Wheatgrass has one of the highest concentrations of nutrients and is the fastest and easiest grass to grow. The best to way to absorb its goodness is by extracting the juice.

Chlorophyll is the pigment found in the grass, and means ‘leaf green’. This is what gives all green plants both their characteristic colour and their ability to create energy from sunlight, without this exposure, plants are unable to manufacture chlorophyll.

Wheatgrass works by filling nutritional gaps in the diet and cleansing the blood. It is high in vitamins A, C and E, containing the same amount of vitamin C as an orange. It is also an excellent source of essential B vitamins, which are necessary for normal brain and body development.

Wheatgrass juice also contains many essential minerals : calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, sodium, necessary for healthy bones, teeth, hair and skin.

Wheatgrass juice contains natural enzymes, which help the bodies defence mechanism by strengthening cells and removing poisons from the blood stream. It helps eliminate toxins accumulated from eating processed food, breathing polluted air and drinking impure water.

Wheatgrass also has dilating effect on the blood vessels allowing blood to flow more easily. This improved circulation means valuable nutrients can be distributed more efficiently throughout the body. It also has an effect on red blood cells, whereby it increases the iron content in the blood.

Wheatgrass is easy to grow at home. The seeds, or wheatberries are small oval shaped and brown in colour. They can be purchased from health food shops.

Step 1. Place topsoil, preferably peat moss in plastic trays. Lay the soil in trays a couple of inches deep.

Step 2. Soak one cup of wheatberries for 24 hours then rinse. One cup of the seeds will be sufficient for a 25 x 35cm tray. Spread the seeds out so that they touch each other. Water so the soil becomes damp.

Step 3. Cover the seeds with a second tray – this will protect the germinating seeds from light and keep them warm. Leave for three days.

Step 4. Remove the tray and take outside in the sun. The grass should be a little over 2cm high.

Step 5. Harvest when 20cm tall. This takes 5 – 10 days. Cut the grass nearest to the root. The grass will keep unwashed for up to 7 days.

The grass can be prepared either manually or using a juicer. The best type of juicer to use is one that uses a squeezing action.