Wheatgrass Juice

I was at the local health food store today, checking yogurt off my list, when a woman approached me and said “Maybe I can convince you to add wheatgrass juice to your shopping list.” She handed me a pamphlet and started explaining the virtues of wheatgrass juice.

“This magical liquid contains amylase and protease, which are like soap for your digestive system and give a gentle cleanse,” she said. “And it’s full of B12, which green vegetables provide very little of.”

Now this is exactly what I find most annoying about health food. While I support eating local and organic for the environmental benefits, the pseudo-scientific babble that’s used to justify the “magical” properties of foods just drives me batty.

“That’s misleading,” I said. “Amylase is the enzyme that digests sugars and starches. It’s present in large quantities in saliva and throughout the digestive tract. Protease digests proteins. There are many different kinds, but all the ones necessary for human health are readily available in our bodies, and if they weren’t, we’d have a problem too big to be solved by wheatgrass.”

“But B12…” she started.

“That’s the most misleading part of what you said.” I was intentionally keeping my voice down. “B12 isn’t present in green vegetables, but it is present in meat, eggs and dairy products, so telling me that I’m not getting enough B12 from green vegetables is like telling someone that they’re not getting enough calcium from apples. Do they need a calcium supplement? No, because they’re drinking milk! And I don’t need a B12 supplement for the same reason.”

“Thanks,” she said, looking for an escape. “I’ve learned a lot from this exchange and I appreciate the information.”

I continued on with my shopping, and as I was leaving the store, I heard her approach another customer “Wheatgrass juice contains amylase and protease…”