Wheat Germ – A Natural Supplement Packed Full of Essential Nutrients

I am always on the hunt for healthy, nutrient rich ‘whole foods’ to incorporate into my diet, and whilst browsing the web I stumbled across Wheat Germ, a natural supplement that has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain! It contains a total of 23 nutrients needed to maintain a healthy body.

The word ‘germ’ refers to germination, which is the reproductive part of the kernel that germinates and forms the wheat grass. It contains a very small proportion of the kernel *approx 2.5%*

This little gem definitely makes my short-list of Top 10 Super foods (upcoming article) and will now enlighten you why I think Wheat Germ should be part in everyone’s diet.

Health Benefits

Wheat Germ contains a good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, The concentrated oil or fat found in wheat germ is primarily made up of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids. These fats are known as ‘essential’ because the body is unable to produce them itself and relies on food intake for its source.

Essential fatty acids are also known as mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats *good” fats* and are needed in the body to maintain a healthy heart and healthy brain function (I will be covering this topic in more detail in a separate upcoming article).

Just 1 tablespoon of Wheat Germ is enough to provide our bodies with the entire recommended daily intake of omega 3 *how awesome is that*

It contains nearly every B vitamin our body needs, including thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and is one of the best sources for folate acid.

It is also an excellent source of vitamin E. 1 tablespoon equates to 20 milligrams, which is 100% of the recommended daily intake (Source U.S. Food and Drug Administration aka FDA)

Out of the 16 minerals our body needs to function properly, Wheat Germ contains 7 out of 10 major minerals (Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Sodium and Zinc) and 3 out of 6 trace minerals (Copper, Manganese and Selenium)

It has a good source of fibre and the brand used within this article contains 9.4g of protein and 2.6g of fibre based on a 32g serving.

How to Store Wheat Germ

Because of its unsaturated fat content, the oils in wheat germ mean that its shelf life is not particularly high. Once opened, store wheat germ in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container, where experts say it will keep up to nine months.

How Wheat Germ incorporated into your diet

Wheat Germ can be incorporated into your diet many different ways. I currently use  it as a low-fat and sugar alternative to supermarket Granola by lightly toasting mine for a few minutes. I then sprinkle it over a bowl containing Greek Yoghurt, a handful of Blueberries drizzled with a small amount of Pure Honey *very tasty and satisfies my sweet tooth*

It is known to work well in smoothies, used as a healthy alternative to breadcrumbs and have been used in a variety of baking recipes such as muffins, pancakes, waffles, biscuits and breads to name a few.

There is no denying that Wheat Germ should be included as part of our daily diet and cannot wait to experiment with it  in few cooking a baking recipes 🙂