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The use of wheat grass (Triticum aestivum) juice for treatment of various gastrointestinal and other conditions had been suggested by its proponents for more than 30 years, but was never clinically assessed in a controlled trial. A preliminary unpublished pilot study suggested efficacy of wheat grass juice in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. One gastroenterology unit in a tertiary hospital and three study coordinating centers in three major cities in Israel. CONCLUSION: Wheat grass juice appeared effective and safe as a single or adjuvant treatment
of active distal UC.
Ulcerative Colitis
http://bastyrcenter.org/content/view/691/
Wheat Grass Juice for Ulcerative Colitis Alan R. Gaby, MD,
According to a new double-blind study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology,1 people taking wheat grass juice experienced a significant improvement of their ulcerative colitis symptoms on a scale that measured overall disease activity, compared with people taking a placebo. Wheat grass juice also significantly reduced the severity of rectal bleeding and abdominal pain.
In addition to the positive results mentioned above, an examination of the colon (sigmoidoscopy) showed improvement in 78% of the people receiving wheat grass juice, compared with only 30% of those receiving placebo. No serious side effects were seen.
The use of wheat grass juice for therapeutic purposes was pioneered by the late Dr. Ann Wigmore. In 1956, she founded the Hippocrates Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, which emphasizes health promotion through the use of natural foods and wheat grass supplements. Although this "green drink" has been promoted for nearly 50 years as a treatment for a wide range of health conditions (including cancer), until now it has not been tested in clinical trials.
Wheat grass is produced by sprouting and planting the seeds of the common wheat plant (Triticum aestivum). The difference between wheat grass and what most of us recognize as edible wheat is that the former is harvested much earlier in its life cycle. The wheat grass juice used in the new study was prepared fresh each day and consumed within an hour of extraction. Wheat grass juice has long been sold at many health food stores and juice bars. Some people grow wheat grass at home from the seeds. Kits designed to facilitate the growing process are commercially available.
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