Does Wheatgrass Give You Energy? The Quick Guide
Wheatgrass is often consumed in the hope that it will improve your health and give you energy. Many anecdotal reports say that they have increased health after eating wheatgrass. We’ll delve into wheatgrass, energy, why people experience this increase in energy as well as risks and all common questions.
What Is Wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass is the 10 day old shoot of the wheat plant. It’s often grown indoors by home enthusiasts, as it’s very simple to grow and cheap to enjoy. Although wheatgrass has been enjoyed for hundreds of years, it’s even referenced in the bible, only recently have we begun to understand the purported health benefits.
Commonly wheatgrass now appears in health food stores, in its raw shoot form as well as juice, shots, powders and shakes - making it easy to consume on the go.
What Really Is Energy?
Energy in the context of wheatgrass often refers to the idea of increased alertness, that fresh press drink buzz. After a few days of drinking some say that they feel more vibrant, energetic and skin looking fresher.
Does Wheatgrass Give You Energy?
As energy is a very loose term then it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why you feel this excess of “energy” after drinking wheatgrass. We’ve come up with four reasons you many feel an increase in energy after drinking wheatgrass, some of which are scientific and content based whilst others are psychological reasons.
Placebo - The first and most obvious is the placebo effect. If you’ve been told many times that you will experience an increase in energy, then it’s possible that through the belief then you will get an increase in energy.
Chlorophyll - Wheatgrass is packed with chlorophyll, it’s the chemical responsible for turning your grass green. This powerful nutrient has been linked to ‘energizing the body’. Whetgrass in fact contains around 70% chlorophyll.
Glucose - Although wheatgrass is a low calorie density food, most of the calorie content comes from glucose. Glucose is the simplest form of all types of sugar, it’s used as an energy source for the body and burned to keep us alive and healthy. As wheatgrass contains glucose which is sugar you could be experiencing a sugar rush giving you an increase in energy and vitality.
Nutrients - Wheatgrass contains many micronutrients, which are vitamins and minerals. “Consuming an adequate amount of the different vitamins and minerals is key to optimal health and may even help fight disease.
This is because micronutrients are part of nearly every process in your body. Moreover, certain vitamins and minerals can act as antioxidants.” For more information on vitamins and minerals checkout healthline.com. As micronutrients can play a role in energy then the increased intake of them may help you to feel more energized.
Does Wheatgrass Powder Give You Energy?
As wheatgrass powder is the concentrated form of raw wheatgrass. It contains the same nutrient profile in a more concentrated form. Often people will add it to their green shakes or smoothies.
Just like the raw form of wheatgrass, wheatgrass powder is also thought to be packed with chlorophyll, and micronutrients. Therefore it is likely to give you energy too.
Anecdotal Evidence For Energy Increase
Dr Eric Berg addresses on his Youtube channel about how chlorophyll is stored energy from the sun making it incredibly powerful. Wheatgrass powder is highly concentrated; just 1 teaspoon is equivalent to an average tray of grass or 6-8 wheatgrass shots.
Other Health Benefits Of Wheatgrass
Wheatgrass has been said to have many other health benefits too. Some of them include reduced inflammation, high antioxidant content, and detoxification of the body too.
We’ll Explore Each In Depth Below:
Reduced Inflammation
What Is Inflammation?
The scientific definition of inflammation from LiveScience.com “Inflammation is a vital part of the immune system's response to injury and infection. It is the body's way of signalling the immune system to heal and repair damaged tissue, as well as defend itself against foreign invaders, such as viruses and bacteria.”
How Does Wheatgrass Help?
Wheatgrass is high in chlorophyll which inhibits the protein which triggers inflammation. Note: this study was completed in a lab. For more information about the study check out NCBI.gov.
High Antioxidant Content
What Are Antioxidants?
The definition of antioxidants from Wikipedia: “Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals, thereby leading to chain reactions that may damage the cells of organisms.”
How Does Wheatgrass Help?
Wheatgrass contains lots of antioxidants that can help in the anti-aging process, and even prevent certain diseases. For more reading check out NCBI.gov.
Detoxification Of The Body
What Is Detoxification?
Detoxification is the removal or toxic substances from the body. A lot of hype has surrounded “detoxes” which aren’t necessarily backed by scientific research. It’s best to think of doing a detox as aiding your own natural system, as there is no real diet that will “detox” your body - your body is always doing it itself.
How Does Wheatgrass Help?
Just like all fruit and vegetables, a diet rich in nutrients, minerals and vitamins will naturally help your body become more efficient and healthy aiding in the detox process.
Common Questions
Does Wheatgrass Make You Tired?
As with all foods we consume they will have different effects on different people. It is possible that wheatgrass could make you sleepy, although this is unlikely.
What Does Wheatgrass Do To Your Body?
There are and have been many claims as to the effects of wheatgrass on the body. It’s widely stated that there are many health benefits of consuming wheatgrass. Such claims include detoxification, managing type two diabetes, reduced inflammation, and antioxidant effects too. For more information check the heading “Other Health Benefits Of Wheatgrass” above.
How Long Does It Take For Wheatgrass To Work?
This depends on your desired outcomes, what are you looking to achieve from wheatgrass? As all the associated health benefits don’t have prescribed daily dosages or are researched enough to be prescribed by health physicians this is an impossible question.
We would suggest that you should take it without expectation, the daily allowance, for a couple of weeks and see for yourself any results you have.
What Are The Side Effects Of Wheatgrass?
Possible side effects could include digestive issues when you’re getting used to consuming it. It’s not uncommon for you to experience other symptoms such as nausea, loss of appetite, influenza and headache symptoms too. Although this isn’t very common you should be aware and seek medical advice immediately.
Does Wheatgrass Stain Your Teeth?
If you maintain correct oral health and hygiene then wheatgrass should not stain your teeth permanently. If you’re worried we would advise that you thoroughly rinse out your mouth after consuming to remove any excess unwanted wheatgrass. Seeing some green stains on your teeth can be surprising but if you’re practising correct oral hygiene then it shouldn't become permanent.
Does Wheatgrass Make You Poop?
This can be a common side effect as raw wheatgrass contains high amounts of fibre. Some report that even drinking wheatgrass powder in smoothies or shakes they find that they can have an upset stomach. As everyone reacts differently it’s suggested that you should always start by consuming a small amount to see how your body reacts.
Does Wheatgrass Whiten Teeth?
Wheatgrass can in fact help with your overall oral health as well as whitening your teeth. It’s even been said to prevent tooth decay as well.
Is Wheatgrass Good For Your Skin?
By increasing the amount of micronutrients you consume it’s likely to improve your overall health, and skin too. Some people talk about having a “wheatgrass glow” after consuming it for a short period of time.
Is Wheatgrass Good For Kidneys?
There are a lot of conflicting opinions on whether it can help or hinder kidney function. Therefore we would suggest seeking medical advice before you change your diet and start to consume wheatgrass.
Is Wheatgrass Good For Weight Loss?
Wheatgrass drinks can be a great alternative to other drinks that you may consume. By switching your can of soda or latte for a wheatgrass shake can be a great way to reduce your weight.
How Much Wheatgrass Juice Should You Drink A Day?
It’s not recommended to drink a lot of wheatgrass juice for it being very powerful. 30ml or 1floz is your daily recommended amount.
Does Wheatgrass Help Arthritis?
There have been studies that show how wheatgrass helps with inflammation, as stiffness and swelling can be common symptoms of arthritis. Wheatgrass may be able to help with it. For more reading about arthritis and wheatgrass checkout healthline.com.
