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If you are thinking about using wheatgrass juice as a nutritional supplement, read on. Wheatgrass is the product of the wheat plant reaped while in its early growth stage, when it is approximately 7 to 11 inches tall. The prime time to harvest wheatgrass is after it has grown for just 7 days, because the young plant is packed with essential components for the human body. Once the wheat is harvested, the grassy-looking blades are squeezed to produce a green "juice". Wheatgrass juice is seen as a "super juice" packed with vitamins (particularly A, C, and E), minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, amino acids, and antioxidants. Some believe that a person could consume only wheatgrass juice and be completely healthy. Wheatgrass juice should be drunk as soon as the plant is harvested and placed in a juicer. There is no processing involved nor are chemicals added. The main component of wheatgrass is chlorophyll, which is the main component of most living, green plants. Chlorophyll is believed to have numerous benefits, including improving functioning of lungs, heart, and intestines. Some of the benefits touted by makers of wheatgrass juices include:

Aids process of digestion
Lowers blood pressure
Contributes to reducing cancerous cells and toxins
Retards tooth decay
Prevents hair from turning gray
Makes healthier blood cells
Deters dandruff
Purifies the body
Serves as a laxative
Energizes sex hormones
Cures acne and other skin conditions
Makes scars disappear if consumed for 6 to 8 months
Beautifies and cleanses skin when used in the bath
Flushes toxins from the body
Cleanses the liver

Zelman (2004) refers to wheatgrass as a "botanical remedy" that is unnecessary as it has "no proven benefits." However, medical investigators have examined wheatgrass juice as a treatment option for people suffering from ulcerative colitis. The researchers believed that wheatgrass serves as an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant. One study evaluating wheatgrass' effects revealed that some symptoms of ulcerative colitis, like rectal bleeding, decreased with consumption of wheatgrass juice. Even so, the researchers found no statistically significant differences between the treatment group (subjects who drank wheatgrass juice) and the control group (subjects who drank no wheatgrass juice) when examined rectally.

Few dangers or limitations of drinking wheatgrass juice could be found. Because it is seen as a powerful nutritional supplement, it is advised to drink the juice an ounce at a time, starting

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