Wheatgrass, anti ageing, etc

FullblownRose

I can never work out where to post things on Boards.ie so apologies if I'm in the wrong place here

I started taking wheatgrass capsules a couple of months back and they seemed to have a startling detox effect on me..after a week or so of 6 capsules per day my neck glands swelled up and I felt really 'off'..I have read that this is part of the process of eliminating toxins and all was well within a few days..I'm wondering if I should continue to take the wheatgrass now, two months later? Does it consistently benefit the human body or should you only take it every so often ?


Also thought I'd let anyone who is interested in supplements for dry sin know that I've been taking 2 capsules of MorEpa and 4 of Blackcurrant seed oil for a few weeks and they're helping enormously..I know there must be others who are hoping for some relief from tehir dry skin..

Mr. CooL ICE

If your neck glands are swelling from taking a supplement, the only thing to do is stop taking them and go see a doctor.

The whole idea of toxins is a topic for another day, but getting medical help from a GP should be a priority.

FullblownRose

Thank you, but that occured about 6 weeks ago and it resolved itself..there was no need for medical intervention and I felt significantly better afterwards. I have read that it is a common issue when undergoing a detox program.

FullblownRose

I took it as an indication that the undesirable toxins were being eliminated, albeit a little bit too rapidly for my body to be able to handle without symptoms like swollen glands. I think the term for this is a Herxheimer reaction, or a 'healing crisis'. I wasn't sure whether to believe in it or not until I was actually over it but I do feel far better overall now.

FullblownRose

I know that it happens to a lot of people when they detox and it often panics them, cancer is at the forefront of peoples minds nowadays and I don't think being alarmist is nice or helpful..toxicity cannot be a separate issue for another thread on another day when the thread is about detoxing, that would be illogical and lead to unnecessary worry for people.

fearcruach

What "toxins" get eliminated during a detox?

cgarrad

Get real wheatgrass, forget about dried dead powdered wheatgrass.

Then get this

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lexen-GP27-Healthy-Juicer-Silver/dp/B00069BVRQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362343564&sr=8-2

nearlythereacca

Real wheatgrass actually tastes delicious , its kind of sweet, much nicer than the powdered stuff which tasts awful!

metamorphosis

No need to be taking wheatgrass if you are only taking it to do what your liver and kidneys already do everyday

A real detox means eating REAL food and cutting out the alcohol, sugar, veg oil, upping fiberous green veggies, sleeping more and staying on top of hydration

kloc

I wonder if you started off on a lower dose and worked your way up, the reaction might not have been so severe.. Also you need to drink a lot more water when detoxing.. With most supplements just doing a course of 2-3 months is enough to help support your immune system or whatever it is you're trying to achieve and use again under periods of stress if needed but agree with the post above should ideally food first..

fearcruach

A Herxheimer reaction happens when certain particular types of bacteria are killed by antibiotics and release a toxin during their death. This has nothing to do with "detoxing" and it would not be precipitated by taking wheatgrass. Treatment of syphilis causes it.

Detoxing and the word toxin have to be some of the most misunderstood concepts out there.

kloc

fearcruach wrote: »

A Herxheimer reaction happens when certain particular types of bacteria are killed by antibiotics and release a toxin during their death. This has nothing to do with "detoxing" and it would not be precipitated by taking wheatgrass. Treatment of syphilis causes it.

Detoxing and the word toxin have to be some of the most misunderstood concepts out there.

Bacteria can be killed off or overpopulated by many things other than antibiotics, anti-fungals,anti-bacterials, probiotics etc which will lead to those die off symptoms that many people experience when going on a "detox"..

Curious as to what you think detoxing does if not ridding the body of toxins, be they bacterial, envirionmental, hormones or neurotransmitters etc?

fearcruach

kloc wrote: »

Bacteria can be killed off or overpopulated by many things other than antibiotics, anti-fungals,anti-bacterials, probiotics etc which will lead to those die off symptoms that many people experience when going on a "detox"..

Curious as to what you think detoxing does if not ridding the body of toxins, be they bacterial, envirionmental, hormones or neurotransmitters etc?

Unless they are pathogenic bacteria then it will not cause this reaction.

Your liver and kidneys remove toxic compounds from the body. Flushing the body with supplements, water only diets etc does not achieve this.

I don't understand what you mean about toxic neurotransmitters and how a detox can get rid of them?

FullblownRose

Thanks for the positive advice! I take the wheatgrass in addition to a fairly good diet and plenty of liquids.

FullblownRose

And from what I can remember the herxheimer reaction is so called because a dr. herxheimer was treatic a syphillis patient and noted that there was a decline in their condition before they improved, that's all! The idea is and the term implies is that you get a bit worse before you get better. It's not really much to do with syphillis apart from that!

