Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) is known for its amazing nutritional profile and health-benefiting properties. Wheatgrass is made from the freshly sprouted leaves of the wheat plant and popularly consumed in the form of juice or powder.
Wheatgrass is packed with many nutrients like proteins, iron and calcium. In addition, wheatgrass is packed with many antioxidants like glutathione along with vitamin A, C and E, which makes it excellent for our immune health. Antioxidants present fight free radicals and oxidative stress hence reducing the risk of multiple diseases like diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disorders. In addition, it also combats inflammation in the body.
Wheatgrass can easily be consumed by people with high blood glucose and cholesterol levels as it aids in managing both and promotes the level of HDL cholesterol in the body. Wheatgrass juice has been shown to work wonders for anaemic people, in elevating their haemoglobin levels due to its high iron content.
Despite being so nutritious, many people wonder that it can be given to people with gluten intolerance or allergy.
The answer to this is yes. Wheatgrass is gluten-free and it can easily be consumed by people who are unable to digest gluten or suffering from celiac disease.
Gluten is a protein present in wheat, rye, barley and triticale. People who are intolerant or allergic to gluten can not digest these cereals or any food made with these like bread, biscuits, cookies, pasta, sauces, spreads, cakes and many more.
Treatment therapy of all the conditions - gluten allergy, gluten intolerance and celiac disease, is the same. Completely omitting gluten from their diet is advisable in order to prevent any indigestion symptom or trigger the immune system to attack intestinal cells.
Though wheatgrass is a wheat-based product it is free from gluten. This is because of the time when it is harvested. The farmers harvest wheatgrass when the wheat seeds containing gluten are still below the ground and machines cannot reach them. Due to this harvesting process, wheatgrass is naturally gluten-free.
To conclude, wheatgrass is a gluten-free product and it can be easily consumed by people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. It is widely available in the form of shots, powders, capsules or juices.
Though wheatgrass does not contain gluten it is better to always opt for a wheatgrass product labelled as gluten-free, in case you are gluten sensitive. This is because wheatgrass may get contaminated if the processing or storage facilities are poor.
REFERENCES
- https://www.ars.usda.gov/
- Gluten-Free Foods. Celiac Disease Foundation https://celiac.org/