Wheatgrass — the young shoots of the common wheat plant, cut before the grain forms — entered natural health circles in the West largely through Ann Wigmore, who began promoting it at the Hippocrates Health Institute in Boston from the 1940s onward, and it has remained a fixture of raw-food and detox traditions since.
Most commonly juiced fresh and taken in small quantities — a shot of 30–60 ml is typical, since the taste is strong and it is usually not diluted. It is also sold as a dried powder. Traditional claims made for it are broad: general detoxification, an energy boost, and sometimes benefits for specific conditions such as anaemia or inflammatory bowel disease.
Wheatgrass juice is nutritionally similar to other dark leafy greens — it contains chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals, and the claim that it is a useful source of these is reasonable. The stronger claims made for it — that it detoxifies the blood in some specific way distinct from normal liver and kidney function, or that it treats disease — are not supported by good evidence; a small number of clinical trials, mostly in ulcerative colitis, have shown modest symptom improvement, but the evidence base is thin and not enough to call wheatgrass a treatment. It is generally safe for most people in modest amounts, though it can cause nausea in some, and people on blood thinners should check with a doctor given its vitamin K content.