FullblownRose

No wonder things can be 'misunderstood' when people go out of their way to undermine, bamboozle, contradict, erode, scare and sneer at people when they bring up an idea.

kloc

Yes agreed that's the ideal type of bacteria that one would be trying to kill.. Your lungs and skin also remove toxins from the body but the liver and kidneys do the hard work or should do if they're functioning properly.... Neurotransmitters like hormones once used up also need to be deactivated and eliminated through the liver as well. Again believe food should be used in the detoxification process to aid elimination, don't really agree with water/ liquid fasts as they create more stress on the detoxifying pathways...

pushkin21

Hey fullblownrose,
I grow my own wheatgrass! much better as you know exactly what you are getting in its pure form. It is so cheap to buy aswell, €3 for a kg bag and you get around five trays from that. I put it in my green juice and I do wheatgrass shots in my juicer too. Powerful stuff alright. Are you taking it for medical reasons?

fatmammycat

I'm genuinely curious too, what toxins get eliminated during a detox?

pushkin21

The way wheatgrass oxygenates the blood, it makes it easier for the kidneys and liver to function normally and dispose of toxins. Certainly if I have a wedding or an event where I have a few too many drinks, when I take my wheatgrass shot I get a headache for less than an hour. Then I am flying. It is obviously the detox effect. normally I would never get a headache with wheatgrass. I think the shots of it are great, you get an instant rush from it and feel the energy from it. It really helps with sports performance and general buzzing around. I wouldnt be into taking the supplements though, I prefer the real thing.

homemadecider

pushkin21 wrote: »

The way wheatgrass oxygenates the blood, it makes it easier for the kidneys and liver to function normally and dispose of toxins. Certainly if I have a wedding or an event where I have a few too many drinks, when I take my wheatgrass shot I get a headache for less than an hour. Then I am flying. It is obviously the detox effect. normally I would never get a headache with wheatgrass. I think the shots of it are great, you get an instant rush from it and feel the energy from it. It really helps with sports performance and general buzzing around. I wouldnt be into taking the supplements though, I prefer the real thing.

Citation missing. Can you give reputable sources for this info please?

pushkin21

This is a discussion forum, maybe try google scholar medical journals for more factual scientific studies on wheatgrass. Very interesting.

the world wonders

pushkin21 wrote: »

The way wheatgrass oxygenates the blood, it makes it easier for the kidneys and liver to function normally and dispose of toxins.

Please explain how exactly wheatgrass "oxygenates the blood". Also please provide a basis for your suggestion that a normal healthy person's kidneys and liver are short of the oxygen they need to function normally.

Oryx

FullblownRose wrote: »

No wonder things can be 'misunderstood' when people go out of their way to undermine, bamboozle, contradict, erode, scare and sneer at people when they bring up an idea.

To be honest, it is often those who promote alternative therapies that undermine, bamboozle and contradict. Now, don't get me wrong, I think there is a lot to be had from a holistic approach to health, and it is something conventional medicine usually misses out on, given that their attitude is often medicate rather than seek and treat an underlying cause.

I am absolutely not sneering at any suggestion out there, but what I do look for is proof that any product actually does something. Generally, 'detoxing' has something going for it, though the actual word is something of a misnomer. The body detoxes itself everyday, all the time. What we can do is put the right stuff into ourselves so that the detoxing system (liver and kidneys) is under less stress. I have no problem accepting that certain foods might help with this. Where my skepticism goes into overdrive is when detox claims are exaggerated, or based on some pretty shaky theories (like the debunked detox foot spa, or the toxin absorbing foot pads that are currently doing the rounds).

If someone says a product can and does remove something harmful from my body, (rather than simply promoting my good health through clean diet and balanced nutrition) then I need to know how, and I need to know that method is based on fact and not fancy.

hardCopy

pushkin21 wrote: »

Hey fullblownrose,
I grow my own wheatgrass! much better as you know exactly what you are getting in its pure form. It is so cheap to buy aswell, €3 for a kg bag and you get around five trays from that. I put it in my green juice and I do wheatgrass shots in my juicer too. Powerful stuff alright. Are you taking it for medical reasons?

You must shop in the same place as this guy

Liam90

the world wonders wrote: »

Please explain how exactly wheatgrass "oxygenates the blood". Also please provide a basis for your suggestion that a normal healthy person's kidneys and liver are short of the oxygen they need to function normally.

Wheatgrass increases the oxygen levels in the blood. Cancer hates oxygen thats why alot of cancer patients swear by wheatgrass.

fearcruach

Liam90 wrote: »

Wheatgrass increases the oxygen levels in the blood. Cancer hates oxygen thats why alot of cancer patients swear by wheatgrass.

If cancer hates oxygen then why does lung cancer or skin cancer exist?

the world wonders

Liam90 wrote: »

Wheatgrass increases the oxygen levels in the blood.

That's not an explanation, that's just restating the original unsupported assertion.

Cancer hates oxygen

...and piling even more unsupported assertions on top of it.

FullblownRose

Thanks. The original post was really aimed at people who have made the decision to use Wheatgrass, I'm not selling it or pushing it on anyone so if you want information on it then it's probably best if you look into it yourself

Thanks to the person who posted the link to the juicer, I thought they'd be much more expensive than that and I've found out that it can be grown easily and in a short time so I'll have a go at that