Wheat grass juice for ulcerative colitis - Literature Review & Commentary

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, August-Sept, 2002 by Alan R. Gaby

Twenty-three patients (mean age, 35.3 years) with active distal ulcerative colitis were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, wheat grass (Triticum aestivum) juice or placebo (matched with wheat grass juice for appearance, but not for taste or smell) for 1 month. The wheat grass juice was prepared fresh each day and consumed within an hour of extraction. The initial dose was 20 ml/day; this was increased by 20 ml/day every day to a maximum dose of 100 nil/day. Efficacy of treatment was assessed by a disease activity index that included rectal bleeding, number of bowel movements per day, sigmoidoscopic evaluation, and global assessment by a physician. Nineteen patients completed the trial. Compared with placebo, wheat grass juice significantly reduced (improved) the overall disease activity index score (p < 0.04) and the severity of rectal bleeding (p < 0.03) and abdominal pain (p < 0.02). Improvement on sigmoidoscopic examination was seen in 7 (78%) of 9 patients receiving wheat grass juice a nd in 3 (30%) of 10 patients receiving placebo (p = 0.13). No serious side effects were seen. Nausea occurred in 33% of patients receiving active treatment; however, 41% of those receiving active treatment reported the positive side effect of increased vitality.

Comment: In this study, wheat grass juice appeared to be beneficial in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis. Wheat grass is produced by sprouting and planting the seeds of the common wheat plant (Triticurn aestivum). The difference between wheat grass and what most of us recognize as edible wheat is that the former is harvested much earlier in its life cycle. The use of wheat grass juice for therapeutic purposes was developed by Dr. Ann Wigmore. Although it has been recommended for nearly 50 years as a treatment for various diseases (including chronic inflammatory conditions and cancer), until now it has not been tested in clinical trials. Perhaps this report will spur researchers to investigate some of the other claims that have been made for wheat grass juice.

Ben-Arye E, et al. Wheat grass juice in the treatment of active distal ulcerative colitis: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Scand J Gastroenterol 2002;37:444-449.