Wheat germ: dense in thiamin and zinc, flat on cholesterol in trials

Wheat germ has been tested as a food for cholesterol, and the pooled trials do not back it as one. A meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials found no effect on total cholesterol (standardized mean difference -0.01, 95% CI -0.17 to 0.16), triglycerides or glucose, from only five studies and a search that ended in May 2019. A separate trial in 55 healthy adults eating bread with 6 g of wheat germ a day for 4 weeks also saw no change in cholesterol, triglycerides or glucose response. What the germ does carry is concentrated. One USDA record lists 1.882 mg thiamin, 79.2 mcg selenium and 12.29 mg zinc per 3.5 oz (100 g), a single analysis with no second sample to show spread. US survey coding counts an unspecified serving as 15 g and a cup as 120 g, measures set by coders rather than weighed on real plates.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• Raw wheat germ provides 1.882 mg thiamin, 79.2 mcg selenium and 12.29 mg zinc per 3.5 oz (100 g), one analyzed record with no sample spread. — USDA SR Legacy record, Wheat germ, crude (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Thiamin 1.882 mg, selenium 79.2 mcg, zinc 12.29 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• In US dietary survey coding, 1 cup of wheat germ weighs 4.2 oz (120 g) and an unspecified quantity is coded as 15 g. — FNDDS food code 57412000, Wheat germ Evidence E source
  1 cup = 120 g; quantity not specified = 15 g
• In 55 healthy adults, bread with 6 g of wheat germ a day for 4 weeks did not change cholesterol, triglycerides or glucose response. — 55 healthy adults, mean age 34, crossover with two 4-week periods (n = 55) Evidence B source
  No significant effect on cholesterol, triglycerides, postprandial glucose or insulin sensitivity

What your body absorbs

• In a crossover trial in 24 adults, native folate from wheat germ was less bioavailable than from spinach and varied very widely between people. — 24 healthy adults, four-period crossover with folic acid saturation (n = 24) Evidence B source
  Ranking of AUC and Cmax: spinach > wheat germ > Camembert; very high variability for wheat germ
• In 10 adults, cholesterol absorption was 42.8% higher after a muffin of phytosterol-free wheat germ than after 2.8 oz (80 g) of original wheat germ with 328 mg phytosterols. — 10 subjects, three test meals in random order (n = 10) Evidence B source
  Tracer enrichment 0.415 vs 0.291 micro mol/mmol, +42.8%, P < 0.01

What cooking and storage change

• For cooked regular or quick breakfast cereals, the USDA retention table keeps 80% of thiamin and 70% of folate, while zinc stays at 100%. — USDA Breakfast Cereals group, method CEREAL,REG/QUICK,COOKED Evidence E source
  Thiamin 80%, folate 70%, riboflavin 90%, zinc 100% retained

What it does to your health

• In US cohorts followed about 26 years, eating wheat germ 2 or more times a week was linked to 13% lower coronary heart disease risk. — 74,244 NHS women, 91,430 NHSII women, 39,455 HPFS men (n = 205129) Evidence C source
  Pooled HR 0.87 (95% CI 0.77-0.99), >=2 servings/week vs <1 serving/month

Safety, limits and interactions

• A meta-analysis of 56 studies put wheat allergy at 0.63% by self-report and 0.04% when confirmed by food challenge. — 56 prevalence studies worldwide, 2007-2022 (n = 56 studies) Evidence C source
  Self-reported 0.63% (95% CI 0.43-0.87%); food challenge 0.04% (0-0.16%)
• In 30 older adults, a spermidine-rich wheat germ extract at 1.2 mg spermidine a day for 3 months showed no safety differences from placebo. — 30 adults aged 60-80 with subjective cognitive decline, 3 months (n = 30) Evidence B source
  No differences in vital signs, weight, clinical chemistry, hematology; compliance above 85%

What people believe that the data does not support

• A meta-analysis of 5 randomized trials found no effect of wheat germ on total cholesterol, triglycerides or glucose (SMD for cholesterol -0.01). — randomized trials of wheat germ interventions, 10 reviewed and 5 pooled (n = 5 trials) Evidence A source
  Total cholesterol SMD -0.01 (95% CI -0.17 to 0.16); triglycerides -0.06 (-0.41 to 0.29); glucose -0.09 (-0.62 to 0.45)
• The EU register lists the claim that wheat germ oil retards the aging processes as non-authorized. — EU health claim POL-HC-8166 Evidence E source
  Claim not authorized
• The EU register lists wheat germ oil claims on metabolism, calcium absorption and body mass reduction as non-authorized. — EU health claim POL-HC-8159 Evidence E source
  Claim not authorized

