What is Wheatgrass?

Wheat Grass is the young wheat plant, grown under optimum conditions, carefully harvested at it’s nutritional maximum, dehydrated, and bottled for your convenience.

Not all Wheat Grass is made equal.  Only the best wheat grass has been certified 100% organic, Non-GMO and gluten free likes Pines Products.  Pines International helped write the organic standards in the state of Kansas in the 1980s which was used in developing the national organic standards. 

Tray Wheatgrass or True Wheatgrass?

true vs tray wheatgrassTo the right is a picture of a round tray of wheatgrass in a field of true wheatgrass. Clearly, there are major differences between them. You can see the difference in color of the plant and of the extracted juices. Medical research praised in books about wheatgrass by Ann Wigmore used whole food wheatgrass powder. The doctors did not use juice from tray wheatgrass. Their patients used the same kind of wheatgrass powder that Pines has sold for more than 40 years. We grow our true wheatgrass in accordance with the methods in the research. As a result, it contains four times more chlorophyll than tray-grown wheatgrass. Further, because we grow our wheatgrass as nature intends, it has a pleasant flavor. It does not have a moldy flavor. Many people find the taste of tray grown wheatgrass repulsive, that weird  flavor associated with mold and growing it far-too-quickly under extremely unnatural conditions in trays.

The Research Did Not Use Extremely Unnatural Tray Wheatgrass

Ann Wigmore and other authors encouraged people to grow wheatgrass in trays. She did not understand the way wheatgrass naturally grows. She and other authors helped many people. Their ignorance about wheatgrass is not saying that their other teachings about living foods were not correct. It is also not saying that unnaturally-grown tray wheatgrass doesn't produce many of the same results as naturally-grown true wheatgrass.

Living foods and chlorophyll-rich foods create miracles, even when not using natural methods. Except for mold reactions and a strong potential for pathogens due to growing conditions, tray wheatgrass has value. The chlorophyll content of tray wheatgrass is only 25% as much as true wheatgrass. Yet, tray wheatgrass still contains much more chlorophyll than other vegetables.

The reason mold is a problem is the same reason that the nutrition is not as high for tray wheatgrass. Lower quality results from seeds 300 times closer together than is natural. It results from temperatures that are much warmer than natural. Further, the plant grows seven times faster than is natural. Full sunlight is usually not available. And finally, if soil exists at all, it is not deep enough for a healthy plant. Soil needs to be at least one foot deep. The picture above is true wheatgrass at the once-a-year jointing stage. Tray wheatgrass is next to it to see the difference.

True Wheatgrass Grows Outdoors - Deep Roots through Cold Winters

True wheatgrass grows as nature intended. Farmers plant it in the fall in an appropriate climate. It grows best in glacial soils, such as those in northeastern Kansas. That's where Charles Schnabel and other scientists conducted their scientific research. We planted it in the fall.
The warm soil temperatures from summer coupled with the cool air temperatures of fall allow the plants to grow naturally. In the first 30 days, true wheatgrass grows roots a foot deep, yet the leaves are only one inch tall! During the next 170 days of often freezing air temperatures, true wheatgrass does not grow very much in leaf height. Even so, the leaves use natural sunlight to photosynthesize and supply nutrients to the roots. The roots are very active.

The roots continue to become more complex, continuing to store nutrition for the lush wheatgrass that will form in the spring. The stored nutrition in the roots gives real wheatgrass the extremely high nutritional value in the spring. Schnabel and other scientists studied the nutritional levels at various stages of growth. They discovered a short two or three day period in the early spring when the wheatgrass reaches its peak. At that once-a-year time, the nutrition reaches its peak content. It is also the peak for the grass juice factor, abscisic acid and antioxidants. Schnabel and other scientists found that the highest nutritional content only when growing wheatgrass naturally. That involves often-freezing temperatures and slow growth through the winter.

Growing Wheatgrass in Healthy Conditions is Better for YOUR Health

The leaves of the true wheatgrass not as long as tray wheatgrass. True wheatgrass grows in bright sunlight for 200 days, while tray grass grows for only 10 days. Slow growth in cold weather is very important. The leaves of true wheatgrass are always much darker green and healthy looking. Tray wheatgrass leaves are spindly. They become crowded spikes of unnatural looking wheatgrass with a tangle of roots.

Those poor roots cannot function as nature intended. Although not as tall as tray wheatgrass, the true wheatgrass root system goes a foot deep in rich glacial soil. The roots spread wide and free in every direction. Those deep roots built nutrients through the winter. That stored nutrition is why true wheatgrass contains four or more times more chlorophyll than unnatural tray wheatgrass.

For more information on the original research, please follow this link for a review of the literature, including a 153-item bibliography. Please use this link to learn more about Dr. Schnabel. The late Steve Meyerowitz, a disciple of Ann Wigmore, called Schnabel "the father of wheatgrass". Steve called himself "The Sproutman". He dedicated his popular book "Wheatgrass: Nature's Finest Medicine," to Dr. Schnabel.

Eat More Green Superfoods to Protect Yourself and Live Longer

Research by the Centers for Disease Control shows that few people eat enough vegetables. Veggies protect us from the diseases of modern society. Eating green vegetables is very important for good health. The darker green they are, the more antioxidant nutrition they contain.

Pines products at first glance may appear to cost more than other green foods in plastic tubs. Yet, if you do the math, the cost per serving can be half that of the plastic products. Further, their higher nutritional level makes them a much better value. Pines products are fresh and vibrant green because of oxygen-free packaging.

Proper growing techniques and appropriate packaging actually make Pines a much better value than plastic products. Since 9 out of 10 people do not eat enough veggies, the USDA MY PLATE graphic shows that veggies should be the main food in our diets. Eating plenty of all kinds of vegetables is very important. Yet, you should know that compared to other dark green vegetables, Pines superfood powders cost less. They are also free of herbicides and pesticides. They cost less than half as much per serving as dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale. All Pines products are certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified.

They are economical and a convenient way to increase the dark green vegetables in your diet. Whether you use wheatgrass powder, tablets, or capsules, add the powders to water, juices, smoothies, you can ensure extra green nutrition for your diet. You will find dozens of recipes on our website. With Pines, you will increase the antioxidant vegetable nutrition in your diet. Pines' products are available at leading natural food stores or directly through our shopping cart.