What is Wheat Germ?
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Walk past any health food store and you will no doubt see advertisements for wheat germ. Wheat germ is one of the most nutritional products available. In fact, wheat germ contains 23 nutrients, and has more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain.
Wheat germ is a part of the wheat kernel. The germ is only a very small part of the kernel, approximately 2 ½ percent in total. The word germ does not have anything to do with bacteria; it simply refers to germination. The germ is the reproductive part that germinates and forms the wheat grass.
Wheat germ is very high in protein. It contains around 28 percent protein and has more protein than can be found in most meat products. The human body needs protein in order to repair tissue damage and to help minerals and nutrients reach our cells.
The amount of nutrients that are contained within wheat germ seems endless. It contains more potassium and iron than any other food source. Also found in great quantities are riboflavin, calcium, zinc magnesium and vitamins A, B1 and B3. Vitamins B1 and 3 are very important to maintain energy levels and maintain healthy muscles, organs, hair and skin.
Another important vitamin found in wheat germ is vitamin E. Vitamin E is a very important antioxidant. It is helpful in preventing the body's aging process and also to prevent heart disease. Vitamin E also helps to prevent blood clots and is needed to strengthen the body’s immune system.
Wheat germ has been found to be very beneficial in order to keep the body in tip top condition. It is used by athletes in their diet to improve cardiovascular function and improve endurance levels. Body builders will also add wheat germ to their diets in order to bulk up and maintain the nutritional levels they need to perform.
You can buy wheat germ from all good health stores and many supermarkets will carry it as well. It can either be purchased in toasted or fresh form. There are also many food products that already contain wheat germ. A number of cereals are made with it, as well as bread and flour.
If you make your own bread or cakes you can easily add wheat germ when baking by using it instead of a small amount of flour. You will find that it has a sweet, almost nutty flavor that is not too overpowering. It can also be added to meat dishes, eggs, vegetables and even yogurt.
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36
Has anyone heard of the wheat containing estrogen in it? There are products that contain this female hormone product which can be bad on young girls and boys. Ex: Girls: it can make an underage girl have a early menstrual cycle, develop physically, facial hairs etc. Boys : It interferes with there becoming a man, the way they act, female ways can come about with long term use of wheat products that have estrogen in it, and a whole host of things. This it not good! Watch it! - anon52462
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which cereals have wheat germ? - anon50489
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i am a type 2 diabetic. would adding wheat germ to white flour make it good for baking my own bread, like say stone ground whole wheat, or the making of my own flour tortillas? - anon48959
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I need information about malting of wheat. Please can you help me on that? - anon48786
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Zinc in wheat germ is important for semen production. ZMA is a supplment of Zinc/Magnesium/Vit B6 and it's supposed to be taken on an empty stomach and before bed. I believe wheat germ will also do the trick. Only thing to note: don't take it with calcium foods such as milk, as calcium prohibits zinc absorption. - anon44872
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Wheat germ oil repairs sun damage. Also does wonders for your wrinkles. - anon43554
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I add it to my protein shakes/smoothies, like to do half wheat germ half whey protein powder. - anon39216
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I am starting an "Eat Clean diet" and it talks about wheat germ (and other good things), the recipes tell how much to put in, but I can't find where it says how much you should consume each day or how often. It does with the protein powder on the can, but not on the wheat germ bottle. thanks PL - anon37536
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Daily taken in the morning or night? - anon34679
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For 4616Wheat germs are extracted on each grain mill but because the fat is removed from white flour to vitafeed for animal. Fat has impact on expiration date. Wheat germs are on whole flour.
- anon33871
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Wheat germ is where the wheat protein or gluten is stored. - eatright
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Storing wheat germ at 39*F(4*C)for more than six months will lose 10% of its vitamin E content. It is safe to use. - anon29950
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Is it necessary to purchase Wheat germ which has been refrigerated? And how should it be stored after opening the package? - anon25724
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If a person has gluten intolerance, would they be unable to eat wheat germ? - anon22661
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anon19786 you can extract dna from wheat germ by blending the tissue to disrupt cell walls and centrifuging at about 6000g. this will pull the cell walls and the nuclei into a pellet. the pellet can be resuspended and then precipitated using either the phenol technique or the sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and NaCl technique. - anon19957
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a friend and I are going to do a school project on how to extract DNA from wheat germ..any tips? We tried going to the library and the only place we found the phrase "wheat germ" in was the encyclopedia and that only gave us the basic definition. do you know how we could find more information?
- anon19786
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This is a response to anon14102. There is a way to combat type 2 diabetes. Simply put, correct diet and adequate exercise can reverse the onset of diabetes. Do research on carbohydrates and the glycemic load of the foods you consume daily. Since you have type 2 already, this means that your pancreas is in trouble. You need to give it a break from producing the hormone, insulin. You can do this through your diet.
