In case you’re a part of the vast majority of the population wondering, “what the heck is Gluten”, we’re here to help! Gluten is the general name for proteins found in Wheat, Rye and Barley. It acts as a glue that holds food together and helps it maintain its shape.
We get a lot of questions surrounding our Grass ingredients, specifically about our Gluten-Free certifications. At Suja, we use Barley Grass & Alfalfa Grass in a handful of our green products and we’re going to share exactly how those ingredients are, in fact, Gluten-Free!
The Barley Grass and Alfalfa Grass that we source are the young soft green shoots that eventually grow to produce the grain (1). The type of Gluten that causes reactions in those with celiac disease and Gluten sensitivity occurs in the grains (i.e., the seeds) produced by the Grass plants Wheat, Barley, Alfalfa and Rye. Pure Barley Grass and Alfalfa Grass
do not contain Gluten. It’s important to note that these Grasses are not grains. Alfalfa Grass and Barley Grass in their pure forms are considered Gluten-Free, but it does matter how they're harvested and how products containing them are produced (2).
At Suja, we test each lot of Barley Grass and Alfalfa Grass that comes in for Gluten contamination before it is used in our facility and before it is used in any of our juices. We also test each batch of finished Suja Organic products for Gluten contamination so our consumers can be confident that the Gluten-Free certification on our bottles is accurate!
Why Barley & Alfalfa Grass are green powerhouses:
- 11x more Calcium than cow’s milk (3,4, 5).
- 7x the Vitamin C in oranges (3,4, 5).
- 5x the Iron content of Spinach (3,4, 5).
- Excellent sources of beta-carotene, vitamin K, folic acid, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber, as well as good sources of Vitamin C (3,4, 5).
- Contain Chlorophyll: a natural detoxifier that rids the intestines of stored toxins (3,4, 5).
-Bella
SOURCES:
- "Organic Barley Grass Nutrients Health Benefits." GoGreen. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
- "Health Benefits of Barley Grass | Organic Facts." Organic Facts. 2013. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
- "Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, and Alfalfa: The Green Grasses." Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, and Alfalfa: The Green Grasses. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
- "Wheat Grass & Edible Cereal Grains." Wheat Grass & Edible Cereal Grains. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
- "Wheat Grass & Edible Cereal Grains." Wheat Grass & Edible Cereal Grains. Web. 08 Feb. 2016.
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