What are wheat germ? Description of the chemical composition and calorie content. The beneficial effect of the product on the body. Why is it better for some not to use it? How to germinate a culture at home and what can be prepared from young shoots of wheat? The main beneficial properties of wheat seedlings are presented in the table:
| Beneficial features | Characteristic |
| Strengthening immunity | Increases resistance to viruses, helps recovery from illness |
| Cleansing the body | Removes toxins and toxins, stimulates metabolism |
| Antioxidant effect | Prevents tumors, rejuvenates the body |
| Improving the work of the heart and blood vessels | Prevents vascular occlusion and related acute conditions |
In general, as you can see, the healing potential of wheat seedlings is really great, which is confirmed not only by numerous researchers and doctors, but also by celebrities. For example, famous Hollywood divas Madonna and Kate Moss start their day with wheatgrass juice.
Contraindications and harm to wheat germ
Unfortunately, despite the enormous benefits of seedlings, everything is not so simple with them, the product has contraindications and can harm the body under certain conditions.
First of all, it should be said that it is very important to start introducing the product into the diet with small doses. You need to start with a teaspoon per day, gradually bringing the amount of the product to the maximum amount - 100 grams. In addition, it is noted that even with gradual administration, some unpleasant symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract can be observed, however, after 2-3 days, all unpleasant symptoms should go away.
In addition, it is not recommended to combine wheat sprouts with dairy products, this can provoke increased gas formation. Wheat sprouts can harm people:
- With severe diseases of the digestive system - the diet of such people should always be agreed with the attending physician;
- In the postoperative period - despite the fact that the sprouts stimulate immunity well and promote recovery from serious illnesses, it is undesirable to use them during such a period;
- Children under 12 years old - for a number of reasons, doctors do not recommend introducing sprouted wheat into the diet before 12 years old;
- Patients with celiac disease, as wheat contains gluten in its composition.
In principle, the product should be introduced with caution into the diet of allergy sufferers.
Finally, it is worth mentioning one more "but". Wheat contains a substance called lectin, a protein that can selectively interact with sugar molecules on the surface of cells, causing them to stick together, which in turn can cause the affected organ to malfunction. For this reason, sprouts should be consumed only in reasonable doses, and if you have this or that disease, it is better to consult a doctor before introducing the product into the diet.
How to germinate wheat?
If you went to the store and did not find wheat sprouts on its shelves, do not be discouraged, buy sleeping grains and "wake up" them yourself.
Let's take a step-by-step look at how to grow wheat seedlings:
- Sort out the grains, rinse, leave only the good ones and fill them with water - those that float, discard and rinse the rest again.
- Take dishes made of natural material - glass, clay, porcelain, pour wheat with water at room temperature, it should be 2-3 times more than grains.
- After 5-8 hours, drain the water, rinse the grains and refill. Repeat the water change procedure at regular intervals until the first shoots appear.
You can store ready-made sprouts in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. Before using them, be sure to rinse them, or even better scald them with boiling water.
Wheat germ recipes
In order for the seedlings to bring maximum benefit, they eat them, either when they have reached a length of 1-3 mm, adding to salads, cereals, soups, etc., or only when they have grown to 12-15 mm, but in this case they need to be squeezed out and added to healthy cocktails.
Let's take a look at some interesting use cases for wheatgrass recipes:
- Orange salad … Peel and cut an apple (1 piece) and an orange (half). Transfer fruits to a salad bowl, add sprouts (100 grams), soy tofu (100 grams), watercress (20 grams), torn by hand. Pour olive oil over the salad, season with salt and pepper to taste, stir and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts on top (1 tablespoon).
- Porridge with sprouts … Grind the sprouts (100 grams) in a blender or meat grinder, pour in hot coconut or other vegetable milk (250 ml) and bring to a boil. Boil the porridge for 10 minutes, then add dried apricots (5 pieces) and raisins (2 tablespoons) and cook for a couple more minutes. Remove the porridge from the heat, add butter, salt, sugar to taste.
- Simple dessert … Pour boiling water over wheat (2 tablespoons) and grind in a meat grinder or blender, mix it with walnuts (1 tablespoon) and honey (1 teaspoon). Eat delicious pasta with a cup of tea.
- Chicken sprouts soup … Cut the chicken fillet into cubes (300 grams). Prepare the marinade: Combine soy sauce (2 tablespoons), olive oil (1 tablespoon), ginger (1 teaspoon), lemon juice (1 tablespoon), salt and pepper to taste and pour over the fillet. While the meat is marinating, pass the onions and carrots in a skillet. Transfer vegetables, chicken to boiling vegetable broth or water, pour the marinade, add sprouts. Cook the soup for 15-20 minutes.
- Wheat Sprouted Smoothie … Place long sprouts (30 grams) in a juicer to get juice. Put peeled and coarsely chopped banana (1 piece), pear (1 piece), kiwi (2 pieces) into a blender, squeeze lime juice (1 tablespoon), toss mint (1 sprig) and pour in wheat juice. Whisk the cocktail, add water or vegetable milk if necessary.
As you can see, wheat sprouts will complement any dishes equally well - both the first and second, and even desserts. But what can I say, the product will find its place in drinks, so it will not be difficult to introduce it into your diet.
Interesting facts about wheat germ
In Russia, many traditional dishes, such as Christmas sochivo and funeral kutia, were prepared precisely from wheat germs.
You can make delicious crispy bread from the sprouts, for this you just need to pass them through a meat grinder, add a little water, salt, the necessary spices, form dough plates and fry them in a pan.
Sprouts are often used in folk recipes for the beauty of skin and hair. You can add wheat germ juice to your regular shampoo, mask or cream and you will already see the tangible benefits.
A special kind of kvass can be prepared from the sprouts; it is called Italian or rejwelak.
When eating sprouts, it is very important to chew them thoroughly or grind them first in a blender or meat grinder.
There are as many vitamins in 30 ml of wheat germ juice as there are in a kilogram of vegetables. Watch the video about wheat seedlings:
Wheat sprouts are a very useful product, respected today by all adherents of a healthy diet. However, he has a number of contraindications and "but", especially for people with various ailments. This is why it is very important to consult your doctor before introducing sprouts into your diet. In addition, do not forget that the maximum dose of product consumption per day should not be exceeded by perfectly healthy people.
