The claim back in the 1940s was that “fifteen pounds of wheatgrass is equal in overall nutritional value to 350 pounds of ordinary garden vegetables.”

The key is that the wheatgrass must be dried wheatgrass and the ratio ends up being about 20:1.

Other claims that are made for supplementation with wheatgrass (provided by wikipedia):

• improve the digestive system
• prevent cancer, diabetes and heart disease (woah!)
• cure constipation
• detoxify heavy metals from the bloostream
• cleanse the liver
• prevent hair loss
• help make menopause more manageable
• promote general wellbeing ((I always love that claim. What the heck does “general” wellbeing mean anyway? Nobody knows. Which is why it’s such a great claim to make.))

So yes, wheatgrass is extremely healthy (remember the 20:1 ratio). Can it stand up to the claims cited above? Research is lacking. I wouldn’t write it off but if a diet pill is citing wheatgrass as the primary ingredient for weight loss, they’re full of it. It does not in any way increase your metabolic rate (which is what you would get with caffeine and/or green tea).