Years ago nutritionists used to say that wheat germ was good for you. Nowadays, you don’t hear much about it. Does anyone know the answer? Also, in the supermarkets they have jars of Kretchmer’s wheat germ, and it says to refrigerate after opening. However, in Whole Foods, a health oriented chain market, they have the wheat germ in bulk, and not refrigerated. Is this ok?
Is wheat germ good for you?
Years ago nutritionists used to say that wheat germ was good for you. Nowadays, you don’t hear much about it. Does anyone know the answer? Also, in the supermarkets they have jars of Kretchmer’s wheat germ, and it says to refrigerate after opening. However, in Whole Foods, a health oriented chain market, they have the wheat germ in bulk, and not refrigerated. Is this ok?
Good question. I always keep a jar in the fridge and put a little bit in my oatmeal every morning. I really have not even thought about why, just always have because my parents always did.
I think it’s good for you. Isn’t it mainly bran? I use it but never ever put it in the fridge. It always seems fine, and I’ve never gotten sick from it.
Indeed, wheat germ used to get some “press,” but those days seem to have passed. Wheat germ is definitely good for you. The Web site, the World’s Healthiest Foods, has a nice blurb on it, which I share verbatim here:
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A “Germ” that Promotes Health
Wheat bran is not the only star when it comes to the health benefits of wheat; wheat germ definitely deserves its “health food” reputation. The germ is the vitamin and mineral rich embryo of the wheat kernel that is removed during the refining of whole wheat grains to white flour. Packed with important B vitamins, such as folate, thiamin, and vitamin B6, and the minerals zinc, magnesium, and manganese, wheat germ is a top-notch food that can be easily incorporated into casseroles, muffins, and pancakes or sprinkled over cereal or yogurt.
The wheat germ also has a high oil content, and subsequently a high amount of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the oil in the wheat germ from quickly becoming rancid. Vitamin E functions in a similar manner as a fat-soluble antioxidant in the human body where it helps protect fat-containing substances including cell membranes, brain cells, and fatty molecules such as cholesterol from damge by free radicals. Fats and cholesterol are very susceptible to free radical damage, a process that occurs when they are exposed to oxygen. When damaged, fats and cholesterol form toxic derivatives that, if left unchecked, can damage the structures of which they are a part and, in the case of cholesterol, contribute to the formation of atherosclerosis, a form of coronary artery disease. Vitamin E, when present in sufficient quantities, readily blocks these toxic derivatives.
Vitamin E not only protects fats, cholesterol and all cell membranes from damage, it is also important for immune system function, cancer prevention and blood glucose control in both healthy and diabetic individuals.
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And, yes, wheat germ can eventually become rancid, so it’s best to regrigerate it!
It’s the reproductive area or embryo of the wheat seed.
what is wheat germ -