There has been a lot of talk about wheatgrass recently. We have known for some time that it helps raise the hemoglobin level in some patients by stimulating fetal hemoglobin production, but more recently we have heard many questions about its value as a chelator, so I emailed Dr Chris Reynolds who has long studied the effects of wheatgrass and has long promoted wheatgrass as having great value for thalassemics. This is his reply.
"As for wheatgrass being an iron chelator, I have no doubt about it. I think I may have tried to get the message across some years ago about wheatgrass and beta thal, but it was basically ignored. In fact I have no doubt had any thalassemic patient taken up on regular daily wheatgrass shots, many, if not most, would by now have a better quality of life, have better control over ferritin and iron levels, and possibly be requiring less medication. Here are a couple of articles that back up what I’ve been saying:
http://drwheatgrass.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx…
Wheatgrass reduces transfusion requirements and ferritin levels in thalassemia intermedia
The role of iron chelation activity of wheat grass juice in blood transfusion requirement of intermediate thalassaemia. Mukhopadhyay. S., Mukhopadhyay. A., Gupta. P., Kar. M., Ghosh. A. 2007 Am. Soc. Hematol. Ann
2.
http://drwheatgrass.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx…
Wheatgrass as a natural iron chelator in myelodysplastic syndrome
The role of iron chelation activity of wheat grass juice in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome. Mukhopadhyay. S., Basak. J., Kar. M., Mandal. S., Mukhopadhyay. A. 2009. J. Clin. Oncology 2009:7012
Here is another article (there are several others) showing increased blood element production by bone marrow in cancer patients treated with wheatgrass.
http://drwheatgrass.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx…
There is also Dr. Marwaha’s ground-breaking article of reduced transfusion requirements in children taking wheatgrass juice daily.
http://drwheatgrass.com/…/post/Thalassemia_major_wheatgrass/
There is also considerable evidence now that wheatgrass has a potent effect on gene expression (which I have been saying for years) and, more specifically, on cellular proteasomes, in a positive way. Cereal grasses are also known to increase growth hormone output from the pituitary, which is most likely the root cause of increased haemoglobin and HbF. Unfortunately, Marwaha didn't measure for this in his patients, but I am almost certain he would have found an increase.
I hope this is of some use to you and your followers."
-from Thalpal FB group