Who this works differently for

• In 80 adults with type 2 diabetes, 20 g of wheat germ a day for 12 weeks lowered total cholesterol versus placebo but did not change glycemic status. — 80 participants with T2DM, 20 g wheat germ or placebo, 12 weeks (n = 80) Evidence B source
  Total cholesterol reduced vs placebo, p = .04; no effect on glycemic status, blood pressure, triglycerides or LDL
• In 40 overweight adults, 1.1 oz (30 g) of wheat germ a day for 4 weeks raised Faecalibacterium, but glucose markers did not differ from the cornmeal control. — 40 adults aged 18-45 with BMI 25-30, 30 g wheat germ or cornmeal daily for 4 weeks (n = 40) Evidence B source
  Faecalibacterium higher vs control; insulin and HOMA-IR improved only vs baseline, not vs control
• In 75 completers with type 2 diabetes, 20 g of wheat germ daily for 12 weeks lowered depression and stress scores versus placebo, not anxiety. — 80 participants with T2DM randomized, 75 completed, 12 weeks (n = 80) Evidence B source
  Depression score P = .03, stress score P = .04 vs placebo; no effect on anxiety or anthropometry

The bottom line

The one trial that did see cholesterol fall was in 80 adults with type 2 diabetes eating 20 g a day for 12 weeks. Total cholesterol dropped against placebo (p = .04), the abstract gives no size for that drop, and glucose, blood pressure, triglycerides and LDL did not change. It appeared in 2020, after the meta-analysis had closed its search. In the same patients, 75 of whom finished, depression scores (P = .03) and stress scores (P = .04) fell against placebo while anxiety did not, again with no effect size in the abstract. In 40 overweight adults, 30 g a day for 4 weeks raised Faecalibacterium, a gut bacterium, and glucose markers ended no different from the cornmeal control. Across three US cohorts of 205,129 people followed about 26 years, eating wheat germ twice a week or more was linked to 13% lower coronary heart disease risk than eating it less than once a month (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.99). That comes from self-reported diet in people who ate little of it, and the upper end of the interval sits just below no difference. Two small single-meal tests looked at absorption. In 24 adults, folate from wheat germ was taken up less well than from spinach and better than from Camembert, with very wide differences from person to person. In 10 people eating 2.8 oz (80 g) of wheat germ in a muffin, a large amount, cholesterol absorption from that meal was 42.8% higher when the germ's own 328 mg of plant sterols had been removed. For cooking we have only a factor for cooked breakfast cereals as a group, never measured on wheat germ itself, which keeps 80% of thiamin, 70% of folate and all of the zinc. Wheat germ is wheat, so wheat allergy applies. A meta-analysis of 56 studies put wheat allergy at 0.63% of people by self-report and 0.04% when confirmed by a food challenge, figures for wheat in general. A spermidine-rich extract made from wheat germ, giving 1.2 mg of spermidine a day for 3 months to 30 adults aged 60 to 80, showed no safety differences from placebo. That small trial of an extract says little about the germ you sprinkle on yogurt. We found no study on wheat germ with medicines or in kidney disease. The EU has refused to authorize claims that wheat germ oil slows aging, improves metabolism, helps calcium absorption or reduces body mass. The register does not record why.

