Brisbane-based Sundeep Singh's world came to a grinding halt when he was diagnosed with stomach cancer in September 2016.
The 34-year-old who hails from a farming family in Punjab's Moga district was just two weeks away from the settlement of his first home in Greater Brisbane when the doctors told him that he would need gruelling chemotherapy and at least two major surgeries to rid his body of the tumour.
Grappling with the diagnosis that has proved fatal for many, his wife, Kiranjot Kaur, started looking for herbal remedies that she claims are widely used for trying to treat cancer back in her village in Punjab.
Through her online research, she came upon wheatgrass; a popular herb in the wheat family some claim to carry healing properties.
Mrs Kaur told SBS Punjabi that her husband started consuming wheatgrass juice regularly for three months before his second cancer eviction surgery.
“When we took him for the second surgery, to our surprise, the doctor told us that only 15 per cent of his tumour was now active, which they later removed through radiotherapy," she said.
“He didn’t require a second surgery. The cancer was gone…just like that, with no medicines, just a regular dosage of wheatgrass juice."
Mrs Kaur believes wheatgrass was largely responsible for not only helping her husband regain his lost strength but also recovering from cancer itself.
However, her belief was not shared by Mr Singh’s doctors who she says neither recommended nor stopped her from administering it to her husband.
The internet is rife with similar stories of people swearing by the “healing power” of wheatgrass - a young grass of the common wheat plant 'Triticum Aestivum' which can be easily grown in temperate weather conditions.
Dietitian and nutritionist Raghav Thukral is among those who support Internet theory.
“Wheatgrass provides a concentrated amount of nutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, amino acids, chlorophyll, and is a rich source of vitamins A, C and E."
“Over 70 per cent of wheatgrass is chlorophyll, a pigment which can increase hemoglobin content in the blood.
“The superfood has a high level of alkaline properties and is capable of treating internal ailments like joint pain, infections, weight-related problems and also external skin disorders besides cancer."
In Kanjla in Punjab, one man named Jaswinder Singh has gained the reputation of a “universal healer” who receives hundreds of calls and visits from cancer-afflicted patients and their families every year from as far away as Canada.
The 48-year-old claims he has “cured” hundreds of people with cancer and other ailments with wheatgrass in the past six years alone.
Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Mr Singh said he has been studying the plant since 1992.
“I have tested it on my own mother”, says Mr Singh.
“Doctors had given up on her case. But I put my years of research into the use and started giving her 100 ml of wheatgrass juice every day along with a raw food diet.
“She started walking and carrying out her ablutions in no longer than three months."
With the aim of sharing his findings with the world, Mr Singh is now on the verge of partnering with a group of volunteers from Punjab to spread awareness about wheatgrass.
The product is readily available in the markets across the globe in the form of juice, powder, shots and tablets. 
Wheatgrass Source: Facebook
But both Dr Thukral and Mr Singh warn that excess consumption of the herb could have adverse effects. They suggest that patients with serious health conditions must check with an expert before deciding on the form and amount of intake.
But as miraculous as these cases sound, there are no significant scientific studies to substantiate claims that wheatgrass can help cure or prevent cancer.
A review published in the magazine in 2006 suggested wheatgrass is certainly a rich source of nutrients but is not the magic pill many believe it to be.
In an interview with , Dr Shiny Chandran, a sports nutritionist from India said she doesn't stop her clients from consuming wheatgrass but doesn’t recommend it.
“It is an alkalizing agent, like other greens, and helps balance acidity caused by stress, oily food and excessive caffeine consumption, but is it a miracle cure? I don't think so,” Dr Chandran said.
Medical professionals who are sceptical about the plant's medicinal value believe the human body requires around 50 nutrients from a regular meal and it would be foolish to rely on just one single source for the body's basic needs.
They instead encourage a balanced diet that's supplemented with plenty of greens to maintain good health and a strong immune system.
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