John Myers
One oil, two areas of application. Wheat germ oil is said to have an internally beneficial effect as well as having a positive effect on the skin, hair, and scalp. Why? We have put together everything you need to know about wheat germ oil, its effects, and nutrients.
Wheat germ oil: valuable nutrients?
Simply extracting wheat germ oil would be time-consuming and not very effective. It takes several tons of wheat to produce a liter of the oil – because wheat germ oil is produced during flour production. Cold pressing is best: the valuable nutrients are retained. Wheat germ oil is rich in vitamin E and vitamin K as well as zinc. In addition, it should bring plenty of unsaturated fatty acids. Accordingly, wheat germ oil is considered healthy. It’s said to reduce inflammation, increase blood flow, and help balance blood pressure and cholesterol levels. However, the exact effect has not been scientifically proven. You can still combine the oil, which smells pleasantly of wheat, with our immune-boosting recipes – but cold, otherwise nutrients will be lost. Wheat germ oil is not suitable for frying anyway, given its low smoke point. Here it is best to switch to heat-stable oils with a smoke point of over 160°C. These include, above all, refined oils, such as olive, peanut, rapeseed, or sunflower oil.
Take wheat germ oil or use it externally
Thanks to its valuable ingredients, you can use wheat germ oil as a wonderful dietary supplement. But not only. Wheat germ oil is also famous for its use on the skin and head. It is said to have a nourishing and anti-inflammatory effect. Therefore, it is used to soothe irritated scalps. Massage it in and let it sink in. You can also apply wheat germ oil to your face. You can also massage it in there and benefit from the supposedly moisturizing and skin-tightening properties. Because of these properties, wheat germ oil is also said to help against stretch marks.
By the way: wheat germ oil is gluten-free. This is because gluten is only found in the endosperm of wheat, not in the wheat germ. But wheat germ isn’t the only source of beneficial oils. Find out which cooking oils are particularly healthy in our expert knowledge. Also read why you need to supply your body with vitamin E.
