Let’s Do Shots!

Shots of wheatgrass, that is ?

We’ve all heard stories of the amazing regenerative and curative powers of consuming wheatgrass – from restoring gray hair to its natural color to overcoming cancer – but did you also know that wheatgrass has a profound impact on fertility?

In fact, what we know about wheatgrass today all started back in the 1920’s when a food chemist by the name of Charles Schnabel conducted a search for a “blood building” substance that could be fed to chickens to increase their egg production and decrease their mortality rate. Here are some fascinating discoveries of his and subsequent research on the effect of grass consumption on fertility :

• Schnabel found that feeding hens a mere 10% ration of young wheat and oat grasses increased egg production from 38% to 94% in one winter! Moreover, the eggs’ shells were stronger and more likely to hatch healthy young chicks.

• Dr. George Kohler, in the mid 1930’s, discovered that rats and guinea pigs did well on the summer milk of cows, when the cows were eating a lot of grass, and failed to thrive on the non-grass fed cow’s milk of the winter. This gave rise to a search for a “grass juice factor” that would explain this impact of grass on fertility and growth.

• In a 1935 study, it was shown that when human nursing mothers consumed milk from grass-fed cows, their children developed more quickly and were healthier than when they consumed milk from non grass-fed cows. This suggests that this “grass juice factor” holds true for humans as well.

• In the 1940’s, scientists in several labs isolated a substance present in green plant food that, when injected directly into rabbits, induced ovulation! This substance proved effective on cats and ferrets as well. Whatever this “factor” was, it tended to be most effective in the Spring and Summer and seemed to act like a hormone, stimulating the pituitary gland to secrete another hormone to induce ovulation.

• Later, two more researchers, Spitzer and Phillips, demonstrated that another substance in green supplements, when fed to rats, increased both fertility and lactation.

• Cattle farmers in the Midwest continue to use wheatgrass therapy on sterile cows and bulls today .

While it is still unclear what exactly this “ grass juice factor” is that has such an impact on animal reproduction and wellbeing, it has been theorized that perhaps it is vitamin K that helps jump-start ovulation. Or perhaps the high magnesium content in cereal grass is responsible for generating enzymes that boost the sex hormones. Or that it is high in folic acid, calcium, iron, protein and fiber, and other key nutrients needed for pregnancy…. However, these nutrients do not in themselves sufficiently account for the amazing benefits of wheatgrass so there must be other unidentified factors contributing to them. Regardless, here are some of the things wheatgrass does do to possibly increase fertility:

• It is a great detoxifier and removes heavy metals from the body. It has been proved that a reduction in heavy metal body load increases the chance of spontaneous conception in infertile women and decreases the odds of miscarriage.

• Grass juices have been successfully used in the treatment of cervical inflammation.

• Chlorophyll, particularly the concentrated kind found in grass juices alkalinizes the body and restores PH balance. An acidic vaginal environment is extremely hostile to sperm and an alkaline uterine environment is necessary for implantation and may prevent miscarriage.

• Chlorophyll improves problems with blood sugar metabolism. According to a recent Harvard study, elevated blood sugar and insulin levels are directly related to ovulatory infertility.

So, ladies, with that I say “Bottoms up” and cheers to your fertility!

~Ardis

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References:

1. Chavarro, Jorge E., M.D., Willett, Walter C., M.D., and Skerrett, Patrick J. “Fat, Carbs, and the Science of Conception”. www.newsweek.com. NEWSWEEK, Dec.10, 2007 Issue.
2. Gallagher, Melissa. “Wheat Grass Shots – Benefiting Fatigue to Fertility”. www.ezinearticles.com.
3. Gerard, I., Monga, B., Waldbrenner, A., and Runnebaum, B. “Heavy Metals and Fertility”. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. PubMed – Indexed for MEDLINE. PMID: 972682.
4. Lewis, Dr. Randine. “The Infertility Cure – How Nutrition Makes a Difference”. www.parenting.ivillage.com. Little Brown & Company, 2004.
5. Seibold, Ronald L. 1990. Cereal Grass – What it can do for You! Chapter 2.
6. “Wheatgrass”. www.falconblanco.com

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