IngredientsThe cereal grasses β young leaves of grain-bearing plants β include wheat, barley, alfalfa, rye, oat, and kamut, and are classified within the Poaceae (grass) family. As a category of dietary supplement, "cereal grass" refers primarily to the harvested young vegetative shoots of domesticated cereal crops before they reach reproductive maturity. Wheatgrass is defined as the freshly sprouted first leaves, or young shoots, of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum L.; this stage represents the early vegetative growth phase, where the plant emerges from the seed without developing reproductive structures. Barley grass is the young leaf of the barley plant Hordeum vulgare, while wheatgrass is the young sprout of the wheat plant Triticum aestivum.
Barley grass has young green leaves and stem of vegetative growth stage from seedling at 10 days after sprouting (barley sprout) to elongation stage (barley green) for nutritional peak before the start of the reproductive cycle of barley. Physically, wheatgrass features thin, grass-like blades that are slender and elongated, typically reaching heights of 6 to 8 inches at the harvestable stage, with a vibrant green coloration attributed to its high chlorophyll content.
Schnabel's foundational research was conducted with wheatgrass grown outdoors in Kansas. His wheatgrass required 200 days of slow growth through the winter and early spring, when it was harvested at the jointing stage. He claimed that at this stage the plant reached its peak nutritional value; after jointing, concentrations of chlorophyll, protein, and vitamins decline sharply.
Wheatgrass juice is cold-pressed from 7β9-day-old shoots, harvested before jointing, when chlorophyll, antioxidant enzymes, vitamin C, and phenolics peak. The nutritional composition of cereals varies depending on their botanical origin, soil, fertilizer, and environmental conditions.
Forms of wheatgrass include fresh juice, frozen juice, tablets, and powders, with compositions varying according to their production processes, as well as the growing conditions of the wheatgrass. The grass should be washed with potable water, cold-pressed not blended or heated, and consumed within 10β15 minutes to avoid oxidation and enzyme loss. Heat, boiling, spray-drying, and high-speed blending are consistently discouraged due to chlorophyll degradation. When fresh juice is impractical, frozen fresh juice or low-temperature (below 40Β°C) dehydrated powder is acceptable with partial nutrient retention.
With increasing demand for functional drinks, processed drinks from grasses of rice, wheat, and barley have been developed, evaluated for chemical properties related to health benefits including chlorophyll content, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities.
Barley has been cultivated for over 10,000 years, and its grass has been used in various traditional medicine systems across the world. In ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Greece, barley grass was valued for its strengthening and healing properties. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda have also utilised barley grass to treat skin conditions, improve digestion, and as a general health tonic.
However, it should be noted that some scholars apply caution to the depth of ancient therapeutic specificity. Ancient texts and artifacts reference wheat grains and bread as staples for nutrition and labor sustenance, but therapeutic applications of young grass shoots appear to be modern inventions. Traditional uses of wheatgrass as a health tonic, including in Middle Eastern or Indian herbal practices, are not documented in ancient Ayurvedic or other historical medical texts, which instead describe mature wheat products. Any purported ancient associations, such as for detoxification or wound healing, stem from contemporary interpretations rather than verifiable historical records.
Charles Franklin Schnabel (1895β1974) was an American agricultural chemist who became known as the father of wheatgrass. Schnabel opened the door to scientific research on cereal grass. After Schnabel's initial work in the mid-1920s that showed chickens nearly tripled their winter egg production when a small amount of cereal grass was added to their diet, he went on to find benefits with nearly every kind of livestock. His research documented larger litters, richer milk, more milk, less infant mortality, better fur, and improved general health when a small amount of dehydrated cereal grass was added to the animal's food ration.
On April 15, 1933, Charles F. Schnabel, a former feed mill chemist, applied for a patent for a "feed" product that he developed for both animal and human consumption. The patent was for processing young grass shoots from wheat, barley, and rye crops as a dietary supplement that provided unique health benefits from the chlorophyll.
