Therapeutic Use of Wheat Grass Juice for the Treatment of Anemia in Young Women of Ajmer City (Rajasthan, India)

Research Article

Int J Nutr Sci. 2017; 2(1): 1014.

Therapeutic Use of Wheat Grass Juice for the Treatment of Anemia in Young Women of Ajmer City (Rajasthan, India)

Mathur S, Mathur R* and Kohli GK

Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, India

*Corresponding author: Ritu Mathur, Department of Food Science and Nutrition, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India

Received: December 09, 2016; Accepted: January 12, 2017; Published: January 20, 2017

Abstract

Background: The fresh juice of Triticum aestivum (the common wheat plant) prepared from Cotyledons of wheat extensively is being used for therapeutic purposes. Wheat grass juice is rich in chlorophyll (whose structure is similar to haemoglobin except the central moiety), amino acids, minerals (like Iron), vitamins (like B12), and active enzymes. The pH of blood and wheat grass juice is also the same i.e. 7.4. Therefore wheat grass juice gets quickly absorbed in the blood and is often referred to as Green Blood and is used therapeutically for the treatment of various problems including anemia, thalassemia, etc.

Aim: To study the effect of wheat grass juice on blood haemoglobin level for the treatment of anemia.

Methodology: Anaemic women aged between 35-45 years were selected by purposive sampling after biochemical estimation of blood haemoglobin level using Sahli’s Method. Thirty subjects (n= 30) (grouped as Test and Control [15 each]) were selected. Wheat grass juice (30 ml per day) was given for 30 days to the test group following proper procedures and timings. Biochemical estimation was repeated after 1 month for haemoglobin level of both the groups using Sahli’s method.

Result: Most of the subjects were found moderately anaemic in the beginning. After 1 month of Intervention with wheat grass juice there was an Average 3g/dl increase in haemoglobin level of test group and no change was seen in the control group. Results showed that the juice also acted as a laxative as it relieved constipation among many subjects.

Conclusion: Wheat grass juice has significant effect on blood haemoglobin level and helps to cure anemia. No side effect of juice was complained by any of the subjects.

Keywords: Wheat grass juice; Anemia; Haemoglobin; Chlorophyll

Introduction

Wheat grass juice is extracted from the cotyledons of the common wheat plant Triticum aestivum. It has been used therapeutically from years all around the world because of its healing properties. The juice from wheat grass is high in chlorophyll, active enzymes, vitamins and other important nutrients like Iron [1]. The chlorophyll present in wheat grass and haemoglobin has similar structures except for the central moieties. Also the pH of wheat grass juice is 7.4 which are the same as that of blood. Therefore it is absorbed quickly in the blood and is often referred to as Green Blood. This juice is extensively used therapeutically for the management of diseases like Anemia, Thalassemia, Inflammatory Bowel diseases, etc [2].

According to the National Family Health Survey- 3, more than half of women (55 percent) aged between 15 to 49 years are Anaemic. Nutritional deficiency anaemia refers to a decrease in the concentration of haemoglobin in the blood due to poor dietary habits that causes deficiency of iron, proteins, vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin B12 along with folic acid. Deficiency of the above nutrients can affect the production of red blood cells. Anaemia is a wide spread public health problem which is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality. India is among the countries with the highest prevalence of iron deficiency anemia in the world [3].

The reduction in oxygen available to organs and tissues when haemoglobin levels are low is responsible for many of the symptoms experienced by anaemic people. The consequences of anaemia include general body weakness, frequent tiredness, and lowered resistance to disease. Anaemia can be a particularly serious problem for pregnant women, leading to premature delivery and low birth weight. It is of concern in children since anaemia is associated with impaired mental and physical development. Haemoglobin testing is the primary method of Anaemia diagnosis [4].

Age is associated with the category of Anaemia, with older women being somewhat more likely to be moderately or severely anaemic than younger women. The rate of moderate-to-severe Anaemia (moderate and severe Anaemia combined) among women of age 35- 49 is almost three times as high as among girls of age 15-19 [4].

Anemia can be treated by including iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, vitamin C rich foods in diet. These nutrients can also be supplemented as drugs or in any other form like wheat grass juice [4].

Wheat grass refers to the young grass of the common wheat plant, Triticum aestivum, which is freshly juiced or dried into powder form for animal and human consumption. Both the forms provide chlorophyll, amino acids, vitamins, and active enzymes like protease, amylase, lipase, cytochrome oxidase, transhydrogenase, Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) [5] (Enzymes are the digestive elements. The substances in the WGJ are helpful for dyspepsia. These are helpful for Digestion, building a healthy body and counteract the premature aging) [6] which are responsible for its pharmacological actions. It contains a plethora of minerals like iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, alkaline earth metals, potassium, zinc, boron, and molybdenum. It is a superior source of chlorophyll appropriately referred to as the “green blood”. Various chlorophyll rich greens are being used from variable sources, since prehistoric times, as blood builders. Wheat grass has been proclaimed to improve blood flow, aid in digestion and in general detoxification of the body [7].

Wheat grass is a natural food. According to Dr. Anne Wig more who rediscovered the nutritional qualities of wheatgrass juice in 1960, the juice has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world to overcome serious health problems [8].

The other notable feature of wheat grass is its high proportion of amino acids like arginine, serine, lysine, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, methionine, leucine, tryptophane, phenylalanine, and valine. The major clinical utility of wheat grass juice is due to its antioxidant action which is derived from its high content of bioflavonoid. Other compounds present, which make this grass therapeutically effective is choline. Being highly anti-bacterial, consuming wheatgrass will help to alkalise and detoxify the lymph and blood cells, helping the body to rebuild and transport toxins out of the body quickly and effectively [1].

The fully grown, harvested, stored, milled and prepared wheat plant is highly acidifying. But as with almost every grain, when sprouted it is very alkaline, and this is certainly the case with wheat grass [9]. Therefore it is given in the form of juice after seven days of growth of cotyledons of wheat plant [8].

Chlorophyll as green blood [1] - The analogy between chlorophyll and haemoglobin can be demonstrated with respect to the structure of their porphyrin heads. The structure of both the compounds depicts a striking similarity in having a tetra pyrrole ring structure, the only difference between the two being the nature of the central metal atom magnesium (Mg) in chlorophyll and iron (Fe) in haemoglobin (Figure 1). Also the PH of wheat grass juice is similar to blood i.e. 7.4 which help it to get absorbed in the blood quickly [8]. Therefore this juice is often referred to as ‘Green Blood’.