Posted by Joanna in Juice Extractors | 0 Comments

Wheatgrass Juicer: Read this if you are thinking about buying a wheatgrass juicer!

If you are reading this, you may be thinking about purchasing one of those fancy wheatgrass juicers. You may have heard about the amazing benefits of drinking green juices – and the wheat-grass juice in particular – and would like to experience some of these health benefits for yourself.

My question is:

“Do we need to be drinking wheat grass juice and should you be running to the nearest specialty store (or to your computer) to purchase a wheat-grass juicing machine?”

I’m a big advocate of healthy diet and including LOADS of fresh raw fruits, vegetables, and greens in everyday diet – and that includes eating green salads, drinking green juices and green smoothies, and just munching on fresh fruits and veggies throughout the day. So, if I’m already eating all this super-healthy stuff – do I still need to juice, and what about the wheatgrass juice?

Even though this is a juicer reviews and juicer recipes website, I have to admit that since I started making and drinking green smoothies, I don’t juice much anymore. I also don’t own a wheatgrass juicer, and don’t plan on ever getting one.

My long-time suspicion was that if I’m eating lots of greens – and that includes spinach, kale, collards, lettuce, parsley, etc., etc., all of which I add to my green smoothies (not all at the same time, mind you), I don’t need to worry about including wheatgrass in my diet.

(Now, I still believe that juicing can have tremendous benefits for health. Freshly made juice provides the body with innumerable nutrients that we need, that we often lack in our diet, and especially in some situations – juicing may be more beneficial than drinking smoothies. )

Wheatgrass juicer - Should you buy one? (Photo by Untilted Blue)

If you are thinking of buying a wheatgrass juicer, consider this.

“Popularized in the 1970s by Dr. Ann Wigmore and other natural food pioneers, tray-grown wheatgrass juice has become a familiar product in juice bars, natural food stores, and the homes of do-it-yourself juicers worldwide. The juice has been associated with many health benefits. However, many who purchase “fresh” wheatgrass juice don’t realize that it has not reached its full nutritional potential. Wheat grass grown outdoors in its natural climate has much higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll than tray-grown grass due to vast differences in the growth process.

Tray-grown wheatgrass is grown in a warm greenhouse or indoors under fluorescent lighting. After growing for 7-10 days, the plant is approximately 6-8 inches tall. It is then harvested and juiced for consumption. Because it grows so quickly in the warm conditions, the plant has a relatively high level of simple sugars and is not given time to convert these sugars into complex carbohydrates, vitamins, enzymes, and proteins. This may explain the quick burst of energy that some users experience immediately after drinking the juice. Said to be a complete food, wheatgrass is a source of beta carotene and the B vitamins, plus C, E, H and K, is said to contain 90 different minerals and 19 amino acids. ‘More iron than spinach, more protein than meat, fish, eggs, beans or dairy produce’, says one supplier. …Wheatgrass has an amazing ability to concentrate nutrients from the soil – maybe why it has been such a successful plant in evolutionary terms. Scientists have established that it has to be cultivated carefully and harvested at the ‘jointing’ stage, when content of chlorophyll, enzymes and other nutrients is at its peak.”

Source http://www.bestjuicers.com/wheatgrass.html

If your mind is set on drinking wheatgrass juice, I don’t want to discourage you. All I’m saying is that if you don’t have too much time during the day and too much money to spend (and who has) – it’s better to spend it on more productive activities – such as buying an all purpose juice extractor or a super-powerful blender, to prepare delicious green juices and green smoothies.

Wheat-grass Juicers

Green Star
Green Power
Omega 8005
Kempo
Solo Star
MJ-550ss
Wheateena Marvel Red Label
Wheateena Workhorse II
Back to Basics Stainless Steel (manual)

If you are looking for an affordable compact juicer, then you may want to look at Breville Juice Fountain Compact Juicer or a more expensive, bigger model, Breville 800JEXL Juice Fountain Elite.