As a nutritionally dense food, wheat germ provides several important dietary nutrients. You can add wheat germ to the recipes for baked goods to boost their nutritional value and make them more filling. Some people also enjoy mixing wheat germ with yogurt or fruit for a healthy snack.
Dietary Fiber
One cup of wheat germ contains 15.2 g of dietary fiber, which is over 60 percent of the typical recommended daily fiber intake. Your body needs fiber from your diet in to maintain the health of your digestive system and ensure that the food you eat is processed thoroughly. Insufficient dietary fiber intake can increase your risk of disorders like diverticulitis and constipation.
Protein
There are 26.6 g of protein, or 53.3 percent of a typical daily intake recommendation, in one cup of wheat germ. Including wheat germ in your favorite baked goods can make them significantly richer in protein. You need dietary protein to maintain virtually every part of your body, and particularly to rebuild and strengthen your muscles after they are broken down from exercise.
Potassium
Your body needs potassium for purposes such as overall growth and development and muscle building. It allows your body to process both protein and carbohydrates into usable forms, and is necessary for heart health. A cup of wheat germ contains nearly 1,026 mg of potassium, over 29 percent of the recommended daily potassium intake.
B Vitamins
Wheat germ is a rich source of the B complex vitamins, which help your body produce energy from the food you eat. One cup of wheat germ contains 2.2 mg of vitamin B-1, or thiamine; 0.6 mg of vitamin B-2, or riboflavin; 7.8 mg of vitamin B-3, or niacin; 2.6 mg of vitamin B-5, or pantothenic acid; 1.5 mg of vitamin B-6; and 323.2 mcg of folate.
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