Wheat germ consists of three components, the bran (husk), the endosperm (flour body), which mainly consists of starch, and the germ, which is rich in essential fatty acids and contains vitamins and minerals. Wheat grains can be processed into flour, or cooked whole grain, used instead of rice, or mixed with salads.
General information:
From Wikipedia: “Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain which is a worldwide staple food. There are many species of wheat that together make up the genus Triticum; the most widely grown is common wheat (T. aestivum).
The archaeological record suggests that wheat was first cultivated in the regions of the Fertile Crescent around 9600 BCE. Botanically, the wheat kernel is a type of fruit called a caryopsis.
Wheat is grown on more land area than any other food crop (220.4 million hectares, 2014). World trade in wheat is greater than for all other crops combined. In 2016, world production of wheat was 749 million tonnes, making it the second most-produced cereal after maize. Since 1960, world production of wheat and other grain crops has tripled and is expected to grow further through the middle of the 21st century. Global demand for wheat is increasing due to the unique viscoelastic and adhesive properties of gluten proteins, which facilitate the production of processed foods, whose consumption is increasing as a result of the worldwide industrialization process and the westernization of the diet.
Wheat is an important source of carbohydrates. Globally, it is the leading source of vegetal protein in human food, having a protein content of about 13%, which is relatively high compared to other major cereals, but relatively low in protein quality for supplying essential amino acids. When eaten as a whole grain, wheat is a source of multiple nutrients and dietary fiber.
In a small part of the general population, gluten – the major part of wheat protein – can trigger coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, gluten ataxia, and dermatitis herpetiformis.”
Culinary uses:
“Raw wheat can be ground into flour or, using hard durum wheat only, can be ground into semolina; germinated and dried creating malt; crushed or cut into cracked wheat; parboiled (or steamed), dried, crushed and de-branned into bulgur also known as groats. If the raw wheat is broken into parts at the mill, as is usually done, the outer husk or bran can be used in several ways. Wheat is a major ingredient in such foods as bread, porridge, crackers, biscuits, Muesli, pancakes, pies, pastries, cakes, cookies, muffins, rolls, doughnuts, gravy, beer, vodka, boza (a fermented beverage), and breakfast cereals.
In manufacturing wheat products, gluten is valuable to impart viscoelastic functional qualities in the dough, enabling the preparation of diverse processed foods such as bread, noodles, and pasta that facilitate wheat consumption.”
Nutrition:
“In 100 grams, wheat provides 327 calories and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of multiple essential nutrients, such as protein, dietary fiber, manganese, phosphorus, and niacin. Several B vitamins and other dietary minerals are in significant content. Wheat is 13% water, 71% carbohydrates, and 1.5% fat. Its 13% protein content is mostly gluten (75-80% of the protein in wheat).
Wheat proteins have a low quality for human nutrition, according to the new protein quality method (DIAAS) promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization. Wheat proteins are deficient in the essential amino acid, lysine, and contain adequate amounts of the other essential amino acids, at least for adults. Because the proteins present in the wheat endosperm (gluten proteins) are particularly poor in lysine, white flours are more deficient in lysine compared with whole grains. Significant efforts in plant breeding are being made to develop lysine-rich wheat varieties, without success as of 2017. Supplementation with proteins from other food sources (mainly legumes) is commonly used to compensate for this deficiency since the limitation of a single essential amino acid causes the others to break down and become excreted, which is especially important during the period of "growing".”
Health effects:
“Consumed worldwide by billions of people, wheat is a significant food for human nutrition, particularly in the least developed countries where wheat products are primary foods. When eaten as the whole grain, wheat is a healthy food source of multiple nutrients and dietary fiber recommended for children and adults, in several daily servings containing a variety of foods that meet whole grain-rich criteria. Dietary fiber may also help people feel full and therefore help with a healthy weight. Further, wheat is a major source of natural and biofortified nutrient supplementation, including dietary fiber, protein, and dietary minerals.
Manufacturers of foods containing wheat as a whole grain in specified amounts are allowed a health claim for marketing purposes in the United States, stating: "low fat diets rich in fiber-containing grain products, fruits, and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, a disease associated with many factors" and "diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol and rich in fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain some types of dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, may reduce the risk of heart disease, a disease associated with many factors". The scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) related to health claims on gut health/bowel function, weight control, blood glucose/"insulinum" levels, weight management, blood cholesterol, satiety, glycaemic index, digestive function, and cardiovascular health is "that the food constituent, whole grain, (...) is not sufficiently characterized in relation to the claimed health effects" and "that a cause and effect relationship cannot be established between the consumption of whole grain and the claimed effects considered in this opinion.”
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Energy | 331 kcal 1'385 kJ | 16.6% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal |
Fat/Lipids | 1.6 g | 2.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g |
Saturated Fats | 0.29 g | 1.4% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 74 g | 27.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g |
Sugars | 0.41 g | 0.5% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 90g |
Fiber | 12 g | 50.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g |
Protein/Albumin | 10 g | 20.7% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g |
Cooking Salt (Na:2.0 mg) | 5.1 mg | 0.2% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Min | Manganese, Mn | 4.4 mg | 220.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 493 mg | 70.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Min | Copper, Cu | 0.45 mg | 45.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Prot | Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.34 g | 37.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Vit | Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.39 mg | 36.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Elem | Magnesium, Mg | 126 mg | 34.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Prot | Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.51 g | 33.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Prot | Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.76 g | 32.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Prot | Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.40 g | 32.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Prot | Valine (Val, V) | 0.50 g | 31.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential fatty acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 0.63 g | 6.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.03 g | 1.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.34 g | 37.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 0.51 g | 33.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.40 g | 32.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 0.76 g | 32.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.50 g | 31.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.17 g | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.32 g | 17.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.39 mg | 36.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 4.8 mg | 30.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 41 µg | 21.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.27 mg | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.85 mg | 14.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Biotin (ex vitamin B7, H) | 6.0 µg | 12.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 50 µg |
Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 1.0 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.10 mg | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Phosphorus, P | 493 mg | 70.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Magnesium, Mg | 126 mg | 34.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Potassium, K | 397 mg | 20.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 27 mg | 3.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 2.0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Manganese, Mn | 4.4 mg | 220.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Copper, Cu | 0.45 mg | 45.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 2.6 mg | 26.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Iron, Fe | 3.2 mg | 23.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Iod, I (Jod, J) | 6.7 µg | 4.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 150 µg |
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