10 health benefits of wheat germ

First, what is wheat germ? It's the part of the wheat kernel that is removed when wheat grains are being ground into flour. It's a very small part of the whole wheat grains, but it's rich in nutrients. You can often purchase wheat germ in grain or oil forms in health food sections of grocery stores or at health food stores.

1. Digestive cleansing: What germ has lots of fiber, and fiber is good for passing food through your body's digestive system. In other words, fiber makes you go to the bathroom more often. How can this be good? For one thing, it cleans out your system by urging along any toxins and bad bacteria that otherwise could build up in your stomach or intestines.
2. Fertility: What germ also has plenty of Vitamin E, and Vitamin E helps to keep the reproductive organs working well in both males and females. Vitamin E not only helps the organs to function properly, but it also can help men who suffer from impotence.
3. Healthy skin: Vitamin E also is good for anti-aging and keeping the skin looking young and smooth. So add some wheat germ to your cereal or yogurt or on top of fruit to keep your youthful glow!
4. Birth defects: No, wheat germ can't prevent all birth defects, but it does contain folic acid and plenty of other nutrients that can lower the chances of a birth defect in an unborn child.
5. Blood clots: All that Vitamin E in wheat germ also works as a natural anti-oxidant that's good for the heart. Eating wheat germ helps to prevent heart disease because that Vitamin E when in the blood stream helps to prevent cellular damage and buildups of clots in the blood.
6. Healthy hair: Want your hair to look fantastic? If so, add some wheat germ to your diet. Wheat germ contains thiamin, which contains an important vitamin in keeping your hair strong and natural looking. Thiamin is also good for the bones and skin.
7. Muscular disorders: Octacosanol is a natural fatty alcohol that helps to fight against muscular dystrophy and other muscular-related disorders. Guess what has its fair share of octacosanol? You guessed it. Wheat germ.
8. Weight loss: Wheat germ helps in the battle of the bulge, too. Vitamin B6 found in wheat germ is important in keep the body's metabolism going strong, and if the metabolism is going strong then the body is burning more calories. Thus, less weight. Also, Vitamin B5 found in wheat germ helps in the body's energy production, and a higher energy production means more calories burnt. Again, more weight loss.
9. Malnutrition: Wheat germ is what's considered a nutritionally dense food, which is a fancy way of saying it is stuffed full of vitamins, minerals, proteins and more that are important to the body. This makes wheat germ is positive food for third-world nations that are struggling with starvation and malnutrition, and for those who are suffering in more built up nations as well.
10. Disease resistance: All that Vitamin E and Vitamin B, as well as all the other nutrient found in wheat germ, helps to body to fight all kinds of different diseases, even cancers. Check with your doctor and a local nutritionist about adding some wheat germ to your diet. Who knows? It might just add years to your life.