Can You Eat Wheatgrass Raw?

People have a lot of questions about wheatgrass. One of them that I've been hearing a lot lately is about whether you can eat wheatgrass raw. While most people generally agree that it would pretty much kill the nutrients in wheatgrass if you cooked them, people still ask that question. I think what they really mean is whether or not you can simply eat the wheatgrass straight, without juicing it. The answer is yes, but there are some things you should know. As I have previously stated in this post about eating wheatgrass, it is possible, but there are some things to keep in mind.
First, human stomachs are a lot different than those of cows and horses.  Hoofed animals have stomachs that have evolved to break up and digest grasses.  Our stomachs, on the other hand, just aren't capable of breaking apart the cellulose in wheatgrass, so it just comes out the other end of our bodies looking very similar to how it went in.  You see, wheatgrass is different from other plants that we can digest, such as broccoli and spinach.  Our stomachs can break down the cellulose in those plants and extract the yummy nutrients.  The best way to get the most out of wheatgrass is to juice it with a masticating juicer.  You can get a cheap manual wheatgrass juicer for only $40 or so.
Take a Look at Good Wheatgrass Juicers Here on Amazon

If you don't have one of these juicers yet, here is what you can do:

1. Grab yourself a handful of wheatgrass that has been cut just above the roots.  
2. Insert wheatgrass into your mouth.
3. Chew on the grass in your mouth while sucking out the juice and swallowing it. (this can take quite some time)
4. Spit out the dried wad of wheatgrass and repeat if your jaw is strong enough to handle more!
   

Which Type Of Juicer Do I Need To Make Wheatgrass Juice?

Since there are many, many juicers on the market, and I have read of people making wheatgrass juice all sorts of strange ways (including putting it in the blender and straining it), here is a brief guide of what you need to get you juicing your own wheatgrass.

The type of electric juicer that works great for fruit unfortunately doesn't work for wheatgrass. This type of juicer is called a centrifugal juicer. A centrifugal juicer has a shredder that spins very fast--3,000 to 6,000 RPM's (revolutions per minute), and this spinning forces the juice through a strainer. A juicer like the Magimix le duo juicer is NOT good for wheatgrass because 1) The super-fast speed produces heat from friction, and that damages the nutrients in wheatgrass. 2) The fast spinning churns lots of air into the juice, which decreases also its nutrient content from oxidation. 3) The shredder doesn't break down the cell walls of wheatgrass very well, and not much juice comes out.

The type of juicer that works great for wheatgrass is called a masticating juicer. The masticating juicer has a screw-like auger that spins at very slow speeds. A manual type of masticating juicer spins as fast as you can turn it by hand--not very fast at all! An electric masticating juicer also spins slowly--about 80 RPM's. This type of juicer crushes the wheatgrass to break down the cell walls of the plant, and mechanically pushes the juice through a strainer at the bottom. The juice falls from holes in the bottom, and the pulp gets pushed out the front hole.

Most manual wheatgrass juicers have similar designs, but vary according to the materials they are made from--stainless steel, plastic, or cast iron. There are a few different types of electric juicers, including ones that have two augers or screws.

While you might be upset to learn that you can't use the juicer you already have for wheatgrass, you can get a decent manual juicer for under $100, and an electric one for double that amount.