Is Wheatgrass Good for You? 5 Benefits of Drinking Wheatgrass Shots

You may have heard the saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side.” Usually, it’s a matter of perspective, but if it’s wheatgrass on the other side, then that phrase is speaking the truth.

Wheatgrass is merely the grassy shoots of a young wheat plant–scientifically called triticum aestivum. The optimal time to harvest is when a leaf begins to develop into a split and a new leaf starts to emerge. This is when the leaves are at their peak nutritional value and can provide the most benefits.

What is a Wheatgrass Shot?

A wheatgrass shot is a concentrated juice where the grass has been cold pressed into a liquid. This is the most effective way to reap the plant’s benefits as it is not subjected to high heat, and it retains all of the nutrients without destroying the enzymes and vitamins.

Choosing organic wheatgrass is also essential because non-organic wheatgrass can be contaminated with chemicals and pesticides, which can cause allergic reactions. It’s beneficial to the environment because organic farmers tend to practise water and soil conservation methods to keep wheatgrass growth sustainable.

Wheatgrass shots are easy to incorporate into your diet. You can consume them in their original concentrated form, add them to smoothies for a superfood kick, or to mix it up, combine them with different citrus juices to customize the flavor.

Continue reading to discover the many positive health benefits you can enjoy from taking wheatgrass shots.

What Are the Benefits of a Wheatgrass Shot?

1. Wheatgrass Shots are Chock-Full of Essential Nutrients

Wheatgrass shots are the total package for providing your body with the nutrients and health benefits it needs to thrive. Thanks to the low roots system of wheatgrass, it draws a ton of minerals and nutrients from the ground which get passed on to you when you consume it. This potent superfood contains antioxidants that are known to help fight cellular damage and reduce the presence of harmful free radicals. An imbalance of free radicals can damage fatty tissue, DNA, and proteins in your body. Over time, that damage can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

By consuming wheatgrass shots, you will be able to boost your immunity and reap the rewards of all these vital vitamins and minerals:

• Iron
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• 17 amino acids
• Chlorophyll
• Vitamins A, C, E, K, and B complex
• Enzymes
• Phytonutrients
• Proteins

2. Wheatgrass Juice Can Help Reset Your Digestive System

When you show your digestive system love, it loves you back. Wheatgrass shots help flush out any impurities and toxins in your system, contributing to good digestive health. Wheatgrass contains chlorophyll, the pigment that gives grass its green color, aiding in the detoxifying process and healthy liver function.

That’s because when chlorophyll breaks down in the body, it turns into a digestible and water-soluble salt called chlorophyllin. When chlorophyllin goes to work, it reacts with irregular cells and helps excrete them from the body.

Introducing wheatgrass shots into your diet can be a great way to heal your body from the inside out. Once you give your system a chance to reset and cleanse, you may see an increase in energy levels and feel healthier overall.

3. Taking a Shot of Wheatgrass Can Help Revv Up Your Metabolism

Having a healthy metabolism is more than being able to process food quickly. When your system runs smoothly, your brain receives messages from your body about how much food it needs to function correctly. If your metabolism is running like a yo-yo, then those critical brain messages won’t be sent. This can lead to increased cravings and make weight management challenging.

Wheatgrass contains 70% chlorophyll—this powerful pigment has lots of magnesium, the central oxygen-binding element in plants. By ingesting wheatgrass juice, it kick-starts the production of hemoglobin in the body. Hemoglobin is a very similar protein to chlorophyll but instead of magnesium, it contains iron, the central oxygen-binding element in blood. When the production of hemoglobin increases, it boosts the bloodstream’s ability to transport oxygen.

The brain needs oxygen to operate at its best, so a healthy red blood cell count ensures enough oxygen is getting to the body’s powerhouse and running in tip-top shape. When this process is in alignment, your brain will take care of the rest and tell you when you’re hungry and when you’ve had enough.

4. Lower Your Blood Pressure with the Help of Wheatgrass Shots

While on the topic of the body’s superhighway, A.K.A. the bloodstream, wheatgrass can also help reduce blood pressure. Thanks to our friend, you guessed it, chlorophyll! This multi-talented molecule can aid in normalizing blood pressure by dilating blood vessels. When the vessels aren’t so constricted and open up, harmful carbon dioxide is removed, and free oxygen is released.

Think of it like the bloodstream breathing a big sigh of relief. A relaxed system free of harmful toxins means everything can flow freely. Your brain will be happily oxygenated, and you may experience improved circulation and lower blood pressure.

5. Drinking Wheatgrass Juice Can Improve Your Heart Health

A happy heart is a healthy heart, and the dietary fibre and protein in wheatgrass can help reduce cholesterol levels to improve heart health. Cholesterol is a type of fat found in your blood, and your liver actually makes it for you (how considerate). On the flip side, you can also consume foods that cause an increase in cholesterol—it’s lurking in foods that are high in saturated and trans fats. These foods promote the liver to create more cholesterol than it usually would.

You may have heard that having cholesterol is a bad thing, but that’s only half the story. There’s no such thing as good or bad cholesterol—it’s a case of high and low-density lipoprotein. High density, “good cholesterol,” is processed through the liver and doesn’t cause build-up, whereas low density, “bad cholesterol,” takes a one-way ticket to the arteries, camps out, and blocks up the bloodstream.

When the body has more cholesterol than it needs, it can cause significant health risks, such as heart disease and stroke. Wheatgrass juice helps reduce the “bad” low-density cholesterol; it has been known to have effects similar to prescription medication used to treat high blood cholesterol.

How Often Should You Drink Wheatgrass?

As with incorporating anything new into your diet, it’s best to start by taking things slow, especially if you’ve never tried wheatgrass juice before. A dose of wheatgrass juice can be anywhere from 30 ml, or 1 oz to 118 ml, or 4 oz depending on age, gender, and weight.

As a rule of thumb, start with a small shot of wheatgrass juice every day and work your way up to determine what is the right dose for your body. It’s always a good idea to drink a glass of water after consuming a shot to help settle your stomach—particularly if you’re taking it on its own or are new to wheatgrass juice.

Cheers to The Benefits Of Wheatgrass Shots!

To recap, wheatgrass juice is packed full of vital nutrients, contains sunlight power in the form of chlorophyll which helps detoxify the body, promotes metabolic health by aiding in oxygen production, normalizes blood pressure, and shows cholesterol who’s boss for optimum heart health.

There are so many benefits in one tiny shot—we can drink to that!