As you may have noticed, I've been doing a lot of writing about wheatgrass lately.  Although the results have been very favorable, I've decided to take a step back and ponder the results for a moment.

I've noticed that the vast majority of wheatgrass information on the internet is biased; usually from a sales perspective.  I've seen websites claiming that wheatgrass contains every vitamin you'll ever need.  It looks to me like people might just be overselling it a bit.

Lots of things are overrated.  Let's get to the facts.

I've managed to locate a few quantified items about wheatgrass.  Here are a few websites that have lab results posted:

• NutritionData.com (looks FDA-ish, but is a private company)
• WheatGrassForLive.com (selling a product)
• NutriGrass.com (selling a product)
• NaturesGreenz.com (selling a product)
• SweetWheat.com (selling a product, complete results available by calling)
• Independent Analysis (Vanderbilt University)
  

After reading through all the different reports; I've drawn a few conclusions:

1. Although wheatgrass does contain a number of beneficial compounds, it's by no means a multi-vitamin.  It contains a good quantity of Vitamin A and Vitamin K.  If you're drinking 1-2 ounces of it; you'll get a good daily load (~2000 IU A, ~55mcg K).
2. The content of Vitamin C has been highly overrated.  Although wheatgrass juice does contain some Vitamin C, the quantities are pretty small. They're not going to add enough to your diet to get you to a good level. (I don't think the normal recommendations for Vitamin C are enough anyway, I like 2500+ mg per day).
3. Wheatgrass does not contain the secrets of world peace.
4. The statement "15 pounds of wheat grass is equivalent to 350 pounds of the choicest vegetables." is crap.  Although Ann Wigmore made a lot of solid points about healthy living, she was more of a true believer than a researcher.  Click here to read part of her book, The Wheatgrass Book.
5. Chlorophyll is really the strongest ingredient in the juice.  Although it's not a supplement in the traditional sense (as the human body doesn't uptake Chlorophyll very well), it does offer powerful effects as an anti-mutagen.  It's good stuff to have rolling around in the digestive system.

So, what's the deal with wheatgrass then?  It's not a magic bullet; but that shouldn't be a big surprise.  It's a good thing to make part of diet, and we could all use some anti-mutagenics.  I'm still undecided on the anti-oxidant properties; I haven't found enough solid research to make a final determination.  I plan to continue growing and juicing it, but remember, it's part of the solution, not the entire solution unto itself.