Sources

1. wgm-daily-r5-01 · food composition dataset
   Wheat germ, crude (FDC 168892): thiamin 1.882 mg, selenium 79.2 µg, zinc 12.29 mg per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2018, FDC 168892 (Wheat germ, crude) · checked 2026-09-29
2. wgm-daily-r5-02 · food portion dataset
   Wheat germ (FNDDS 57412000): 1 cup = 120 g; Quantity not specified = 15 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 57412000, FDC 2708477 · checked 2026-09-29
3. wgm-daily-r5-08 · RCT
   PARTICIPANTS: 55 eligible healthy adults (mean age of 34 years and body mass index between 19 and 38 kg/m2) were randomly assigned. ... RESULTS: We observed no significant effect of daily intake of wheat germ on cholesterol and triglycerides levels, on postprandial glucose response and on insulin sensitivity.
   BMJ Open, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
4. wgm-daily-r5-04 · RCT
   The variability of AUC and C(max) was moderate for spinach and oral solution of pteroylmonoglutamic acid but high for Camembert cheese and very high for wheat germs. ... When comparing the ratio estimates of AUC and C(max) for the different test foods, highest bioavailability was found for spinach followed by that for wheat germs and Camembert cheese.
   Food Funct, 2015 · checked 2026-09-29
5. wgm-daily-r5-05 · RCT
   Each test meal was a muffin containing 30 mg heptadeuterated cholesterol tracer and, in random order, 80 g original wheat germ containing 328 mg phytosterols, wheat germ from which phytosterols had been selectively extracted, or extracted wheat germ reconstituted with purified phytosterols. ... Tracer enrichment of plasma cholesterol was 42.8% higher after consumption of phytosterol-free wheat germ than after that of the original wheat germ (0.415 +/- 0.035 compared with 0.291 +/- 0.024 micro mol tracer/mmol cholesterol; P < 0.01).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2003 · checked 2026-09-29
6. wgm-daily-r5-03 · retention factor dataset
   CEREAL,REG/QUICK,COOKED (Retn_Code 358): thiamin 80%, folate 70%, riboflavin 90%, zinc 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), code 358 · checked 2026-09-29
7. wgm-daily-r5-11 · cohort
   For other whole grain foods with lower overall intake levels, comparing intake level of ≥2 servings/week with < 1 serving/month, the pooled hazard ratios (95% CIs) were 0.79 (0.74-0.84) for oatmeal, 0.79 (0.71-0.87) for brown rice, 0.84 (0.78-0.90) for added bran, and 0.87 (0.77-0.99) for wheat germ.
   BMC Med, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
8. wgm-daily-r5-12 · meta-analysis of observational studies
   The prevalence of wheat allergy was 0.63% (95% CI: 0.43-0.87%) for self-reported, 0.70% (95% CI: 0.18-1.22%) for self-reported physician-diagnosed, 0.22% (95%CI: 0.07-0.65%) for skin prick test positive, 0.97% (95% CI: 0.43-2.20%) for specific immunoglobulin E positive, and 0.04% (95% CI: 0-0.16%) for food challenge.
   Nutrients, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
9. wgm-daily-r5-13 · RCT
   In the human cohort (participants with subjective cognitive decline, n=30, 60 to 80 years of age), a 3-month randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase II trial was conducted with supplementation of the spermidine-rich plant extract (dosage: 1.2 mg/day). No differences were observed between spermidine and placebo-treated groups in vital signs, weight, clinical chemistry and hematological parameters of safety, as well as in self-reported health status at the end of intervention.
   Aging (Albany NY), 2018 · checked 2026-09-29
10. wgm-daily-r5-06 · meta-analysis
    Three biomarkers in five eligible studies were investigated by meta-analysis. Total cholesterol showed non-significant results (p = 0.98), with standard mean difference (SMD) of - 0.01 (95% confidence interval; - 0.17, 0.16). The SMD was - 0.06 (95% CI - 0.41, 0.29, n = 4) for triglycerides and - 0.09 (95% CI - 0.62, 0.45, n = 2) for glucose.
    Food Science and Biotechnology, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
11. wgm-daily-r5-14 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-8166 Wheat germ oil Retards the ageing processes Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-8166, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
12. wgm-daily-r5-15 · regulatory decision
    POL-HC-8159 Wheat germ oil 1. Improves metabolism 2. Helps maintain functions and structure of the body and its organ cell membranes 3. Activates absorption of calcium in intestinal tract thereby increasing bone density 4. Promotes body purification and reduction of body mass Non-authorised
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-8159, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-09-29
13. wgm-daily-r5-07 · RCT
    Eighty participants with T2DM were randomly allocated to receive 20-g WG (n = 40) or placebo (n = 40) in a randomized double-blind clinical trial for 12 weeks. ... Compared with the placebo, WG consumption led to significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC) concentrations (p = .04). ... We observed no significant effects of WG intake on glycaemic status, blood pressure, MDA, triglyceride, and low density lipoprotein levels.
    Phytother Res, 2020 · checked 2026-09-29
14. wgm-daily-r5-09 · RCT
    Participants consumed the study supplements containing 30 g of either cornmeal (control, CL) or WG daily for 4 weeks. ... The genus Faecalibacterium was significantly higher in the WG group compared to CL post-supplementation but no significant changes in other gut health markers, short-chain fatty acids, inflammatory markers, and lipid profiles were observed. ... However, these parameters after intervention were not different with control.
    Nutr Res, 2024 · checked 2026-09-29
15. wgm-daily-r5-10 · RCT
    Eighty participants with T2DM were randomly allocated to receive 20 g wheat germ (n = 40) or placebo (n = 40) in a randomized double-blind clinical trial for 12 weeks. ... Compared with the placebo, wheat germ consumption led to a significant reduction in depression (P = .03) and stress (P = .04) scores.
    Nutr Neurosci, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29