In order to make this food available to more people, Schnabel started Cerophyl Laboratories in the 1930s. By 1940, cans of Schnabel's powdered grass were on sale in major drug stores throughout the United States and Canada. In the 1950s, the widespread popularity of Cerophyl started to wane with the introduction of One-A-Day Vitamins. It was an era that lauded "the miracles of modern science." People reasoned that it was better to take one tablet of synthetic vitamins per day than to obtain their vitamins from a natural source by taking twenty Cerophyl tablets.
Ann Wigmore was also a strong advocate for the consumption of wheatgrass as a part of a raw food diet. Wigmore, founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute, believed that wheatgrass, as a part of a raw food diet, would cleanse the body of toxins while providing a proper balance of nutrients as a whole food. She also taught that wheatgrass could be used to treat those with serious disease. Wheatgrass juice, obtained from young wheat plant, was first used for promoting human health by Ann Wigmore, founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston.
Barley grass was utilized in traditional medicine across Asia, while wheatgrass gained popularity in the West during the 1930s through the work of agricultural chemist Charles Schnabel. The "grass juice factor" β a term coined during early 20th-century research β described beneficial properties in young grasses that researchers of the time could not fully attribute to any single identified nutrient. Thus began research on the "Grass Juice Factor," a water-soluble extract of grass juice which was responsible for growth effects observed in experimental animals.
Components of wheatgrass include chlorophyll, flavonoids, and vitamins C and E. Wheatgrass is a source of potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. It is also a source of protein, with 8 grams per ounce if consumed in powder form or around 1 g in a "shot" of juice. This protein content consists of at least 17 forms of amino acids, including eight out of nine essential amino acids.
Wheatgrass juice contains minerals and trace elements including calcium, iodine, magnesium, selenium, zinc, chromium, antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, Ξ²-carotene, vitamin B1, and antianemic factors like iron and folic acid. Vitamin B12 is not contained within wheatgrass or any vegetable, as vitamin B12 is not made by plants; rather it is a byproduct of the microorganisms living on plants or in the surrounding soil.
Barley grass is rich in functional ingredients, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), flavonoids, saponarin, lutonarin, superoxide dismutase (SOD), K, Ca, Se, tryptophan, chlorophyll, vitamins (A, B1, C, and E), dietary fiber, polysaccharide, alkaloid, metallothioneins, and polyphenols.
Barley grass is rich in nutritious and functional ingredients, in which major ingredients content according to dried barley grass include dietary fiber 29.5%, protein 27.3%, fat 4.57%, vitamin A 20.5 mg/100 g, vitamin C 251.6 mg/100 g, Ca 479.4 mg/100 g, Fe 23.3 mg/100 g, Mg 183.2 mg/100 g, K 3384 mg/100 g, chlorophyll 528.5 mg/100 g, SOD 440.0 U/g, catalase 839 U/g, lutonarin 342.9 mg/100 g, saponarin 726.2 mg/100 g, total flavonoid 0.53%, total polyphenol 1.06%, GABA 150.5 mg/100 g, and tryptophan 810.0 mg/100 g.
Chlorophyll is the dominant pigment and among the most discussed constituents of cereal grasses. The chlorophyll molecule is structurally similar to hemoglobin, leading some to believe that wheatgrass helps blood flow, digestion, and general detoxification of the body. However, the structural analogy between chlorophyll (which contains magnesium at its center) and hemoglobin (which contains iron) does not establish a functional equivalence in human physiology. Wheat grass proponents equate its major constituent chlorophyll to hemoglobin, and believe that wheat grass consumption can increase oxygenation in the body; however, these concepts are not supported by current scientific understanding.
Saponarin is a flavonoid found in barley grass that possesses potent blood pressure-regulating properties. Barley grass helps blood flow and digestion, as well as general detoxification, which is related to superoxide dismutase, lutonarin, and saponarin. Lutonarin and saponarin are C-glycoside flavones unique to barley grass and serve as important markers of the antioxidant profile of the plant.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an endogenous antioxidant enzyme found in significant concentrations in fresh cereal grasses. The major molecular mechanisms in the therapeutic role of barley grass include six functional ingredients: GABA, flavonoids, SOD, K-Ca, vitamins, and tryptophan. SOD scavenges superoxide radicals, potentially limiting oxidative stress-driven cellular damage. However, the bioavailability of ingested SOD enzyme is uncertain since proteins are generally degraded during digestion.
