Viola Korczak has taken statements from three companies selling wheatgrass juice. In any industry there will always be those who may stretch the truth, but also sometimes journalists take words out of context.
It would be interesting to see the whole work from which Ms Korczak has taken these words.
But she does not provide the source of her evidence for this statement.
If anyone, or any business, claims that 30mls of fresh wheatgrass juice is a direct substitute for a kilo of fresh fruit and vegetables, then they are WRONG!!
There is documented proof that wheatgrass has a vast array of nutrients including hundreds of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, cellular RNA and DNA all in a concentrated form. (1)
There is not one food that anyone can live on indefinitely by itself that we know of (except for breastmilk for babies up until a certain age). If you are taking it for its nutritional properties, wheatgrass, as with any similar supplements should be looked upon as just that – a supplement, not a food that you could live on entirely.
Powdered, or dehydrated wheatgrass has actually been found to be a lot more concentrated and higher nutritionally than fresh wheatgrass because fresh wheatgrass can be up to as much as 95% water. (23)
Below is a table prepared by Southern Testing & Research Laboratories in North Carolina, USA, showing the Vitamin & Mineral Comparison of Grass & Common Foods such as Broccoli and Spinach.
Nutritional comparisons of wheatgrass and other common foods
Choice have apparently done an analysis and comparison on wheatgrass, broccoli, spinach and a garden salad. It would be interested to know where the Choice magazine found their research.
Some fruits and vegetables will have higher milligram counts of specific nutrients than others (and cereal grass is not an exception) but it is important to think of health as a matter of balance and quality, not high milligram counts.
It is important to remember that different trays of wheatgrass would undoubtedly have different nutrient contents (as do any other fruit and vegetables). The quality of soil and seed used can make a dramatic difference. It would also depend on how long the juice has been sitting there before it was analysed and when it was harvested. If a 2 day old juice was analysed for its nutrient content it would certainly have lost an amount of nutrients due to oxidation and the natural breakdown of cells.
Wheatgrass certainly has many nutritional values while it should absolutely not be used as a SUBSTITUTE for fresh fruit and vegetables.
To compare coffee or Coke with any natural, fresh, healthy food is WRONG!
Would you consider wheatgrass as an interesting alternative to coffee or Coke? Would you sit and chat with your friends over a wheatgrass shot at a pavement café?
Overall conclusion of Choice magazine's article - “Wheatgrass…It’s the health tonic of the moment, but where’s the evidence for its benefits?”
