Benefits Of Wheat Germ Oil

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Wheat germ oil is a rich source of dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, minerals vitamin E, vitamin B group and proteins. Furthermore, it contains some functional phytochemicals at a relatively low cost such as flavonoids, octacosanols, sterols and glutathione. Thus, Wheat germ is deemed to be healthy foods that can protect people from certain cancers and other health problems. Raw wheat germ (RWG), containing as much as 10 to 15% oil is mainly used in food, medical and cosmetic industries as a source of oil (Zhui et al., 2006). The antioxidants that are found in vegetable oils proved to be a better source for dietary antioxidants to the humans. The major antioxidants present in the vegetable oils are wheat germ oil, soya bean oil, polyphenols -olive oil and tocopherols- …show more content…

2.5.2. Wheat germ oil components Wheat germ oil is extracted from the germ of the wheat kernel. Wheat germ oil is a valuable source of essential fatty acids, including linolenic, palmitic and oleic, protein, minerals, it is naturally rich in vitamins A, D and E, and also, contains policosanal, vitamins B6, B3, B2, B1 and octacosanols, phytochemicals, dietary fibers, and antioxidant properties (Ikmak and Dunford, 2005). The wheat germ oil possesses various biological properties as anticancer and antioxidant agents (Barakat et al., 2011) Wheat germ oil induces the tocopherol-mediated redox system and inhibits the synthesis of eicosanoid, which activates the lipid peroxidation process (Chang et al., 2010). Less than its tocopherol content, WGO also contains fat-soluble carotenoids, which have antioxidant effect, such as lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene (Leenhardt et al.,

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