Abstract B139: Effect of wheat grass juice in supportive care of terminally ill solid organ cancer patients: Experience from eastern India

Background The solid content of juice made from wheat grass is 70% chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is often referred to as “The blood of plant life” and has almost the same chemical structure as hemoglobin. Chlorophyll cleanses the blood by improving the supply of oxygen to the circulatory system. Wheat grass is also a complete protein with about 30 enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Wheat grass juice has been proven over many years to benefit people in numerous ways, building the blood, restoring balance in the body, removing toxic metals from the cells, nourishing the liver and kidneys and restoring vitality. The aim of our study was to see the effect of wheat grass juice in terminally ill cancer patients to improve the quality of life.

Methods During period from January 2003 to December 2007 we selected 600 solid organ cancer patients in our palliative care unit of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute to see the effect of wheat grass on improvement of hemoglobin level, serum protein and performance status on terminally ill cancer patients. The age range of the patients was 22 year to 87 year (median age 42 years). The different types of cancers were lung (25%), breast (20%), esophagus (11%), colon (9%), ovary (8%), hepatocellular carcinoma (6%), stomach (6%) and others (15%) respectively. We cultivated wheat grass on our campus. When the grasses were 5 days old we took the fresh leaves including roots and made fresh juice out of that and gave 30 ml of juice to all our 400 cancer patients for 6 continuous months.

Result The mean levels of hemoglobin, serum total protein, albumin and performance status were 8 gm%, 5.4 gm%, 2.2 gm% and 50%. Fifty patients required transfusion support and those patients were excluded from the study. Other 348 patients are evaluated 6 months after receiving wheat grass juice. The mean values for hemoglobin, total protein and albumin were improved significantly (p value < .005) and means of 9.6 gm%, 7.4 gm% and 3.1 gm% were observed. White blood cell and platelet count were the same in both the cases. The performance status was improved from 50% to 70% (Karnofsky) after wheat grass treatment.

Conclusion We concluded that wheat grass juice is an effective alternative of blood transfusion. It’s use in terminally ill cancer patients should be encouraged.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):B139.