GABA is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, and its presence in barley grass at measurable concentrations has attracted research interest for sleep promotion and blood pressure regulation. Barley grass powder with lowering hypertension has higher minerals (K and Ca) and GABA as well as lower Na; its K, Ca, and GABA contents at autumn sowing under cold and high altitude are 3110, 845, and 377.46 mg/100g, respectively.
The nutritional composition of cereals varies depending on their botanical origin, soil, fertilizer, and environmental conditions. Processing method is also a major factor: heat, boiling, spray-drying, and high-speed blending are consistently discouraged due to chlorophyll degradation; when fresh juice is impractical, frozen fresh juice or low-temperature dehydrated powder is acceptable with partial nutrient retention.
Wheatgrass extract had higher antioxidant activity compared to BHA, the reference compound, in ferric-reducing assays. Antioxidant activity for both cereal grasses ranged from 73.939% to 283.50%, with the maximum antioxidant activity (283.50%) found in barley grass.
Animal models suggest that wheat grass may have hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects. Preliminary studies in humans suggest wheat grass supplementation may reduce plasma lipid peroxidation in healthy volunteers engaged in regular exercise or atherogenic lipoproteins in hyperlipidemic patients.
Evidence strength: The antioxidant properties of cereal grasses are well-established in laboratory (in vitro) settings. Human clinical data confirming that this translates into systemic antioxidant benefit in vivo remain limited and preliminary.
A notable randomized controlled trial investigated wheatgrass's effects on blood lipids. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum L.) on atherogenic lipoproteins, inflammation, and menopausal symptoms. Fifty-nine hyperlipidemic women were randomized into control (n=30) and intervention groups (n=29). The intervention group was administered 3.5 g of freeze-dried wheatgrass powder in encapsulated form daily for 10 weeks, while the control group received no intervention.
The intervention group experienced a reduction of 5.4% in total cholesterol, 4.4% in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 9.5% in triacylglycerols; however, HDL also reduced by 6% following 10 weeks of intervention. Compared with the control group, the baseline-adjusted post-intervention levels of TC, TAG, and Apolipoprotein B were significantly lower in the experimental group (p = 0.043, 0.045, and 0.016, respectively).
Evidence strength: One small randomized controlled study in a specific population (hyperlipidemic South Asian menopausal women). The sample size is modest, the study lacked blinding, and the concurrent reduction in HDL is a concern. Results cannot be generalized without larger replication studies.
The most frequently cited clinical study on wheatgrass involves its use in ulcerative colitis. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted at one gastroenterology unit in a tertiary hospital and three study coordinating centers in three major cities in Israel. Twenty-three patients diagnosed clinically and sigmoidoscopically with active distal UC were randomly allocated to receive either 100 cc of wheat grass juice or a matching placebo daily for 1 month.
Twenty-one patients completed the study, and full information was available on 19 of them. Treatment with wheat grass juice was associated with significant reductions in the overall disease activity index (P = 0.031) and in the severity of rectal bleeding (P = 0.025). No serious side effects were found. Fresh extract of wheat grass demonstrated a prominent tracing in cyclic voltammetry methodology, presumably corresponding to four groups of compounds that exhibit anti-oxidative properties.
Evidence strength: This is a small pilot randomized controlled trial (n=23, with only 19 providing complete data). While double-blind and placebo-controlled, the sample size is insufficient to draw firm conclusions. It represents preliminary but promising evidence requiring replication in larger trials.
Wheatgrass has been studied in the treatment of pancytopenia, hematological toxicity related to chemotherapy in cancer patients, and in thalassemia. In Indian studies, wheatgrass has been shown to reduce the requirements of blood transfusion.
One study evaluated the efficacy and safety of wheatgrass in children with thalassemia receiving chronic blood transfusions. In this randomized prospective study, 69 children with thalassemia were divided into the wheatgrass group and the control group (no wheatgrass). Both groups received a regular blood transfusion and folic acid. The treatment duration was 18 months. Patients in the wheatgrass group were given eight tablets per day for the first fortnight, followed by 12 tablets per day divided into three equal doses for 18 months.
