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Wheat germ oil is extracted from the “live” portion of the wheat, which occupies about 2-4% of the total weight of the seed.
Wheat germ oil has also been tested for other applications, such as increasing circulatory blood flow and nervous reaction time (in mental chronometry); the results were more or less inconclusive.
Wheat germ oil also boasts a rather important cosmetic use; it finds applications in the topical dermatological treatment of stretch marks, keloids (scars), inflammation, dry skin and aging. For more information on the cosmetological uses of " wheat germ oil, read the article by clicking here.
Nutritional Characteristics
Wheat germ oil is considered a real functional food or nutraceutical.
First of all, we must not confuse the oil 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 compared to the product of its pressing and separation. In particular, wheat germ is rich in water-soluble and fat-soluble components, while only the latter are present in the oil; therefore, the substantial differences mainly reside 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 much higher than the whole embryo
- In the germ there are also many water-soluble vitamins (of group B and vitamin C), mineral salts, enzymes, peptides and fibers.
Nutritional values (per 100 g of edible portion)
The nutritional qualities of wheat germ oil are mainly attributable to the richness in vit E and essential fatty acids (polyunsaturated), even if, on balance, the latter could also be easily found in other natural products.
Wheat germ oil can contribute to the improvement of the lipid profile in the blood (cholesterol and triglycerides), to the maintenance of physiological blood pressure and to the optimization of the defensive system against free radicals (vitamin E). This results in the reduction of cardiovascular risk and 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 per 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 fats in the body. Therefore, although wheat germ oil acts positively on most of the complications related to obesity and sedentary lifestyle, it is to be considered as a food potentially responsible for adipose accumulation and the negative consequences related to it.
Types of Fats
Wheat germ oil is very rich in octacosanol, a saturated 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 proven.
Some polyunsaturated fatty acids of wheat germ are of the essential type (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, as well as that of many others, varies according to the enzymatic activity of the seed. In fact, thanks to sprouting, the embryo tends to activate itself, increasing its chemical baggage almost exponentially, including vitamins. , mineral salts, other antioxidants, etc.
Below is a summary table of the fatty acids mainly contained in wheat germ oil.
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