice contains less fiber than whole or powdered wheatgrass because much of the plant material is removed during juicing.
The exact composition varies according to the wheat variety, growing conditions, harvest age, processing method, storage, and serving size.
Product-specific laboratory testing would be required before describing CCFF wheatgrass as “high in” or an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient.
What Are the Potential Health Benefits?
Contributes Colorful Plant Compounds
Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic compounds.
These compounds can participate in antioxidant processes. Antioxidants help protect cells from oxidative stress produced through normal metabolism and environmental exposure.
Laboratory antioxidant activity does not prove that wheatgrass prevents or treats a particular disease.
May Provide Vitamin C
Vitamin C supports normal immune function, participates in antioxidant protection, and helps the body produce collagen.
The amount of vitamin C in wheatgrass depends on its growing, harvesting, processing, and storage conditions.
May Provide Vitamin K
Young green plants commonly contain vitamin K. The body uses vitamin K to produce proteins involved in normal blood clotting and bone metabolism.
A laboratory analysis would be needed to determine how much vitamin K is present in a specific serving of CCFF fresh or freeze-dried wheatgrass.
Adds Plant Variety
Fresh or powdered wheatgrass can add another type of green plant to a varied eating pattern.
Because the serving is often small, wheatgrass should complement—not replace—full servings of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and other nutritious foods.
What Is Chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll is the natural green pigment plants use to absorb light during photosynthesis.
It gives wheatgrass its vivid green color and is one of the main reasons wheatgrass is used in green juices, smoothies, and powders.
Chlorophyll has a chemical structure that shares certain similarities with heme, the pigment-containing portion of hemoglobin. However, chlorophyll and hemoglobin are not the same substance.
Eating or drinking chlorophyll does not directly create hemoglobin, replace blood, or “oxygenate” the bloodstream. Claims describing wheatgrass as “green blood” are scientifically misleading.
Does Wheatgrass Detox the Body?
Wheatgrass is often promoted as a detoxifying or cleansing food. Current evidence does not establish that ordinary servings of wheatgrass remove toxins from the body.
The liver, kidneys, lungs, digestive system, skin, and other organs perform the body’s normal waste-processing and elimination functions.
Wheatgrass can be part of a varied eating pattern, but CCFF should avoid claims such as:
- “Detoxes the body”
- “Cleanses the liver”
- “Purifies the blood”
- “Flushes out toxins”
- “Oxygenates the blood”
- “Removes heavy metals”
Can Wheatgrass Treat Cancer or Other Health Conditions?
Laboratory, animal, and small human studies have examined wheatgrass or wheatgrass preparations in relation to cancer treatment side effects, digestive conditions, blood disorders, diabetes, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
A published review found that the clinical trials were small and had multiple methodological limitations. The researchers concluded that the reported benefits needed confirmation through larger, better-designed studies before clinical recommendations could be made.
A more recent narrative review continued to describe potential areas of research, but narrative reviews do not establish that wheatgrass is an effective medical treatment.
Wheatgrass should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent cancer, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, anemia, arthritis, or another medical condition. It should never replace medication, chemotherapy, blood transfusions, or professional medical care.
Is Wheatgrass Gluten-Free?
Wheatgrass is harvested before the wheat plant produces mature grain. Gluten is primarily associated with proteins in the wheat grain.
However, harvest timing, seed kernels, shared equipment, processing, and cross-contact can affect the finished product. A wheatgrass product should not be labeled or promoted as gluten-free unless it has been appropriately controlled and verified to meet applicable requirements.
Under FDA regulations, food labeled “gluten-free” must meet specific ingredient requirements and contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten from unavoidable presence or cross-contact.
Until CCFF’s finished wheatgrass products are verified, the safest language is:
Gluten content has not been verified.
People with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or wheat allergy should review the label and speak with a qualified healthcare professional before using wheatgrass products.
A person with a wheat allergy may react to wheat proteins other than gluten.
Fresh Wheatgrass vs. Wheatgrass Juice and Powder
The different forms of wheatgrass are not nutritionally identical.
