What the Research Says
Wheatgrass research is at an emerging stage, with a handful of small but intriguing clinical trials. Ben-Arye et al. (2002) published the most cited trial — a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of 23 patients with active distal ulcerative colitis, demonstrating significant reduction in rectal bleeding and disease activity with 100ml daily wheatgrass juice over one month. In hematology, Marwaha et al. (2004) conducted a pilot study in beta-thalassemia patients showing wheatgrass juice extended the interval between blood transfusions, though the sample was small and the mechanism (possibly chlorophyll-mediated hemoglobin support) remains speculative. Bar-Sela et al. (2007) reported that wheatgrass juice reduced chemotherapy-related myelotoxicity in breast cancer patients, though this was an observational study. Shakya et al. (2016) found improvements in fasting glucose and lipid parameters in type 2 diabetes patients. The major limitation across all studies is small sample sizes (typically under 50 participants) and heterogeneity in preparations (fresh juice vs. powder). Larger, well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm these promising preliminary findings.