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Whg2.5

Wheatgrass Research

Mostly mechanism / observationalModerate safety

4 peer-reviewed studies

What the evidence says

Mostly mechanism / observational

Most Wheatgrass studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.

Most evidence is from mixed-quality randomised trials published 2002–2026 with a typical study size of 23 participants.

Based on 4 studies · 1 RCT · 39 total participants

Confidence

Low

By outcome

Safety profile
Too few graded studies2 studies

Steady research

1 study in the last 5 years

200220142026

1RCTn=23 · very small study2002

Treatment with wheat grass juice was associated with significant reductions in overall disease activity (P=0.031) and severity of rectal bleeding (P=0.025) in active distal ulcerative colitis.

Ben-Arye E, Goldin E, Wengrower D, et al. · Scand J Gastroenterol (2002)

Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial; 23 patients with active distal UC, 100ml juice daily for 1 month
Significant reduction in disease activity index (P=0.031) and rectal bleeding severity (P=0.025); no serious side effects
Very small sample (19 with full data); a single short trial, not replicated at scale

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2Review2015

Clinical trials suggest possible benefits across several conditions, but all the trials were small and a number of methodological problems arose; advantages need to be proved in larger studies.

Bar-Sela G, Cohen M, Ben-Arye E, Epelbaum R. · Mini Rev Med Chem (2015)

Reviews wheatgrass composition (chlorophyll, flavonoids, vitamins C/E) and proposed benefits in UC, thalassemia, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and chemotherapy support
Notes much of the anticancer mechanism work uses fermented wheat germ extract (a different product) and is in-vitro/animal
Concludes the human evidence is small and methodologically limited; no clinical recommendations yet justified

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3Animal2026

In cells and mice, wheatgrass extract and the flavonoid schaftoside reduced HCl/ethanol-induced gastritis and increased gastric mucus thickness via a mucin-protective pathway.

Chu JW, Kim K, Kim MS, et al. · Food Chem (2026)

Identified schaftoside as a function-linked quality marker connecting wheatgrass to a TRPM5/NCX mucin-protective pathway in AGS cells
In mice, wheatgrass extract (300 mg/kg) and isolated schaftoside (60 mg/kg) reduced experimentally induced gastritis and raised gastric mucus thickness
Mechanistic cell-and-animal study; does not demonstrate a clinical effect in humans

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4Pilotn=16 · very small study2004

Blood transfusion requirement fell by more than 25% in 8 of 16 (50%) transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients consuming ~100ml wheat grass juice daily.

Marwaha RK, Bansal D, Kaur S, Trehan A. · Indian Pediatr (2004)

Pilot study in 16 transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia patients, each serving as their own control
Transfusion requirement fell >25% in 8/16 patients (>40% in 3 of them); no perceptible adverse effects
Uncontrolled before/after pilot design with a small sample — hypothesis-generating only

View in Research Library

Wheatgrass Research

Mostly mechanism / observational

Wheat grass juice in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

The Medical Use of Wheatgrass: Review of the Gap Between Basic and Clinical Applications.

Schaftoside as a functional marker for gastroprotection in wheatgrass and lotus seed embryos.

Wheat grass juice reduces transfusion requirement in patients with thalassemia major: a pilot study.