Where Did Wheatgrass Get Its Start?

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Wheatgrass got its start with the cultivation of wheat. Wheat is one of the longest lasting and most important agricultural crops in use throughout modern human history and still in use today. Wheatgrass is the natural grass form that a young wheat plant takes.

Modern domesticated wheat originated in southwestern Asia, most likely in Turkey. Two wild types of wheat, emmer and einkorn, were used by primitive peoples. Modern wheat crops can trace their origin to these wild wheat plants. The wheat plants were cultivated and passed down from generation to generation.

Wheat was planted and harvested each year. A cycle of sowing dedicated wheat fields with new seeds led to what we know today as modern agriculture. The domestication of wheat allowed farmers to naturally select certain characteristics of the wheat plant that contributed to more successful harvesting. As a result, modern wheat has tougher ears and larger grains than the wild wheat strains from which it originated.

The first wheat to be cultivated is Einkorn wheat. Early use of Einkorn was in Turkey, the present day nation of Georgia, and Armenia. Einkorn is still grown and consumed in those lands. In prehistoric times, Einkorn use spread as far as Britain and Ireland.

Emmer wheat was the most widely raised wheat at one time. Spikelets of emmer have been found in Egyptian tombs. Bakers used emmer wheat flour to make bread during Egypt’s fifth dynasty. Emmer was used by prehistoric man throughout modern day Europe and Britain. Modern durum wheat was derived from emmer.

Not all wheatgrass was left in the fields to mature into harvestable crops of wheat grain. Young wheat grasses have been selectively harvested while still in the grass form, and people have used these grasses for many health benefits. People have experimented with eating wheatgrass blades, wheatgrass powder, wheatgrass juice, and wheatgrass tablets.

The ancient Egyptians ate wheatgrass and swore by its medicinal benefits. Other ancient peoples also benefited from consuming wheatgrass. The Bible includes accounts of the benefits of wheatgrass, including the use of this grass by King Nebuchadnezzar to restore his mental well being. Twentieth century researchers have uncovered biblical texts that describe the medicinal benefits of wheatgrass.

Doctors Willstatter and Kettering both studied the positive effects of chlorophyll in the human body. Chlorophyll is a chemical compound found in plants, especially in green wheatgrass. Ann Wigmore did much research into the benefits of grasses and considered wheatgrass to be the best grass.

Wheatgrass was also found to be beneficial to animals. Dr. Charles F. Schnabel found wheatgrass to be beneficial to the health and egg production of hens. He found that cows that eat wheatgrass are healthier and make more milk. These benefits of wheatgrass can even be passed on to people.

Wheatgrass powder became an increasingly popular product in the twentieth century. Most drugstores carried wheatgrass on their shelves after Dr. Schnabel’s studies were completed. Research was done by major food companies on the benefits of wheatgrass.

Wheatgrass could not have caught on so strongly as a health food were it not for the widespread cultivation of wheat. Wheat’s increasing role as a grain used in flour meant that more people would experiment with the young grass form of wheat and discover healthful properties of the young wheat plant. You can find much more information about the wonders of wheatgrass on this website.

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