Full disclosure, some people are going to think this post is extra and they aren't entirely wrong. However, if you aren't a little bit over the top about your dog's health, you wouldn't be here at all, right?!
This post was inspired from browsing at my local fresh produce store and found trays of fresh wheatgrass. I have purchased this before to add to my own smoothies (and occasionally force my husband to do a health shot for entertainment value) and had so much that I ended up (like with basically everything else) sharing it with my dogs.
I remember when wheatgrass was all the range for healthy people when Booster Juice opened up. It's a smoothie bar and they always had trays of wheatgrass to add and to take shots of. It's not as popular but the benefits of wheatgrass are pretty great and that's why it has stuck around in the healthy community.
In animal experiments, wheatgrass demonstrated benefits in cancer prevention and as an adjunct to cancer treatment, as well as benefits to immunological activity and oxidative stress.
While more research is needed, clinical trials that have been done in humans show that wheatgrass may induce benefits to chemotherapy and may attenuate chemotherapy-related side effects, as well as benefit rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, hematological diseases, diabetes, obesity, and oxidative stress in humans.
Wheatgrass is full of minerals, enzymes, and vitamins that help in the deconstruction of proteins by the body and break down food to better absorb nutrients. The digestive enzymes in wheatgrass help decrease toxins and tough to digest substances in food. These enzymes may help treat ulcerative colitis, according to a human study. Wheatgrass reduces the symptoms caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), indigestion and acid reflux.
It contains high levels Vitamins C, E and B which work to strengthen the immune system, stimulate the nervous system, and prevent heart disease. The Chlorophyll and Folic Acid in wheatgrass cleanses the liver and blood by aiding in the production of hemoglobin, the protein that moves oxygen through the blood.⠀
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Wheatgrass is a chlorophyll rich food, which helps prevent or reduce the effects of many diseases. It detoxifies the body by removing waste from within the cells and it improves the body’s lymphatic system by also removing toxins. The high chlorophyll content also guards against carcinogens more efficiently than other foods.
Wheatgrass stimulates circulation by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood. It helps dilate blood vessels to increase circulation and improve the flow of nutrients to your body’s organs.
Lastly, wheatgrass has shown in humans to inhibit cancer cells in certain studies on various types of cancer.
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How to offer wheatgrass to your dog:⠀
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The most optimal way to prepare wheatgrass for your dog is to blend or juice it. I add things like cucumber and coconut water to mine, blend well and strain. Then I can add to meals, offer on its own or freeze into cubes for a summer treat or easy meal addition.
The typical range is 1 ounce of wheatgrass juice for 20 lbs of body weight .⠀
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You can also offer a grazing patch inside or outside and allow your dog to graze on the raw wheatgrass - which some dogs (mine included) really enjoy! 🌱 .
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