A few years ago when the green juice phase landed from LA and everyone was slowly being Goop’d, my kitchen was awash with packs of green powder – chlorophyll, spirulina, matcha, wheatgrass, you name it, I was scooping it into everything. Then the next fad caught my eye and I’d pretty much forgotten all about my mean green obsession – despite being a vegetarian.
Then a friend started reminiscing about how she used to take wheatgrass shots every morning and they made her feel more energised and her hangovers were never as bad. After a summer celebrating a plethora of friends’ 40th’s and a diet made up more of beige than brights, I thought why not give it a go. And so my experiment started…
Why wheatgrass?
Kate Moss, Drew Barrymore, Angelina Jolie, Jen An – they’ve all spoken about how they’re on board with necking a shot of wheatgrass on the daily. And, as a society who wants everything for nothing – that’s also what wheatgrass offers us. “One 30ml wheatgrass shot is known to be the equivalent of 2.5lbs of vegetables, that’s like your week’s veg in one shot,” explains Harri Grewal, owner of Big Juice Ltd who deliver frozen, readymade shots of the green stuff across the UK direct to your door. “Wheatgrass is also rich in chlorophyll – which is why it’s so green and is packed with vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids that our body requires. In today’s modern diet, most people will find it difficult to get the essential vitamins and minerals we need from our food so this offers an alternative.”
The cocktail of nutrients it contains is also the perfect prescription for purification and not only is it said to help with detoxifying and purifying the liver; it regulates blood sugar and digestion and because it’s high in antioxidants it can fight the free radicals that cause ageing. The chlorophyll is also a known antibacterial powerhouse and because of this, wheatgrass supplements are sometimes recommended to those suffering from acne, eczema and/or psoriasis.
With hefty claims, I was in. Although I nearly backed out after shot numero uno.
Did it replace my triple-shot flat white?
How to take wheatgrass
You can buy wheatgrass as a powder, tablet or liquid but I always remember speaking to a nutritionist who said to take any supplement in its purest form and that sometimes the process of turning a raw material into a powder would diminish some of its nutritional benefits, which is why I opted for readymade frozen shots. It also made it easy to slot into my morning routine and because they were delivered in one batch straight to my door, there was zero effort on my part.
The best time to take wheatgrass is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach as it allows the body to digest and absorb the maximum benefits. So, on day one, I took the lid off my shot and smelt it. Warning: do not do this if you don’t want to heave. It took me straight back to my dad used to mow the lawn and then empty the wet mushy remnants left in mower into the field behind our house. In short – it has an aroma of soggy grass.
Until now, I wasn’t sure necking shots was considered an especially positive trait but I channelled my inner student and figured it couldn’t be worse than Aftershock (yes, it was a long time ago I as at uni). Job done. After that, they got better – I didn’t smell them and I had a sip of water straight after. On day four, I decided to get cocky and I added a squeeze of lemon in before I realised that it was a big no-go.
“Wheatgrass is very alkaline and benefits include alkalising the body so I wouldn’t recommend taking it with acidic juices such as orange or lemon juice,” Harri told me. Back to the pure stuff I went.
How did I feel after taking it?
One of the selling points for me, apart from the detoxification was the increased energy levels that wheatgrass fans reported – many long distance runners are advocates for wheatgrass. And as someone who’s sleep is irregular, I did notice I wasn’t as fatigued on the days when I was exercising more.
What really surprised me though was the bounceback I had after drinking. After a boozy party the night before a yoga retreat (not the best idea granted) where ‘actual’ shots were consumed, I went to bed with the morning after fear. But despite just seven hours sleep, I woke up, took my daily dose of wheatgrass and then rocked up at the retreat at 9am. When everyone told me I looked exceptionally spritely and asked if I’d not drank the night before, the shock at my lack of hangover was unanimous.
Of course, I’m not saying that this will now be my forever reason to keep drinking but I couldn’t put the lack of hangxiety down to anything else.
Why is wheatgrass still popular?
It isn’t a new thing – Big Juice in Bristol has been producing wheatgrass shots since 1999 and have had loyal customers for over 15 years but instead of waning, the demand is growing. “With more juice bars opening up in the UK, celebrities talking about the benefits, it appearing in movies and the Internet allowing people to research more and discover it’s positive effects, it continues to become more popular,” admits Harri.
The predictions from Future Market Insights also expect the wheatgrass industry to continue growing with their snapshot reporting the wheatgrass product market will grow by 6% over the next decade. Linking it to the expanding aging population and the fact that wheatgrass can help regulate blood circulation, as well as a younger market, it’s men and women over 60 who could end up driving the wheatgrass wellness movement.
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Can you make your own wheatgrass shots?
You can make your own wheatgrass shots but it takes a lot of time and you need a masticating machine to juice the wheatgrass which is a long procedure and requires work, patience and washing up. It’s down to you the format you take it in so if you’re determined to try it, spend time working out which fits in best for your schedule. For someone like me who already takes probiotics and a multivitamin and a scoop of protein powder in my breakfast smoothie or overnight oats when I remember, a readymade shot was a winner for me. Less effort, all the benefits.
