While not the miracle cure it is purported to be, wheatgrass juice does offer some great nutritional benefits. It gives you a highly concentrated dose of chlorophyll, which acts as a detoxifier and enhances the bloodstream. In addition, it's packed with nutrients. In fact, wheatgrass juice might be considered a complete food since it contains nearly every vitamin, amino acid and mineral required by the human body. (This doesn't mean that one can live on wheat grass juice alone, of course — many of these vitamins and minerals are contained in trace amounts only.) You will find significant amounts of vitamins A and C, iron, potassium and magnesium in wheatgrass. This is all very good stuff. So who cares about questionable claims that wheat grass juice battles cancer, keeps hair from graying or cures AIDS? All these assertions have been made at one point or another, but have never been proven. In fact, Ann Wigmore, one of the biggest proponents of wheatgrass juice, was sued on a number of occasions for making lofty and unproven statements about the healing properties of wheatgrass.

While it's best to ignore the more extreme claims regarding wheatgrass juice, there is significant proof of its value. Scientific studies have shown that chlorophyll will halt the growth of unfriendly bacteria and balance red blood cells. Because of its antibacterial properties, wheatgrass juice aids in digestion. Its nutritional value is unquestioned. And many people claim the green liquid gives them a rush when they drink it. Is that a real dose of energy or just a placebo effect? Next time you're at a juice bar, have a shot of wheatgrass juice and find out for yourself. If its grass-like flavor is too strong for you, you can always add it to fruit juice for a healthy cocktail. If you're interested in juicing wheatgrass at home, you will need a special juicer. (Regular juicers can't handle the thin blades of grass.) The electric ones are rather pricey; the manual versions are far less expensive and work fine.

You can buy what you need to grow your own wheatgrass at Amazon.

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