The use of orally consumed wheatgrass juice improved hemoglobin values in patients with intermediate thalassemia, and possibly reduced the need for blood transfusions.
Evidence strength: Results from Indian clinical studies suggest potential benefit in thalassemia, including reduced transfusion frequency. These studies are small, some were conducted without rigorous blinding, and the results have not been uniformly replicated internationally. Evidence is considered preliminary.
In a study at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, 20 patients of transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndrome in the oncology department were selected; the age range of patients was 42 to 72 years (median 55 years).
Aqueous soluble extract of 5β7-day-old plant was compared to known standard iron chelator desferrioxamine (DFO) in a dose-dependent study that showed significant iron chelating activity. The mean serum ferritin level of the patients was 2,250 (range 650β4,800) before wheat grass treatment, and the mean reduced to 950 (range 68β1,680) (p < 0.0001).
Wheat grass juice is described by investigators as an effective iron chelator, and its use in reducing serum ferritin was proposed for myelodysplastic syndrome and other diseases where repeated blood transfusion is required.
In a prior pilot study with wheat grass juice in major thalassaemia patients conducted by clinicians in Chandigarh, India, 80% of patients of intermediate thalassaemia became transfusion independent, and in the majority of patients, serum ferritin level was significantly less compared to pretreatment values.
Evidence strength: These are small, largely uncontrolled or pilot studies. The iron chelation mechanism is biochemically plausible, but rigorous randomized controlled trials are lacking. Data should be considered hypothesis-generating.
Clinical trials show that wheatgrass may induce synergistic benefits to chemotherapy and may attenuate chemotherapy-related side effects, as well as benefit rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, hematological diseases, diabetes, obesity, and oxidative stress.
Laboratory in vitro studies, mostly using the fermented wheat germ extract, have demonstrated anti-cancer potential and have identified apoptosis as a possible mechanism. In animal experiments, wheatgrass demonstrated benefits in cancer prevention and as an adjunct to cancer treatment, as well as benefits to immunological activity and oxidative stress.
However, according to the American Cancer Society, "available scientific evidence does not support the idea that wheatgrass or the wheatgrass diet can cure or prevent disease."
Evidence strength: The existing human cancer-related data is from small pilot studies or conference abstracts, primarily addressing adjuvant effects rather than direct anti-cancer effects. Lab and animal data is encouraging but cannot be directly extrapolated to clinical efficacy.
Barley grass has been proposed to have antidiabetic effects, regulate blood pressure, enhance immunity, protect the liver, and have hypolipidemic effects, among many other attributed properties. These attributed effects are largely based on laboratory and animal studies, and extrapolation from the known biochemical activity of constituent compounds such as GABA, flavonoids, and polyphenols.
Review authors conclude that barley grass has antidiabetic, anticancer, antidepressant, antioxidant, anti-fatigue, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, antigout, and calcium-supplementary effects; promotes sleep; regulates blood pressure; enhances immunity; protects liver; reduces hyperuricemia; and improves cognition, constipation, and gastrointestinal function. These broad claims, however, reflect the scope of laboratory investigation and hypothetical mechanisms rather than established clinical outcomes.
Evidence strength: Most metabolic disease evidence for cereal grass is preclinical (in vitro or animal). Human RCTs specifically for diabetes or obesity endpoints attributable to cereal grass are very limited and insufficiently powered.
Humans digest barley starch more slowly than wheat and rice, which benefits chronic disease management. Barley's high-molecular-weight Ξ²-glucan content acts as a prebiotic, promotes gut health through microbiome modulation and short-chain fatty acid production, potentially preventing colon cancer and boosting immunity. Note that these effects relate primarily to mature barley grain constituents rather than the young grass.
Wheat grass juice has been claimed to neutralize toxins and carcinogens in the body, prevent tooth decay, reduce high blood pressure, and aid in the treatment and prevention of cancer and AIDS. It is also used to improve digestion, and for common colds, cough, rheumatic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome, ulcers, and skin conditions. However, none of these claims are supported by clinical studies.
