by Dr Preety Aggarwal

Wheatgrass is a humble weed that is a powerhouse of nutrients and vitamins for the human body. In the form of fresh juice, it has high concentrations of chlorophyll, active enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients. In fact, one ounce of wheatgrass juice is equivalent in food value to two and a half pounds of green leafy vegetables.

Although the wonder benefits of wheatgrass are being discovered only now in India, they have been known in the West for years. Dr Ann Wigmore, a pioneer of wheatgrass therapy, has been using it to help people recover from chronic illnesses for the past three decades. As far back as 1940, Dr Benjamin Cruskin said in The American Journal of Surgery that wheatgrass juice has chlorophyll that neutralizes infections, heals wounds, overcomes inflammations and gets rid of parasitic infections. A study at the University of California showed that wheatgrass contains an enzyme (P4D1) capable of repairing faulty DNA. On a mundane level, it makes an exceptional vegetable wash for detoxifying produce that is not organically grown. It is also a great skin cleanser and can be poured into the bath water for a refreshing soak.

The best part is that it has 'live enzymes'. Each enzyme performs a specific function within the body in conjunction with other enzymes and they control all the bodily functions. Enzymes also have a deterrent ability against cancerous cells. Unfortunately, the over-salted, processed modern diet provides little by way of enzymes.

The three most important effects of wheatgrass on the human body are: blood purification, liver detoxification and colon cleansing. This is because wheat grass juice is the richest source of vitamins A, B, C, E and K, calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, sodium, sulphur and 17 forms of amino acids. According to Dr Bernard Jensen, it only takes a few minutes to digest wheat grass juice and doing so uses up very little of the body's energy.

So it's good-bye to all that junk food and hello to wheatgrass.