Definitely continue taking your doctor prescribed medication. Along with your medication, try switching to a diet which is void of carbohydrates except those supplied from vegetables and limited fruits. This can work wonders for someone with type 2 diabetes, especially if supplemented with exercise. Cut out all bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, and other processed foods from your diet and add in lots of vegetables and see if this helps. I hope it does.
- anon16110
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anon14102, i'm a medical doctor in the US. as far as i know, wheat germ will not interact with any diabetes medicines. there is no medical cure for diabetes type 2, just medications to help control the symptoms. there is a lifestyle cure: dramatic weight loss, a healthy diet, and plenty of exercise for the rest of your life. it's hard to do, and very few people are able to pull it off, but those that do won't need to take any pills.
i've never heard of NONI juice. i don't know if it helps. it's unlikely to be a cure...if there was a cure for diabetes already available, some money-hungry pharmaceutical company would've figured it out and be marketing it already. - anon15489
Editor's reply: thanks for your comments. in response to the earlier post, you may want to visit our articles, is there a cure for diabetes? and what is noni juice? for more information on the topics.
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Yes their is a natural cure for diabetes. It is called NONI juice. some health food store carry it. Or you can search for it on Google. There are many who sell it. Tahition noni is way too expensive. What I suggest is use your blender and make some blueberry juice. Sweeten it with honey if necessary. Mix it with your Noni juice. drink as much as you can. You health is worth every penny. - almoska
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I love the wheat germ and think that it packs a punch when it comes to the very needed vitamin and minerals we all need. My question is, will taking wheat germ interact with certain types of medications? I have type 2 diabetes and take pills twice a day, will eating wheat product or wheat germ interact with my medication? I do know that since being diagnosed with High Cholesterol back in the late 90's, and eating wheat germ and other wheat products as well avocados my cholesterol has dropped dramatically. So I know that it's good for your health. I also know changing my diet and becoming less of an couch potato and being more active physically helped. But is there any known cure for diabetes? If so; anyone, please inform me. - anon14102
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to anon9436
perhaps those percentages refer to US RDA ? not cumulative mass of product.
- anon12927
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Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) has actions very similar to insulin in promoting cell division and increasing cellular glucose transport. In the ileum it causes changes similar to Celiac disease – but without generating anti-gliadin antibodies – i.e. no Celiac diagnosis and no confirmation biopsy. It also appears to damage the brush border of the intestine, where lactase is produced. There may be many people out there diagnosed with lactose intolerance simply because their lactase has been knocked out by WGA. If I were lactose intolerant I’d cut out wheat for a few weeks then challenge with dairy to see if it is true lactose intolerance. These things are never simple. - anon11445
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"Kretschmer Wheat germ contains
Vitamin E 20%
Thiamin 10%
Folic Acid 20%
Phosphorous 10%
Magnesium 8%
Zinc 10%"
78% trace elements? Yer pullin' me leg. - anon9436
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To one of the above questions, NO wheat germ does not increase the amount of semen volume. I tried it and so I can tell you from my own personal experience that it will not increase volume. If you still don't believe me wheat germ is inexpensive and healthy so you can try for yourself (and it won't do you any harm).
There is only one product that I know that can dependably increase sperm volume but unfortunately it makes you blind (long term blindness) so I am not even going to name what it is here (because I do not think it is healthy for people to take it). - anon8910
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It's easy to sneak it into muffins. Just made some. It gives muffins a certain crunchiness that's pleasant. - anon8545
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Easy way to sneak it into your kid's foods: add it to a peanut butter sandwich. if they are used to crunchy peanut butter, they probably won't notice it. Or make bread and add it into the recipe.
My mom gave me peanut butter & honey & wheat germ sandwiches when I was little and called them "pooh bear sandwiches". I thought it was cool because it was called "pooh bear", and she was happy because I got the extra nutrients. A win-win! - anon8127
Editor's reply: thanks for the tip!
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I have heard that wheat germ also increases the volume and thickness of semen. Is this true?
It's true .. Wheat germ has Zinc which is very important for Semen production. Also Vitamin E and Folic acid in it helps a lot. i highly recommend it. Good for the heart too!
Kretschmer Wheat germ contains Vitamin E 20% Thiamin 10% Folic Acid 20% Phosphorous 10% Magnesium 8% Zinc 10%
Allergic or not .. better try it out. One bottle of 11oz costs about $5.
Wheat germ has lot of fiber too. If you eat too-too much you will have loose motion.
No idea about Gluten. :( - anon7675
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Does wheat germ contain gluten? - anon7529
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I have heard that wheat germ also increases the volume and thickness of semen. Is this true? - anon7089
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Does wheat germ have gluten?...helen - anon6649
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what are some ways i can get this into my kids' food? they are pretty picky, and sneaking this into their food would probably up the healthy quotient on their meals! also, is wheat germ good if you need to get extra fiber in your diet? - olittlewood
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I need information about production of Wheat Germ in industrial scale ....can you guide me...? - anon4616
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I am allergic to wheat grass, does that mean I can not take wheat flour or wheat germ? are they the same thing? - anon650
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Written by
Garry Crystal
Last Modified: 14 November 2009
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