Animal studies have examined the antidepressant potential of cereal grass extracts. One study aimed to investigate phytochemicals and evaluate the antioxidant and antidepressant activity of aqueous extract of barley and wheat grass. The study included phytochemical screening and evaluation of antioxidant and antidepressant activities. Four groups consisting of six mice in each group were tested, with a negative control, imipramine group (100 mg/kg), and barley and wheat extract group (400 mg/kg). Forced swim, tail suspension, and elevated plus maze tests were carried out to evaluate antianxiety and antidepressant activity.
Evidence strength: This evidence is entirely preclinical (rodent models). No human trials of cereal grass for depression or anxiety have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature. The GABA content of barley grass provides a biochemically plausible but unconfirmed rationale.
Dosages vary substantially across preparations and studies:
No standardized or regulatory-approved dosage has been established for any cereal grass product in major health jurisdictions. Compositions vary by preparation method, growing conditions, and growth stage of the plant.
Wheatgrass is made from the fresh sprouts of the wheat plant, but does not contain gluten. Gluten is made in the seed kernels of the wheat plant, not in the green parts of the grass. If the grasses are cut at the right time, they should not have any gluten. There is, however, a risk of cross-contamination. Those who are gluten-sensitive should make sure that their wheatgrass comes from a certified gluten-free producer.
Wheatgrass's safety for people with celiac disease is uncertain, and experts' opinions differ. While wheatgrass is generally believed to have a low gluten content, some people with celiac disease may be able to tolerate it, while others may experience adverse effects.
Some people have reported side effects after using cereal grass, especially in high doses. They have ranged from mild (headaches and nausea) to more serious allergic reactions (hives and swelling of the throat).
While wheatgrass allergy is less common than other grass allergies like ryegrass, Timothy grass, or Bahia grass, it is nonetheless a significant concern for those affected. Wheatgrass allergy symptoms are similar to those exhibited in other grass allergies and include sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, itchy or watery eyes, itchy throat, cough, and fatigue.
Studies stress hygienic cultivation, pesticide-free medium, and microbial and heavy-metal testing for safety. Microbiological analyses for batches of wheatgrass-related novel foods have revealed high microbial counts regarding total aerobic microbial count, Enterobacteriaceae, yeasts, and moulds, highlighting excessive variability in hygiene conditions along the production process. Such products have the same potential as wheat, barley, and rye to trigger IgE-mediated allergic reactions in cereal-allergic individuals. The potential presence of Enterobacteriaceae and opportunistic pathogen Pantoea species, such as P. agglomerans, could pose safety concerns.
In the ulcerative colitis RCT, treatment with wheat grass juice was associated with significant reductions in disease activity index and severity of rectal bleeding, and no serious side effects were found. Clinical trials for wheatgrass supplementation have generally not reported serious adverse events in the populations studied.
No specific drug interaction data for cereal grasses has been identified in major pharmacological databases or regulatory monographs. Given the broad micronutrient content, theoretical interactions with anticoagulant medications (due to vitamin K content) may warrant attention in clinical settings, though this has not been formally studied in the context of cereal grass supplementation at typical doses. Wheatgrass has gained popularity in alternative medicine and wellness practices for potential health benefits, though human clinical evidence remains limited.
A review of the existing literature reveals a consistent pattern: a wide range of health benefits have been attributed to wheatgrass, the young grass of the common wheat plant Triticum aestivum. However, the evidence base remains characterized by small sample sizes, variable preparations, short durations, and an absence of large-scale multicenter randomized controlled trials. The most robust signals from human data are in the areas of ulcerative colitis, thalassemia-related transfusion requirements, and lipid modification β all requiring confirmation by larger, better-controlled studies. The majority of proposed mechanisms and health effects attributed to cereal grasses in the scientific literature are grounded in preclinical (in vitro and animal) models, and the extrapolation to human clinical outcomes must be made with caution.
Health conditions that Cereal grass may help support.
Body systems that Cereal grass may help support.
Go back