To answer the curiosity, Thomas finally visited one of the shops and ordered the wheat juice juice drink. The servant serves dark green juice in a shot glass. Although he had doubts, the man from Surabaya, East Java, finally drank the wheat grass juice. “It feels delicious, right on the tongue. The natural sweetness and fresh aroma, “he said. Although expensive, which is IDR 30,000 per 30 cc contents, the drink is still in demand.
The grass that is the juice ingredient is actually a wheat plant seed Triticum aestivum eight days old. In Melbourne, wheat germ juice is a favorite drink because it is beneficial for health. “Said the seller of wheat grass juice there, drinking one shot glass is the same as consuming 2 kg of fresh vegetables,” said Thomas.
Hooked
Since his first drink in 2002, Thomas has become addicted. Every week he consumes at least 2 times the juice of a plant member of the family Poaceae. “Actually I consume wheat grass juice not because I suffer from certain diseases. However, after consuming it turns out my body is fitter, not easily sick and tired, “said a man who has been living in the capital city of Victoria for almost 5 years.
According to Wheatgrass cultivation chemist in America, Charles F Schnabel, consumption of 7.5 kg of wheatgrass is equivalent to eating 175 kg of vegetables. Rice relatives are also rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, phytochemicals and enzymes. Therefore Thomas always gives wheatgrass juice to his children for 11 years. They have never experienced health problems, even though a toothache.
The results of Swati Padalia’s research from Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Pharmacy in India revealed that 70% of wheat grass content is chlorophyll. According to chlorophyll researchers from Ma Chung University, Malang, East Java, Leenawaty Limantara MSc PhD, chlorophyll structure is similar to hemin in hemoglobin so that biologically, chlorophyll is easily converted into hemoglobin. Therefore, people with blood disorders such as anemia and thalassemia, it is very good to consume chlorophyll.
R.K. Marwaha and colleagues from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, India, prove that consumption of 100 ml of wheatgrass juice in thalassemia major sufferers can reduce blood transfusion dependency up to 40%. Wheatgrass cultivation has the potential to increase hemoglobin levels and increase red blood cells, thereby reducing the dependence of blood transfusions for thalassemia sufferers.
Wheatgrass juice chlorophyll is also useful in overcoming hyperlipidemia due to increased total cholesterol levels, LDL (low density lipoprotein) levels, and decreased HDL (high-density lipoprotein). The results of the research of J. Sethi and colleagues from Sharma University of Health Sciences in India on 30 rabbits given a high-fat diet showed that intake of wheat grass juice effectively reduced total cholesterol and LDL levels significantly.
LDL is known as bad cholesterol because it is often the cause of cardiovascular disease. Because LDL carries cholesterol out of the liver and takes it to the cell membrane. LDL buildup in blood vessels, especially the heart, triggers coronary heart disease. A decrease in total cholesterol and LDL levels are accompanied by increased levels of HDL in the blood. HDL aka good cholesterol because it cleanses the bad cholesterol that sticks to blood vessels back to the liver.
Easy
After returning to Indonesia in 2007, Thomas stopped consuming wheatgrass juice. Understandably, it is difficult to obtain wheat juice. Fortunately, in 2011 he met Ir Djoko Murdono MP, a wheat expert from the Satya Wacana Christian University (SWCU) Agriculture Faculty, Salatiga, Central Java.
In the last three months, Thomas has pre-consumed his own homemade wheat juice. According to Djoko, making wheatgrass juice is relatively easy. Grow wheat seeds in a tray containing a planting medium in the form of a mixture of husks and sand in a ratio of 2: 1. Dr. Ir Yohanes H. Agus MSc, SWCU Agriculture Faculty lecturer, said that seed spacing should be regularly 1 cm x 1 cm to prevent competition for the absorption of nutrients.
The third day after the seedlings, the seeds begin to germinate. We can harvest 20 cm tall seeds from Wheatgrass cultivation, aged 10 days. Cut the plant 5 cm from the surface of the growing media. After that, wash the harvest with boiled water, then put it in the juicer. We recommend using a juicer that has 2 functions, namely crushers and crushers.
Djoko advised consuming juice immediately to avoid oxidation. “Drink a maximum of 30 minutes after blending,” said the head of the SWCU Wheat Study Center. If oxidation occurs, the sweet taste in the juice will disappear and turn bitter. We cannot inhibit the oxidation process even though we store juice in the refrigerator. To maintain health, puree 4 grams of wheatgrass using a juicer, then add 250 ml of boiled water. Drink juice once a day.
“For those who are busy, wheatgrass extract in the form of powder and tablets can be an option for maintaining health,” said Deni Abdurrahman AMG AMK from PT Healthy Life Solutions International. According to Abdurrahman, children to adults are safe to consume wheatgrass juice. So young wheat seed juice is multi-functional.