You might have seen wheatgrass in your green smoothie at your local health food store. It’s also rather ubiquitous at farmer’s markets. It first became popular in the United States in the 1930s.

But what is it?

It is the freshly-sprouted leaves of the wheat plant, harvested 7-10 days after sprouting. Wheatgrass is a concentrated source of numerous vitamins and minerals, namely A, C, E, K, B6, zinc, iron, selenium and manganese and may provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is usually taken to flush toxins from the body and provide a burst of energy. I’ve only tried it in smoothies and it can be quite bitter.