"First, do no harm"
Sir William Osler (1849-1919)
Canadian-born physician |
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka" (I've found it!), but "That's funny..."
Isaac Asimov |
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Wheatgrass At Work Newsletter - December 2005
Does it have to be green to be good for you?
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Hello Everyone,
Back in the 1940's, chlorophyll was king and, if you read the marketing spin about the benefits of wheatgrass, it still holds sway as a key healing agent that does everything from increasing oxygen levels to cleansing the blood. Or even more outrageously "helps keep the colon healthy by destroying disease causing bacteria." In reality, other than playing its extremely important role in photosynthesis, there is probably only one claim that can be made about this molecule and that is, "It's green."
Hailed as a great healer, there was no shortage of research funding to prove that chlorophyll could clean and heal infected wounds. For instance, in 1947, US Army Lieutenant-Colonel Bowers reported on the use of "water-soluble derivatives" of chlorophyll in over 400 cases. He noted several major effects, notably:
1. Loss of odour associated with infected wounds
2. A stimulating effect on tissue formation when used as a dressing particularly for burns
3. A drying effect in the case of abscesses, sinus tracts, surface wounds and osteomyelitis (bone infection).
He also mentions faster healing of anal fistulas e.g. as in Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, bedsores, bone fractures, gunshot wounds and so on. In some cases, legs were saved from "inevitable amputation".
The author was “convinced that chlorophyll is the best agent known for use in the treatment of suppurative diseases, indolent ulcers or wherever stimulation of tissue repair is desired..”
Although I am not familiar with war-caused injuries and infections, I can certainly vouch for many of the healing observations the colonel made as I have observed them many times in clinical practice. In particular burns, fractures, anal fistulas, bedsores and infected wounds - and I could add many of my own original medical uses to the list.
But was it the chlorophyll or the "water-soluble derivatives" that did the job? Almost certainly the latter was the case.
You see, chlorophyll is a very complicated molecule that degenerates very quickly. It is also very expensive to synthesise, so to produce a "chlorophyll" product would cost a fortune and be inaccessible to most people.
Then and now, the research was done with a substance called "Chlorophyllin" which, due to an added copper ion that kept the wheatgrass mixture green, was no more than a food colourant - approved by the American FDA. But then it was found that chlorophyllin had remarkable healing properties. Ever since, chlorophyll has been attributed with healing properties, some of which I have already mentioned.
However, the wheatgrass extract I use is brown and laboratory tests show it contains no chlorophyll! Yet it can achieve many if not all the same healing miracles we see with chlorophyllin. Why? I am almost certain it is because of the Grass Juice Factor. This powerful growth and fertility factor exists not just in cereal grasses, but in many other plants in varying amounts such as green peas, cauliflower, peanuts, carrots (orange not green) and turnips. Perhaps one reason for Japanese longevity is a high level of the Grass Juice Factor in seaweed that is widely consumed in Japan.
So, no. Eating green is okay because of the GJF, but so are many other non-green foods. The factor itself is, as I have mentioned many times, most likely a natural immunomodulator or "normaliser" of damaged cells. The implications for this in advancing medical knowledge and for natural healing are potentially immense.
Food for thought?
Well, that's all for 2005 folks. I would like to thank everyone who has kept me busy with questions, discussions, comments and suggestions this year. Thank you also to everyone who signed up for my newsletter. You've made it a record year for new subscribers and interest in my website has been exponential.
The very best to everyone for the Christmas season and a Happy New Year to all.
Dr. Chris Reynolds.
Melbourne,
Australia.
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