Superfood Wheat Germ

For the vast majority of ordinary people who eat a lot of takeaways, don’t eat enough whole grains, often suffer from oral ulcers, and suffer from fatigue and hair loss, wheat germ is indeed a cost-effective superfood for civilians and is completely worth eating. However, it is not a universal nutritional miracle drug. It also has clear applicable groups and precautions. There is no need to overly deify it or deliberately belittle it.

I have been taking it myself for almost three years. It was first recommended by my trainer when I was working out. When I was in a hurry in the morning, I would make one spoonful of oats and two spoonfuls of wheat germ with a boiled egg. I would not be hungry until 11 o'clock in the morning. It was much more useful than eating rice balls from convenience stores before. Many people who have been eating white flour all their lives do not know that in a grain of wheat, 97% is the endosperm and bran used to grind ordinary flour, and only 3% is the germ, which is the core of life of the entire wheat - by analogy, it is equivalent to the yolk in an egg. All the nutrients for seed germination are stored in this small piece.

I checked the Chinese food ingredient list before and found that 100 grams of dried wheat germ has a protein content of 36g, which is higher than the same weight of lean beef. The dietary fiber is also about 12g, which is almost the amount you would get by eating 10 pounds of Chinese cabbage. What's more substantial is its vitamin content. The vitamin E content is more than 20 times that of ordinary rice. The content of B vitamins, especially B1 and B2, is more than ten times higher than that of polished rice. To be honest, many people now get mouth ulcers when they stay up late and feel groggy and unmotivated at work. Most of them are due to insufficient intake of B vitamins. Instead of spending dozens of yuan to buy synthetic B vitamin supplements, you can basically make up for most of it by sprinkling two spoons of this every day. There are also minerals such as linoleic acid, which is friendly to blood vessels, and zinc, which is good for metabolism, and magnesium. The content is much higher than that of common cereals.

However, many people have been entangled recently, saying that there is a fierce quarrel on the Internet. Some people say that it is a high-purine food and people with gout cannot touch it. Another group says that plant purines have no burden and can be eaten casually. I specifically asked my nutritionist friends about this, and there is really no unified conclusion at present: the purine content of dried wheat germ is about 240mg per 100g, which is a medium-high purine food. To be safe, it must be completely avoided during the attack of gout. It is also best to control it within 10g each time during the remission period, no more than 3 times a week. ； However, some studies have shown that the metabolic absorption rate of plant purines is about 30% lower than that of animal purines. If your uric acid control is very stable, it is not a big problem to take one or two spoons occasionally. If you are really unsure, ask your doctor, and don’t blindly believe in extreme statements on the Internet.

Some people say that it is high in calories and should not be eaten by people who are trying to lose weight. This is because they simply did not calculate the amount clearly. 100g of dry wheat germ does have 360 calories, which is about the same as rice, but the amount you usually eat is not that much. A spoonful is only 5g, only 18 calories. It is not as high in calories as a bite of cake, but its dietary fiber is full. The feeling is particularly strong. I used to have a friend who lost fat. He used to eat two meat buns in the morning. Now he makes a bowl of sugar-free oatmeal with 10g of germ and he is not hungry all morning. In half a month, he has lost 3 pounds. He said that it is much more comfortable to lose fat on an empty stomach than before.

The biggest pitfall I encountered before was that I was greedy for cheap and bought the "instant wheat germ powder" with added sugar and non-dairy creamer. It was so sweet that I drank it for half a month. Not only did I not get enough nutrition, but I also gained two pounds. When buying, be sure to read the ingredient list. Only the ones with the words "wheat germ" are serious. It is light golden in color and has a light natural wheat aroma. If it smells bad after opening, throw it away immediately. It has a high content of unsaturated fatty acids and is particularly prone to oxidation and deterioration. It is best to keep it in the refrigerator after opening, and it is best to eat it within a month.

Of course, it is not suitable for everyone. People who are allergic to wheat must avoid it completely. There are also friends with particularly weak stomachs who usually get bloating when eating whole grains. Don’t eat more than 10g at a time, otherwise they will be prone to acid reflux and bloating.

In fact, I have always felt that there is no 100% super food. All nutritional supplements are based on a balanced daily diet. If you have fried chicken and milk tea and stay up until dawn, it doesn't matter how much wheat germ you eat. But if you usually eat a lighter diet, eat less whole grains, and are too lazy to buy a lot of supplements, then wheat germ, which costs more than ten yuan a pound, is really the most cost-effective option. It is delicious sprinkled in yogurt, mixed in porridge, or even mixed in salads, and is very convenient.