Wheat germ oil

What's this ?

The wheat germ oil is extracted from the "living" portion of the wheat, which takes up about 2-4% of the total weight of the seed.

If used in the kitchen, wheat germ oil has a very intense taste. It is quite expensive and, due to its chemical characteristics (despite the excellent content of vitamin E), it is also easily perishable; therefore, its conservation should be carried out in a cool and dark place (in the refrigerator).

Wheat germ oil has also been tested for other applications, such as increased circulatory blood flow and nervous reaction time (in mental chronometry); the results were more or less inconclusive.

Wheat germ oil also has a rather important cosmetic use; finds applications in topical dermatological treatment of stretch marks, keloids (scars), inflammation, skin dryness and aging. For more information on the cosmetic uses of wheat germ oil, read the article by clicking here.

Nutritional Features

Wheat germ oil is considered a real functional or nutraceutical food .

First of all, the oil should not be confused with the germ (or embryo) from which it is extracted. In fact, the wheat germ - which is considered the living portion of the seed - has different chemical properties with respect to the product of its pressing and separation. In particular, wheat germ is rich in water-soluble and fat-soluble components, while in the oil only the latter are present; therefore, the substantial differences lie mainly in the fact that:

The oil is a concentrate of lipophilic molecules, which is why the levels of related vitamins, fatty acids and plant sterols are definitely higher than the whole embryo
In the germ there are also many water-soluble vitamins (from group B and vit C), mineral salts, enzymes, peptides and fibers.

Nutritional composition for 100g of " Wheat Germ Oil "

Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)

Chemical composition		Value for 100g
Edible part		100%
water		tr
Protein		0.0g
Total lipids		99, 9g
	Saturated fatty acids	15, 6g
	Monounsaturated fatty acids	20, 0g
	Polyunsaturated fatty acids	59, 3g
Polyunsaturated / Saturated ratio		3.8
Cholesterol		0, 0mg
Carbohydrates available		0.0g
	Starch	0.0g
	Soluble sugars	0.0g
Total fiber		0.0g
	Soluble fiber	0.0g
	Insoluble fiber	0.0g
Phytic acid		0.0g
Alcohol		0.0g
Power		899, 0kcal
Sodium		tr
Potassium		tr
Iron		0, 0mg
Football		0, 0mg
Phosphorus		0, 0mg
Magnesium		- mg
Zinc		- mg
Copper		- mg
Selenium		- µg
Thiamine		0, 0mg
Riboflavin		0, 0mg
Niacin		0, 0mg
Vitamin A retinol eq.		0, 0μg
C vitamin		0, 0mg
Vitamin E		133, 0mg

The nutritional value of wheat germ oil is mainly due to the richness in vit E and essential fatty acids (polyunsaturated), even if, on balance, the latter could easily be found also in other natural products.

Wheat germ oil can contribute to the improvement of the blood lipid profile (cholesterol and triglycerides), to the maintenance of physiological blood pressure and to the optimization of the defensive system against free radicals (vit E). This results in the reduction of cardiovascular risk and in the moderation of generalized oxidative stress .

The average portion of wheat germ oil is the same as any other seasoning oil; therefore it should not exceed 5-10g for food to be seasoned.

This limit is imposed by the caloric potential of the oil, which - if taken in excessive quantities - can favor the storage of fat in the body. Therefore, although wheat germ oil acts positively on most complications related to obesity and sedentary lifestyle, it is to be considered as a food potentially responsible for fat accumulation and the negative consequences related to it.

Types of Fats

Wheat germ oil is very rich in octacosanol, a long-chain aliphatic fatty acid, also known as n-octacosanol or octacosyl alcohol . Some speculate that octacosanol may be involved in improving sports performance, but its effectiveness has not been demonstrated.

Some polyunsaturated fatty acids of wheat germ are essential (omega 6 and omega 3) and have a marked cholesterol-lowering function.

Wheat germ oil provides 133mg / 100g of vitamin E, which is the most significant level of any food that has not undergone any fortification. It should also be remembered that the content of this nutrient, like that of many others, varies according to the enzymatic activity of the seed. In fact, thanks to the germination, the embryo tends to become active, increasing its chemical baggage almost exponentially, including vitamins, mineral salts, other antioxidants, etc.

Below is a summary table of fatty acids mainly contained in wheat germ oil.