Wheat grass (Triticum Aestivum) belongs to the Gramineae family of plants and has a number of medicinal properties that are of nutritional interest. In particular the leaves of the plant contain a range of phytochemicals that include antioxidants and other therapeutic agents. These agents include chlorophyll, vitamins A, vitamin C, vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols), flavonoids, iron, calcium, magnesium and amino acids. In one study researchers investigated the effects of wheat grass leaf extracts on an animal model of mood disorders. Animals that consumed wheat grass leaf extracts were significantly protected from depressive-like symptoms and displayed reduced anxious behaviour when exposed to experimental stress, and this was accompanied by a reduction in free radical damage to their brains. The authors concluded that the extract may be protecting the animals from the development of brain changes synonymous with mood disorders, by limiting the oxidative stress in the brains of the animals.
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