Fresh Wheatgrass
Fresh wheatgrass is the young plant in its whole form. It may be juiced or blended, although its texture can be difficult to chew and digest.
Wheatgrass Juice
Juicing separates liquid from much of the plant’s fibrous material. Fresh juice should be consumed promptly and kept refrigerated.
Freeze-Dried Wheatgrass Powder
Freeze-drying removes water at low temperatures and creates a shelf-stable powder. The powder can be mixed into foods and drinks.
Removing water changes the concentration by weight, but CCFF should not claim that freeze-drying makes wheatgrass “10 times stronger” or guarantees superior nutrition without a defined comparison and finished-product testing.
Easy Ways to Use Wheatgrass
Try fresh or freeze-dried wheatgrass in any of these ways:
- Blend a small amount into a fruit smoothie.
- Mix powder into cold water or juice.
- Add powder to yogurt or applesauce.
- Blend it with pineapple, mango, citrus, or berries.
- Stir powder into a cooled green drink.
- Combine it with cucumber, apple, ginger, or lemon.
- Use fresh wheatgrass to prepare a small juice serving.
- Add the powder to a smoothie bowl immediately before serving.
Begin with a small amount because wheatgrass has a concentrated grassy flavor. Follow the product’s serving and preparation directions.
Simple Wheatgrass Smoothie
Combine:
- Pineapple or mango
- Banana
- A handful of leafy greens, if desired
- Water, milk, or a preferred beverage
- Fresh or freeze-dried wheatgrass according to the product directions
- Ice
Blend until smooth and serve promptly.
Using naturally sweet fruit can help balance wheatgrass’s grassy flavor.
Is Raw Wheatgrass Juice Safe?
Fresh produce and raw juice can carry harmful microorganisms. Juicing does not automatically eliminate bacteria that may be present on the plant or equipment.
People who are pregnant, very young, older, or living with a weakened immune system are at greater risk of serious illness from unpasteurized juice.
FDA guidance recommends choosing juice that has been pasteurized or otherwise treated to control harmful bacteria, particularly for higher-risk individuals.
Fresh wheatgrass should be handled with clean hands, equipment, containers, and preparation surfaces.
How to Store Fresh Wheatgrass
Keep fresh wheatgrass refrigerated.
For best quality and handling:
- Refrigerate it promptly.
- Keep it away from raw meat and possible cross-contamination.
- Avoid excessive moisture during storage.
- Wash it under clean running water before preparation.
- Remove discolored, slimy, or unpleasant-smelling grass.
- Follow any storage or use-by guidance provided with the product.
Freshly prepared wheatgrass juice should remain refrigerated and be consumed promptly.
How to Store Freeze-Dried Wheatgrass
Store freeze-dried wheatgrass in a cool, dry place.
Keep the container tightly closed and protect the powder from:
- Moisture
- Heat
- Direct sunlight
- Contaminated utensils
Always use a clean, dry scoop and reseal the container after use.
Shop CCFF Wheatgrass
Choose fresh wheatgrass for juicing and meal preparation or freeze-dried wheatgrass for convenient everyday use.
Farm grown. Conveniently packaged. Easy to use.
Growing for GOOD.
Important Nutrition and Safety Note
People taking warfarin or similar blood-thinning medications are generally advised to maintain a consistent vitamin K intake. Speak with your healthcare provider before making a major change to your consumption of wheatgrass or other vitamin-K-containing foods and supplements.
People who are pregnant, breastfeeding, living with a weakened immune system, taking medication, or managing a medical condition should speak with a qualified healthcare professional before using a concentrated wheatgrass supplement.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Sources and Further Reading
- Bar-Sela et al.: The Medical Use of Wheatgrass—Review of the Gap Between Basic and Clinical Applications
- Maheshwari et al.: Therapeutic Potential of Wheatgrass Juice—A Narrative Review
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C Fact Sheet
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin K Fact Sheet
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: What You Need to Know About Juice Safety
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Gluten-Free Food Labeling Requirements
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Selecting and Serving Produce Safely
This article provides general educational information and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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